US 6,982,831 B2
Athermal birefringent optical interleavers with flat-top passbands
Pochi Albert Yeh, Thousand Oaks, Calif. (US); and Zhiling Xu, Camarillo, Calif. (US)
Assigned to Oplink Communications, Inc., Fremont, Calif. (US)
Filed on Aug. 07, 2002, as Appl. No. 10/214,235.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/311674, filed on Aug. 08, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2003/0035212 A1, Feb. 20, 2003
Int. Cl. G02B 27/28 (2006.01); G02B 5/30 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 359—498 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical interleaver, comprising:
a first birefringent crystal having a first surface for receiving a light beam in a direction perpendicular to the first surface, a second surface for allowing the light beam to exit the first birefringent crystal perpendicular to the second surface, and a third surface which acts as a front mirror for reflecting the light beam at an angle θ with respect to a line perpendicular to the third surface;
a back mirror positioned a distance d from the front mirror for reflecting the light beam;
a spacer region formed between the front and back mirrors; and
a polarization beam splitter (PBS) adjacent to the second surface for splitting the light beam,
wherein a flat-top passband transmission function is induced on the light beam.