Patent ID: 6137924
Filing Date: 2000-10-24
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An article comprising a dispersion compensator for compensating a chromatic dispersion in an optical fiber communication system wherein the dispersion compensator comprisesa) a directional transfer device having a first, second and third port, said first port being an input port, and said third port being an output port;b) a polarization maintaining optical fiber having a predetermined first and second axis of polarization, with an intrinsic fiber birefringence of 10.sup.-6 or more, the polarization maintaining optical fiber being signal-transmissively connected to the second port of the directional transfer device; andc) a chirped Bragg grating disposed in said polarization maintaining optical fiber; CHARACTERIZED IN THATd) the chirped Bragg grating is spaced from said second port of the directional transfer device, the length L of polarization maintaining optical fiber between said second port and said chirped Bragg grating being selected such that, for radiation of wavelength .lambda., the chromatic dispersion at the third port is substantially less than the corresponding chromatic dispersion at the first port, with L being furthermore selected such that 2(z.+-.L)V.sub.g is at least approximately equal to D.lambda., where z is a penetration depth of the signal radiation .lambda. into the chirped Bragg grating, and V.sub.g is a group velocity of the signal radiation in the polarization maintaining fiber, where L is added to z if a grating dispersion is negative, and L is subtracted from z if the grating dispersion is positive, and where D is a dispersion in the chirped Bragg grating.