Patent ID: 6809863
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: G02B,Y10S

Abstract:
A low dispersion interleaver assembly comprising:a first interleaver stage having three birefringent elements; a second interleaver stage having three birefringent elements; a polarization selection element disposed between the first interleaver stage and the second interleaver stage; wherein the angular orientations and phase delays of the birefringent elements in the first interleaver stage and the second interleaver stage are configured so as to cooperate to provide a dispersion vs. wavelength curve wherein the dispersion value for the first interleaver stage is approximately opposite in value to a dispersion value at the same wavelength for the second interleaver, so as to mitigate dispersion in the interleaver assembly; wherein the angular orientations and the phase delays of the birefringent elements are selected from a single row of the table: TABLE IFirst StageFirst StageSecond StageSecond StagePhase DelaysOrientationsPhase DelaysOrientations&Ggr;, 2&Ggr;, 2&Ggr;&phgr;1, &phgr;2, &phgr;3&Ggr;, 2&Ggr;, 2&Ggr;90Â° Â± &phgr;1, 90Â° Â± &phgr;2, 90Â° Â± &phgr;3 (parallel component)90Â° Â± &phgr;1, 90Â° Â± &phgr;2, 90Â° Â± &phgr;3 (orthogonal component)2&Ggr;, 2&Ggr;, &Ggr;&phgr;3, &phgr;2, &phgr;12&Ggr;, 2&Ggr;, &Ggr;90Â° Â± &phgr;3, 90Â° Â± &phgr;2, 90Â° Â± &phgr;1 (parallel component)90Â° Â± &phgr;3, 90Â° Â± &phgr;2, 90Â° Â± &phgr;1 (orthogonal component)&Ggr;, 2&Ggr;, 2&Ggr;&phgr;1, &phgr;2, &phgr;32&Ggr;, 2&Ggr;, &Ggr;90Â° Â± &phgr;3, 90Â° Â± &phgr;2, 90Â° Â± &phgr;1 (parallel component)Â± &phgr;3, Â± &phgr;2, Â± &phgr;1 (orthogonal component)2&Ggr;, 2&Ggr;, &Ggr;&phgr;3, &phgr;2, &phgr;1&Ggr;, 2&Ggr;, 2&Ggr;90Â° Â± &phgr;1, 90Â° Â± &phgr;2, 90Â° Â± &phgr;3 (parallel component)Â± &phgr;1, Â± &phgr;2, Â± &phgr;3 (orthogonal component)wherein the orientations of the birefringent elements of each stage correspond to the phase delays of the birefringent elements of the same stage in the order listed in the table; and wherein a birefringent element of orientation Â±&phgr;1 or 90Â°Â±&phgr;1 has phase delay &Ggr;, wherein a birefringent element of orientation Â±&phgr;2 or 90Â°Â±&phgr;2 has phase delay 2&Ggr;, wherein a birefringent element of orientation Â±&phgr;3 or 90Â°Â±&phgr;3 has phase delay 2&Ggr;, and wherein the birefringent elements are arranged in the order listed in the table.