Patent ID: 6535665
Filing Date: 2003-03-18
Classification: G02B,G02F,H04J

Abstract:
An acousto-optic filter, comprising:an optical fiber with a longitudinal axis, a core and a cladding in a surrounding relationship to the core, the optical fiber having multiple cladding modes; an acoustic wave generator made of a sufficiently high frequency piezoelectric material to produce a longitudinal acoustic wave; an acoustic wave propagation member with a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being coupled to the optical fiber and the proximal end being coupled to the acoustic wave generator, wherein the acoustic wave propagation member propagates the longitudinal acoustic wave from the proximal to the distal end and excites the longitudinal acoustic wave in the optical fiber, wherein the longitudinal acoustic wave to effect mode coupling of one or more wavelengths in an optical signal that propagates through the optical fiber in order to filter the optical signal.