A device includes an optical fiber bundle having at least one optical data fiber and at least three optical tracking fibers, a mirror package configured to direct an incoming optical beam to the optical fiber bundle, at least three detectors, each detector corresponding to one of the at least three optical tracking fibers, the at least three detectors configured to receive portions of the incoming optical beam from the corresponding optical tracking fibers and convert the portions of the incoming beam to electrical tracking signals, and a controller configured to receive the electrical tracking signals from the at least three detectors and generate a feedback control based on the electrical tracking signals to control a position of the mirror package.

A device includes an optical fiber bundle having at least one optical data fiber and at least three optical tracking fibers, a mirror package configured to direct an incoming optical beam to the optical fiber bundle, at least three detectors, each detector corresponding to one of the at least three optical tracking fibers, the at least three detectors configured to receive portions of the incoming optical beam from the corresponding optical tracking fibers and convert the portions of the incoming beam to electrical tracking signals, and a controller configured to receive the electrical tracking signals from the at least three detectors and generate a feedback control based on the electrical tracking signals to control a position of the mirror package.

Provided is an optical device which can control a beam quality of outgoing light. An optical device (10) includes an entrance fiber bundle (12), an exit fiber (13), and a reduced diameter part (11). The reduced diameter part (11) has (i) an entrance end surface (11a) and (ii) an exit end surface (11b) which is narrower in area than the entrance end surface (11a). In a case where the entrance end surface (11a) is viewed from a normal direction of the entrance end surface (11a), a center (C2) of the exit end surface (11b) deviates from a center (C1) of the entrance end surface (11a).

An electro-optical assembly comprises a substrate having a support surface, and a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) which is mounted with a contact surface on the support surface. The PIC comprises an integrated optical waveguide structure defining at least two waveguide end faces, at an edge surface of the PIC, perpendicular to its contact surface, and forming optical ports An optical coupling device, mounted with a contact surface on the support surface, optically connects at least two optical fibers to the PIC and comprises an optical waveguide structure defining at least two front waveguide end faces provided at a front edge surface thereof perpendicular to its contact surface. The number of front waveguide end faces corresponds to the number of the waveguide end faces. The optical coupling device is positionable during an active positioning process to align the respective waveguide end faces. A method of manufacturing such an electro-optical assembly is also provided.

Methods, apparatus, and systems for modulation of a laser beam. An optical modulator may comprise an optical input to receive an optical beam, and one or more lengths of fiber between the optical input and an optical output. At least one of the lengths of fiber comprises a confinement region that is optically coupled to the output. The optical modulator may further comprise a perturbation device to modulate, through action upon the one or more lengths of fiber, a transmittance of the beam through the confinement region from a first transmittance level at a first time instance to a second transmittance level at a second time instance. The optical modulator may further comprise a controller input coupled to the perturbation device, wherein the perturbation device is to act upon the one or more lengths of fiber in response to a control signal received through the controller input.

Methods, apparatus, and systems for active saturable absorbance of an optical beam. An active saturable absorber may comprise an optical input to receive an optical beam, and one or more lengths of fiber between the optical input and an optical output. At least one of the lengths of fiber comprises a confinement region that is optically coupled to the output. The active saturable absorber may further comprise an optical detector to sense a characteristic of the optical beam, such as power. The active saturable absorber may further comprise a perturbation device to modulate, through action upon the one or more lengths of fiber, a transmittance of the beam through a fiber confinement region from a lower transmittance level to a higher transmittance level based on an indication of the characteristic sensed while the transmittance level is low.

Provided is an optical fiber coupler capable of suppressing variation of polarization state of light passing through a coupler portion. The optical fiber coupler includes: a substrate having a groove; a coupler portion which is inserted into the groove and to which a middle portion of each of optical fibers is joined; and an adhesive for bonding the coupler portion to the substrate. Shore D hardness of the adhesive is 10 to 35. By setting the Shore D hardness of the adhesive to 10 to 35, it is possible to suppress the variation of the polarization state of the light passing through the coupler portion.

Provided is an optical device which can control a beam quality of outgoing light. An optical device (10) includes an entrance fiber bundle (12), an exit fiber (13), and a reduced diameter part (11). The reduced diameter part (11) has (i) an entrance end surface (11a) and (ii) an exit end surface (11b) which is narrower in area than the entrance end surface (11a). In a case where the entrance end surface (11a) is viewed from a normal direction of the entrance end surface (11a), a center (C2) of the exit end surface (11b) deviates from a center (C1) of the entrance end surface (11a).

The present disclosure provides an optical equalizer for photonics system in an electric-optical communication network. The optical equalizer includes an input port and an output port. Additionally, the optical equalizer includes a filter having a number of stages coupled to each other in a multi-stage series with an output terminal of any stage being coupled to an input terminal of an adjacent next stage while the input terminal of a first stage of the multi-stage series being coupled from the input port. Each stage includes a tap terminal configured to pass an optical power factored by a coefficient of multiplication from the corresponding input terminal of the stage to a tap-output path characterized by a corresponding phase delay. Furthermore, the optical equalizer includes a combiner configured to sum up the optical powers respectively from the number of tap-output paths of the multi-stage series to the output port.

A combiner, that optically combines input fibers that propagate pumping light launched from pumping light sources and a relay fiber connected to an amplification fiber, includes: a bundle portion where the input fibers are bundled together; and a melting portion where the input fibers are melted and integrated together. In an interface between the relay fiber and the melting portion, the input fibers are fused together without a gap between the input fibers.