Publisher: USPTO, Patent number: US9373933 B2 An optical wavelength sweeping apparatus is disclosed. The optical wavelength sweeping apparatus includes a laser diode having an active region including a thickness of less than 1 µm, a cross-section of less than 7 µm2, and a ratio of active region volume to total laser diode volume of less than 1/300, and a pulse generator coupled to the laser diode. The pulse generator is configured and operable to provide a current drive pulse to the laser diode to selectively and rapidly heat the active region and immediate vicinity to provide a peak increase in temperature of 30° C. or more at an end of the current pulse and to perform a wavelength sweep of emitted optical radiation which is greater than 5 nm. Methods of driving a laser diode and optical systems are disclosed, as are other aspects. Patent covers signal interrogation solution for Fiber-Bragg gratings and Fabry-Perot sensors using fast wavelength sweeping of standard DFB laser diodes. This patent is basis for collaboration with Broadcom/Avago Ltd.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 19644438Publisher: USPTO, Patent number:US9042695 B2 A bend-loss tolerant multimode fiber transmission system is provided. The system includes: a transmission fiber having a core and a cladding, and a mode-launching system for selectively exciting only a useful portion of the transmission modes, that portion corresponding to high effective refractive indices relative to a refractive index of the cladding the useful portion corresponding to a substantial number of modes. The mode-launching system may include a lead-in fiber, coupled to the transmission fiber, supporting a number of lead-in modes substantially corresponding to the number of transmission modes in the useful portion. The transmission fiber may have a refractive index profile, within a region of its core that is aligned with the lead-in fiber core, which has a shape that matches a refractive index profile shape in the lead-in fiber core. The transmission fiber core may have a graded refractive index profile that is parabolic or nearly parabolic or truncated. This patent is licensed to Optacore.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 18727958Publisher: USPTO, Patent number:US9139468 B2 In a method aspect, a method of manufacturing an optical fiber sensor is provided. The method includes providing a structure-forming fiber having a central portion etchable at a first rate when exposed to an etching medium, a inner cladding portion surrounding the central portion having a second etching rate that is greater than the etching rate of the central portion when exposed to the etching medium, and an annular outer cladding portion surrounding the inner cladding portion having a third etching rate that is less than the etching rate of both the central portion and the inner cladding portion when exposed to the etching medium; and exposing an end of the structure-forming fiber to the etching medium for a sufficient time to produce an outer dimension Do, a pedestal, and a gutter surrounding the pedestal having a gutter depth defining an active region of length, L, wherein L/Do ? 0.5. Patent covers the manufacturing and design of fiber optic structure that is initially used for fiber optic strain sensor and has also high potential for development of pressure sensors. Patent is base for collaboration with Hidria and is used to design and development of cost-efficient FOS pressure measuring system.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 18957334Publisher: USPTO, Patent number: US8942531 B2 The present invention relates to optical fuses, and more particularly to optical fiber lines including optical fuses. Optical fuse device is aimed to protect the telecommunication or any other fiber networks. Optical fuse device can be placed in an optical fiber line to allow protection of one or more components in an optical system from light over power situations where a light intensity in the optical system is above a predetermined threshold value. The present invention optical fuse device may find use in optical telecommunication systems, fiber laser systems, sensor systems, testing systems, and other light transmission applications where high intensity, light signals or pulses may be present. Each optical fiber line includes two lead-in fibers having the optical fuse device optically coupled there between. The method of manufacturing includes bonding (e.g., splicing) a structure-forming fiber having a preferentially-etchable portion between two lead-in fibers and etching the structure-orming fiber to remove at least a portion of the preferentially-etchable portion and form an optical fuse device extending between the two lead-in fibers. In other embodiments, the structure forming fiber is bonded to a first lead-in fiber, axially etched to form an optical fuse precursor, and then the assembly is bonded to the second lead-in fiber. Non-exclusive licenses is given to Optacore.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 18418454Publisher: USPTO, Patent number: US8655123 B2 The present invention relates to an in-line optical device, and more particularly to an in-line optical device adapted to be connected to an optical fiber. The in-line optical device is suitable for use in different in- line fiberoptics systems to provide interaction of the guided optical field with the surrounding medium or other photonics structure. The in-line optical device includes a field interaction region of an optically- transmissive material or at least the fiber core, a support structure spaced from the central axis having one or more radial openings; and a void between the support structure and the field interaction region, the void substantially surrounding the field interaction region. An in-line optical system includes a first and second lead-in optical fiber, and in-line optical device, which is coupled between both lead-in fibers. The method of manufacturing includes providing a structure-forming fiber with support structure forming portion, a field interaction region forming portion, and a preferentially etchable portion. It also includes bonding the structure forming fiber between both lead-in fibers to form a fiber assembly that is further etched. Etching is needed to remove the etchable portion in order to form an in-line optical device having a field interaction region with support structures. Non-exclusive licenses is given to Optacore.