Patent ID: 7099531

Claim:
An optical chromatic dispersion compensator adapted for bettering performance of an optical communication system comprising: a collimating means for receiving a spatially diverging beam of light which contains a plurality of frequencies as may be emitted from an end of an optical fiber included in an optical communication system, the collimating means also converting the received spatially diverging beam of light into a mainly collimated beam of light that is emitted from the collimating means; an optical phaser which provides an entrance window for receiving the mainly collimated beam of light from the collimating means and for angularly dispersing the received beam of light in a banded pattern that is emitted from the optical phaser, whereby the received beam of light becomes separated into bands so that light having a particular frequency within a specific band is angularly displaced from light at other frequencies within that same band; and a light-returning means which receives the angularly dispersed light having the banded pattern that is emitted from the optical phaser, and for reflecting that light back through the optical phaser to exit the optical phaser near the entrance window thereof.