US Patent 7502533 - MEMS adjustable lens for minimizing optical modes injected in fiber

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Using fiber optic cable high frequency communication links can be established over large distances. However, interference between different carrier frequencies can lead to dispersions which limits the transmission distance. This patent teaches a system from Intel using a MEMS device to adjust the position of a laser injection into a fiber optical cable to avoid such dispersion. Claim 1 reads:

1. A system an optical waveguide; and an optical transmitter, including:

a silicon layer having active optical components;

a spacer layer; and

a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) layer having an integrated adjustable lens to condition a launch of an optical beam into the optical waveguide to minimize a number of optical modes launched into the optical waveguide.