SBIR Phase I: The Interfractor - A New Optical Dispersive Component

SBIR 第一阶段：干涉仪 - 一种新型光学色散组件

• 批准号: 0318006
• 负责人: Stephen Senturia
• 金额: $ 10万
• 依托单位: Polychromix, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-07-01 至 2003-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0318006&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Interfractor; New; Optical

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop an Interfractor which is a new type of robust optical dispersion element that combines a relief grating with appropriately optimized dielectric films to achieve both high dispersion and high efficiency (in excess of 90%) into one diffraction order, independent of polarization. Grating efficiency is critical for wavelength-management in modern fiber-optic telecommunication systems that employ dense wave-division-multiplexing (DWDM) transmission. Dynamic gain equalizers, reconfigurable channel blockers, programmable optical add-drop modules, and wavelength-selective switches all require spatial separation of the wavelengths from an input fiber, typically with a diffraction grating, which is also typically the largest source of insertion loss. Because the polarization of the optical signal of any particular wavelength within a fiber may change over time, the net power loss through the device must be independent of polarization. It is very difficult to achieve high grating efficiency in both polarizations. The Interfractor achieves this goal with a novel and proprietary combination of diffractive and thin-film interference effects, and can be fabricated to be robust over the wide temperature range required of DWDM components. The most immediate commercial use of the Interfractor will be to improve the insertion loss in free-space optical wavelength-management products, such as dynamic gain equalizers, reconfigurable channel blockers, programmable add-drop modules, and wavelength selective switches now being implemented in modern fiber-optic telecommunication systems that employ dense wave-division-multiplexing (DWDM) transmission. This technology will be implemented in products as soon as Interfractors can be manufactured. The Interfractor will also be a stand-alone product for use in optical analytical instruments, such as spectrometers, that require a combination of high dispersion and high efficiency.

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发一种干涉仪，这是一种新型的坚固的光学色散元件，它将浮雕光栅与适当优化的介电薄膜相结合，以实现高色散和高效率（超过90%）到一个衍射级，独立于偏振。光栅效率对于采用密集波分复用（DWDM）传输的现代光纤通信系统中的波长管理至关重要。动态增益均衡器、可重构信道阻断器、可编程光分插模块和波长选择开关都需要波长与输入光纤的空间分离，通常使用衍射光栅，衍射光栅通常也是插入损耗的最大来源。由于光纤内任何特定波长的光信号的偏振可能随时间变化，因此通过器件的净功率损耗必须与偏振无关。在两个偏振中实现高光栅效率是非常困难的。Interfractor通过衍射和薄膜干涉效应的新颖专有组合实现了这一目标，并且可以在DWDM组件所需的宽温度范围内制造坚固耐用。 Interfractor最直接的商业用途将是改善自由空间光波长管理产品的插入损耗，如动态增益均衡器、可重新配置的信道阻断器、可编程分插模块和波长选择开关，这些产品目前正在采用密集波分复用（DWDM）传输的现代光纤通信系统中实施。一旦Interfractor能够制造出来，这项技术将在产品中实施。Interfractor也将是一种独立的产品，用于需要高色散和高效率相结合的光学分析仪器，如光谱仪。