ACTIVE OPTICAL COMPONENTS

BY ODAI ELAYYAN
ACTIVE OPTICAL COMPONENTS
Passive Optical component operate completely in optical domain no need
for external energy control for operation
Both split and combine light streams and manipulate light through different
electrical method
Active optical components require some type of external energy
- preform their function to be used in widely range
- -greater application flexibly
- and replaced complexed optical system with more compact and effect.
lead to reduce the system size by remove additional component in multiple
system . Like airbag deployment system in cars
 MEMS Technology

Variable Optical
Attenuators (VOA)

ACTIVE OPTICAL
Tunable Optical
Filters COMPONENTS

Gain Equalizers

Optical Performance
Monitoring Devices
DWDM Dense Wavelength Division
Multiplexing (DWDM) is an
optical multiplexing technology
used to increase bandwidth
over existing fiber networks, by
combining and transmitting
multiple signals simultaneously
at different wavelengths on the
same fiber.
MEMS TECHNOLOGY

Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems

MEMS device is a mechanical integrated circuit where the actuation forces
required to move the parts .
Combined of mechanical , electrical and optical components to provide sensing
and actuation functions
Fabricated using integrated circuit , range size micrometr to millimeters
Control actuation done through electrical ,thermal or magintic means like: micro
gears ,movable lever ,shutters or mirrors
Example : Automobile air-bag deployment
 MEMS ACTUATION METHOD
Example of actuation method .
This suspended polysilicon has
length ,width and thickness 80,10
.5 micrometer
and the bottom is silicon planned
covered with isolator material
and the gap is .6 micro(OFF)
when voltage applied the
electric force will pull the beam
down and contact with ground
plan , ON
 MEMS TECHNOLOGY: 2D MEMS OPTICAL
SWITCHES
The main function of optical switching is that
it enables routing of optical data signals
without he need for conversion to electrical
signals, and therefore is independent of
data rate and data protocol.
the off state it makes an angle relative to
the substrate. When a voltage is applied
between the actuator and the substrate
electrode, the electrostatic attraction force
moves the actuator downward. The highly
reflective gold-coated mirror attached to
the actuator is assembled so that it makes
an angle of 90 with the substrate.
OPTICAL ADD/DROP MULTIPLEXER

Using MEMS-based miniature

An optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) inserts
(adds) or extracts (drops) wavelengths at a
designated point in an optical network.
when no mirror active each incoming channel
pass through to out put port
when activate a mirror, incoming signal can be
dropped from traffic and other path will
established
 VARIABLE OPTICAL ATTENUATOR (VOA)

A device used to reduce the power level of an optical signal

Adjustment
Screw
 Precise active signal-level control ,for example:
Control signal -level precisely disturbing other properties of the light signal
All the signal strength at the receiver need to be same
offer dynamic range attenuation range up tp 60 db for typical VOA.
Certain channels need to be blanked out to preform network monitoring .
all wavelength channels in an optical amplifier need to have the same gain .
 TUNABLE OPTICAL FILTERS
We used it in lab 3 as optical band pass filter (OBPF)
A tunable optical filter can be tuned to select narrow spectral band within
wider optical band.
Its key component for DWDM optical network by using two main MEMS-based
and Bragg grating based devices . *Check references for more info
 GAIN EQUALIZERS

Reduce attenuation on individual wavelength within spectral bands

Called DGE/DCE Dynamic Channel/Gain Equalizer Function is equivalent to filtering individual
wavelength and equalize them on a channel-by-channel basis
In WDM the the gain profile across the spectra need to be
equalized when on of the wavelength suddenly
add or dropped on WDM link.
Its operate by having tunable attenuators in series such as
VOAs
 A Dynamic Gain Equalizer (DGE) equalizes -flattening- the
nonlinear gain profile of an (EDFA)
OPTICAL PERFORMANCE MONITORING DEVICES
(OPM)
Optical performance monitor is used to measure critical information data
on optical transmission signals in DWDM networks for monitoring signal
dynamics, determining system functionality, identifying performance change,
and providing feedback for controlling network elements so as to optimize
operational performance.
OPM is a potential mechanism for improved control of transmission and
physical layer fault management
The primary application of performance monitoring is to certify service level
agreements between the network operators and their clients
 The first layer is transport or WDM channel
management layer monitoring, which involves a
determination of the optical domain
characteristics essential for transport and channel
management at the WDM layer. For example,
real time measurements of channel presence,
wavelength registration, power levels
The second level is the optical signal or channel
quality layer monitoring, which locks onto a single
wavelength and performs signal transition
sensitive measurements. EX SNR.
The third level of OPM involves monitoring the
data protocol information, protocol performance
monitoring (PPM). This includes digital
measurements
 TUNABLE DISPERSION COMPENSATION
DEVICES

Light enters a planar light wave circuit (PLC) containing

an extremely high-resolution through the single
waveguide that is attached to an optical circulator (to
separate the input and output signal. ) The light passes
through a first free-space region in the PLC, and enters
a second free-space region. At this second free-space
region, the PLC is cut and the light is then spectrally
spread out across a variable-curvature reflect. There is
galas lens attached to the PLC that collimates the light in
the plane of the PLC.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNmk-SeM0ZI
 REFERENCES

OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATIONS (4 TH ED), BY G. KEISER, MCGRAW HILL, 2011

FIBER-OPTIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS (3RD ED), BY G. AGRAWAL, WILEY, 2002
Digital MEMS for Optical Switching, IEEE Communications Magazine, Vol. 40, No. 3,
pp88 95, Mar 2002.
Optical Performance Monitoring, IEEE Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 22, No. 1,
pp294 304, Jan 2004.
(RCompact Colorless Tunable Dispersion Compensator with 1000-ps/nm Tuning Range for
40-Gb/s Data Rates, IEEE Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp 237
241, Jan 2006.
THANK YOU !