Low-Loss Miniature Optical Time Delay Modules

Leveraging on our industry leading switchable photonic delay commercial product offerings, Agiltron proposes to develop the next-generation 8-bit delay line that meets the challenging requirements of lower insertion loss and higher switching speed. The next-level performance improvement will be achieved by implementing a new precision glass micro-optic fiber assembly technology in combination with the use of thermal-expanded beam fibers that promise a several fold miniaturization of the device. The present invention provides an inexpensive and low loss fiberoptic module for emerging microwave photonic applications. Our approach is state-of-the-art in design and closely coupled with proven fiber optic component manufacturing techniques, holding the promise of realizing practical optical digital delay with performance and cost that have not been previously achieved. Constructed using all solid-state inorganic electro-optic material, the proposed switch overcomes the limitations in speed and long-term reliability associated with other approaches. A low loss and high-speed fiberoptic 8 bit reconfigurable true time delay device with large dynamic range exceeding microseconds will be demonstrated in Phase I.