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 17639446Publisher: USPTO, Patent number: US8655117 B2 The patent application represents basis for manufacturing of next generation of strain sensors. The present invention relates to optical sensors, and more particularly to optical fiber sensors and systems including them. The optical fiber sensor whit long active length is composed of a lead-in fiber that also forms the first FP semi-reflective surface, an outer (semi-conical) wall, a second FP semi-reflective surface, a gutter that surrounds the second FP semi-reflective surface, pedestal and a second lead-in fiber. The active length of fiber sensor is defined by gutter depth. The strain measurement system includes an optical fiber sensor adapted to be coupled to an object undergoing strain, the optical fiber sensor including a lead-in optical fiber and an optical element coupled thereto including a signal processor coupled to the optical fiber sensor. Signal processor is operable to generate and pass a light signal into the lead-in optical fiber, receive a light signal reflected from at least the retracted surface of the optical element, and determine a strain applied to the object. The main advantage of the proposed sensor system is that cavity length and active length are separated by the gutter length in order to improve sensitivity. Method of manufacturing an optical fiber sensor includes a few possibilities to providing a structure-forming fiber; and micromachining the structure-forming fiber to produce an outer dimension, a pedestal, and a gutter surrounding the pedestal having a gutter depth defining an active region of length. The present invention also relates to measuring system in order to define signal interrogation technique in manner of coupling signal into in-line fiber and receiving of a reflected light signal, all that to determine strain applied to the object. Patent covers the manufacturing steps for the next generation of fiber optic strain sensor with long active length and with short Fabry-Perot cavity. Patent is base for collaboration with Hidria and is used to design and development of cost-efficient FOS pressure measuring system.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 17639190Publisher: USPTO, Patent number: US8559770 B2 A Fabry-Perot optical sensor for sensing a parameter such as pressure or the like is provided. The sensor includes a lead optical fiber from the end of which projects a spacer having an end surface curving inwardly. A diaphragm extends across the forward end of the spacer. The diaphragm is flexible in response to the parameter to be measured and defines a forward reflector of the Fabry-Perot cavity within the optical sensor. A method for manufacturing such a sensor is also provided. Patent covers the manufacturing and the design of fiber optic pressure sensors based on all silica diaphragm on the tip of an optical fiber. Patent is base for collaboration with Fiso Technologies; it represent base technology for manufacturing current world's smallest commercial pressure sensor.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 17241366Publisher: USPTO, Patent number: US8557129 B2 Methods of manufacturing optical devices are disclosed. The method includes providing a structure-forming fiber bonded to at least one other optical component, the structure-forming fiber having a preferentially-etchable portion including at least one radial etching boundary and at least one axial etching boundary, and etching the preferentially-etchable portion to the radial and axial etching boundaries to produce a precise optical structure. The preferentially-etchable portion may be removed through one or more radial openings in the structure-forming fiber. Numerous other aspects are provided. Patent covering the micromachining technology based on selective etching. With use of selective etching part of optical fiber can be efficiently transformed/reshaped to various complex 3D photonic devices. Non exclusive license is given to Optacore.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 17241110Publisher: USPTO, Patent number: US8477296 B2 Optoelectronic signal processing systems, apparatus and methods to extract a measured parameter from one or more interrogated optical sensors are disclosed. The apparatus includes an integrated laser module, an electronic control and processing unit, an optical coupling element, and one or more light receivers. Light is reflected back from the optical sensor through the optical coupling element to the light receiver(s). The electronic control and processing unit controls the wavelength of the integrated laser module using thermal control and, at the same time, detecting the wavelength of the integrated laser module using a wavelength selective element of the integrated laser module. According to the method, a wavelength sweep from the integrated laser module wavelength is swept, simultaneously measured and stored in memory of the electronic control and processing unit. The optical sensor response is recorded during the sweep and combined with stored emitted wavelengths to obtain spectral characteristics of interrogated optical sensor. Numerous other aspects are provided. This patent was basis for development of temperature senors for large transformers for company Senčar and Etra.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 17011990Publisher: USPTO, Patent number: US7646955 B2 This patent proposes a significant improvement of the multimode fibers together with thorough analysis of the proposed improvement. For the first time a practical design of a multimode fiber was proposed that can achieve a bandwidth up to 100 GHz*km. The presented design opens new possibilities for high performance cost effective optical interconnections over shorter distances such as computer local (LAN) or storage (SAN) networks. This patent was sold to world's largest fiber producer, Corning Inc., USA.
F.32 International patent
COBISS.SI-ID: 13785366