Tunable Optical Module for Optical Communication

摘要

Light of at least two wavelengths is collimated in a forward path towards a reflector and light of at least one of the wavelengths is focused and detected in a return path, using in both paths a lens unit including a first convex surface and a second surface. A diffraction element diffracts the collimated light of the at least two wavelengths into different wavelength components. The reflector is moved so that one or more of the different wavelength components will be focused by the lens unit in the return path and detected. The second surface reflects the light of the at least two wavelengths from an input port towards the first convex surface and the first convex surface collimates the reflected light of the at least two wavelengths in the forward path, or the first convex surface focuses the one or more wavelength components towards the second surface that reflects the one or more wavelength components to an output port in the return path. The first convex surface can be replaced by a GRIN lens performing the focusing and collimating functions.

主权项

1. A tunable optical device, comprising:
an input port and an output port; a lens unit collimating light of at least two wavelengths from the input port in a forward path and focusing light of at least one of said at least two wavelengths to the output port in a return path, said lens unit including a first convex surface and a second surface; a reflector; at least one diffraction element that is located in the forward path and/or the return path between the lens unit and the reflector and that diffracts said collimated light of said at least two wavelengths into different wavelength components; and an actuator that moves the reflector so that one or more of said different wavelength components will travel in said return path to the lens unit and be focused to said one output port by the lens unit; wherein the second surface reflects the light of the at least two wavelengths from the input port towards the first convex surface and the first convex surface collimates the reflected light of the at least two wavelengths in the forward path, or said first convex surface focuses the one or more wavelength components towards said second surface that reflects the one or more wavelength components to the output port in the return path.