STTR Phase II: Polarization-Independent Liquid-Crystal Fabry-Perot Tunable Filter for Wavelength-Division Multiplexing Network Applications

STTR 第二阶段：用于波分复用网络应用的偏振无关液晶法布里-珀罗可调谐滤波器

• 批准号: 9805147
• 负责人: Kristina Johnson
• 金额: $ 34.95万
• 依托单位: KAJ LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1998
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1998-09-15 至 2000-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9805147&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; II; Polarization; Independent

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II project aims to develop a polarization insensitive liquid-crystal Fabry-Perot (LC-FP) optical demultiplexer for wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) communication systems. LC-FP filters have significant advantages over current technology due to its large tuning range, high finesse and low-voltage operations, which can lead to high performance and lost-cost. However, because this modulation is based on the optical anisotropy, only the extra-ordinary wave can be modulated in the FP resonator. This results in a polarization sensitive filter that greatly reduces its "field applications" in the WDM networks. The Phase I work proposed a polarization insensitive filter by use of polarization optics to manipulate the arbitrary polarization light into the FP cavity. The results of Phase I proved this concept by successfully demonstrating a LC-FP tunable filter operating on unpolarized light at 1.55 llm wavelength with a free spectral range (FSR) of 4 nm and a full-width-half-maximum of 0.5 nm. The purpose of Phase II is twofold: (1) Expand the FSR from 4 nm to 38 nm to make the device useful in WDM applications using Erbium doped amplifiers; and (2) Develop a procedure to mass-produce this WDM demultiplexer with consistently high performance at low-cost. Successful completion of this STTR program can resolve the polarization-sensitive drawback of the LC-FP filter and widen its application in WDM networks. The primary applications of this filter are the cable TV broadcasting, fiber-in-the-loop WDM networks, long distance telecommunication, and future all-optical networks. It can also be used in spectroscopic analysis and fiber-based environmental sensor applications.

该小型企业技术转让第二阶段项目旨在开发用于波分复用（WDM）通信系统的偏振不敏感液晶法布里-珀罗（LC-FP）光学解复用器。 LC-FP滤波器由于其大的调谐范围、高精细度和低电压操作而比当前技术具有显著的优势，这可以导致高性能和低成本。 然而，由于这种调制是基于光学各向异性，只有非常波可以在FP谐振腔中调制。 这导致偏振敏感滤波器大大减少了其在WDM网络中的“现场应用”。 第一阶段的工作提出了一个偏振不敏感的过滤器，使用偏振光学操纵的任意偏振光进入FP腔。 第一阶段的结果通过成功地展示了在1.55 μ m波长的非偏振光上操作的LC-FP可调谐滤波器来证明这一概念，该滤波器具有4 nm的自由光谱范围（FSR）和0.5nm的半峰全宽。第二阶段的目的有两个：（1）将FSR从4 nm扩展到38 nm，使该器件在使用掺铒放大器的WDM应用中有用;（2）开发一种程序，以低成本大规模生产这种WDM解复用器，并保持高性能。该STTR项目的成功完成，可以解决LC-FP滤波器偏振敏感的缺点，拓宽其在WDM网络中的应用。 这种滤波器的主要应用是有线电视广播、光纤在环WDM网络、长途通信和未来的全光网络。它还可用于光谱分析和基于光纤的环境传感器应用。