Optically-powered optical power limiter for use in lightwave networks

Author

Aksyuk, V.A. ; Giles, C.R. ; Dentai, A. ; Burrus, E.C. ; Burrus, C.A. ; Stulz, L. ; Bishop, D.

Author_Institution

Lucent Technol., AT&T Bell Labs., Murray Hill, NJ, USA

fYear

1999

fDate

21-21 Jan. 1999

Firstpage

344

Lastpage

348

Abstract

We report on an optically powered optical power limiter for use in lightwave networks. Our device is a hybrid consisting of a MEMS variable attenuator specially designed for operation at low voltages operated in conjunction with an InGaAs photogenerator. Our resulting device is fast, small, inexpensive, fiber connectorized and requires no external circuitry or source of electrical power. We believe that it represents a practical power limiter, which will be easily implemented in lightwave systems.

Keywords

micro-optics; optical communication equipment; optical fibre networks; optical limiters; InGaAs; InGaAs photogenerator; MEMS variable attenuator; fiber connector; hybrid device; lightwave network; optical power; optical power limiter; Indium gallium arsenide; Intelligent networks; Micromechanical devices; Optical attenuators; Optical feedback; Optical fiber networks; Optical materials; Optical receivers; Optical saturation; Stimulated emission;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, 1999. MEMS '99. Twelfth IEEE International Conference on

Conference_Location

Orlando, FL, USA

ISSN

1084-6999

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5194-0

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/MEMSYS.1999.746852

Filename

746852