| US 7,477,827 B2 | ||
| Variable Optical Attenuator | ||
| Miaoqing Wang, Shenzhen (China); Yatao Yang, Plano, Tex. (US); Ting Xue, Tianjin (China); and Yunhui Sun, Shenzhen (China) | ||
| Assigned to JDS Uniphase Corporation, Milpitas, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jan. 30, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/22,776. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/887967, filed on Feb. 02, 2007. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0205845 A1, Aug. 28, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. G02B 6/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 385—140 [385/14; 385/37; 385/129; 385/130; 385/131] | 14 Claims |
| 1. A variable optical attenuator comprising:
an input port for receiving an input optical beam;
a filter, comprising a transparent substrate with a plurality of alternating blocking stripes and linear apertures distributed
between a first end and a second end of the transparent substrate, the filter disposed within the input optical beam such
that at least one blocking stripe blocks a portion of the input optical beam and at least one linear aperture transmits an
attenuated optical beam having an attenuation value; and
an output port for outputting the attenuated optical beam;
wherein the blocking stripes are laid out in a zigzag pattern with serrations on a leading and trailing edge, each blocking
stripe having a stripe width and separated from a neighboring blocking stripe by an aperture width;
wherein the filter has a travel direction directed from the first end to the second end; and
wherein a ratio of the stripe width to the aperture width progressively increases with a distance from the first end along
the travel direction.
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