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A resonant coupler has a coupling region having first and second ends, a coupling length, and a tapered variable width, such that a phase matching condition for the waveguide is met within the coupling length. In an exemplary embodiment the first and second ends each have a corresponding variable width which varies at a rate greater than the variable width of the coupling length. In yet another embodiment the coupling region has an electrically sensitive phase matching characteristic and an electrode in operative relation with the coupling region for varying the phase matching characteristic.
1. A resonant coupler for coupling modes between waveguides, comprising a coupling region having first and second ends, a coupling length, and a tapered region having variable width varying at a first selected rate, such that a phase matching condition for the waveguides is met within the coupling length of said coupling region.
2. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the coupling region allows coupling from a first waveguide of the waveguides to a second waveguide of the waveguides, and wherein the first and second ends of the coupling region each have a tapered inlet having a corresponding variable width which varies at a rate greater than the first selected rate to prevent coupling back from the second waveguide to the first waveguide within the coupling region.
3. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the coupling region has an electrically sensitive phase-matching condition, and further including electrode means in operative relation with the coupling region for varying of the phase-matching condition.
4. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the waveguides include at least one pair of active-active, active-passive and passive-passive waveguides.
5. The resonant coupler of claim 4, wherein each waveguide has a selected index of refraction for carrying an optical mode.
6. The resonant coupler of claim 4, wherein each waveguide has a selected transverse and lateral definition.
7. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the waveguides include a plurality of waveguides in active and passive combinations.
8. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the tapered region includes at least one of a lateral, exponential and polynomial shape.
9. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the waveguides are disposed in lateral proximity.
10. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the waveguides are disposed in transverse proximity.
11. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein each waveguide includes a core and a cladding.
12. The resonant coupler of claim 11, wherein the cladding of one waveguide is common to the cladding of at least one other waveguide.
13. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the waveguides include at least one of a ridge waveguide, a buried waveguide, a loaded waveguide and a voltage-induced waveguide.
14. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the waveguide includes at least one of a polarization sensitive and polarization insensitive waveguide.
15. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the taper is at least one of the lateral and transverse directions.
16. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein each waveguide has a tapered region in the coupling region.
17. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the waveguides comprise at least one of a semiconductor, glass and a polymer.
18. The resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the coupler is part of a laser device.
19. An optical system including the resonant coupler of claim 1, wherein the optical device is one of a semiconductor laser, loss-less splitter, electro-absorption modulator, semiconductor optical amplifier, cross-connect switch, distributed bragg grating laser, and a modulator integrated with a laser.
20. The optical system of claim 19, wherein the optical device is a semiconductor laser, one of the waveguides comprises an active gain action, and another of the waveguides comprises a passive section.
21. A resonant coupler for coupling modes between waveguides, comprising:
a coupling region having an electrically sensitive phase-matching condition, first and second ends, a coupling length. and a tapered region having a variable width varying at a first selected rate; and
an electrode in operative relation with the coupling region for varying of the phase-matching condition, such that a phase matching condition for the waveguides is met within the coupling length of said coupling region when no bias voltage is applied to the electrode, and such that a phase matching condition for the waveguides is destroyed within the coupling length of said coupling region when a bias voltage is applied to the electrode.
22. A method of operating a resonant coupler for coupling modes between waveguides, the resonant coupler including a coupling region having an electrically sensitive phase-matching condition, first and second ends, a coupling length, and a tapered region having a variable width varying at a first selected rate, the method comprising:
applying a bias voltage to the resonant coupler so that a phase matching condition for the waveguides is destroyed within the coupling length of said coupling region.
23. A resonant coupler for coupling modes between waveguides, comprising:
a coupling region having an electrically sensitive phase-matching condition, first and second ends, a coupling length, and a tapered region having a variable width varying at a first selected rate; and
an electrode in operative relation with the coupling region for varying of the phase-matching condition, such that a phase matching condition for the waveguides is destroyed within the coupling length of said coupling region when no bias voltage is applied to the electrode, and such that a phase matching condition for the waveguides is met within the coupling length of said coupling region when a bias voltage is applied to the electrode.
24. A method of operating a resonant coupler for coupling modes between waveguides, the resonant coupler including a coupling region having an electrically sensitive phase-matching condition, first and second ends, a coupling length, and a tapered region having a variable width varying at a first selected rate, the method comprising:
applying a bias voltage to the resonant coupler so that a phase matching condition for the waveguides is established within the coupling length of said coupling region.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/110,015 filed Nov. 25, 1998, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/116,076 filed Jan. 15, 1999, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
This invention was made with Government support under Contract Number MDA 90495C2037 awarded by the National Security Agency. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
This invention was made with government support pursuant to contract No. MDA90495C2037 awarded by the National Security Agency. The National Security Agency has certain rights in this invention.
The invention pertains to optical coupling, and in particular, to optical resonant coupling between two waveguides.
There is a need for monolithically integrating various active and passive optical devices to obtain highly functional optical modules. The platform technology to this monolithic integration should be as simple as possible to keep costs low. Currently, the technologies used for monolithic integration, like selective area growth, or regrowth, are not only very expensive but also do not allow for enough freedom in designing the various active and passive devices.
The modes of a laser and an optical fiber are poorly matched in size and shape, leading to poor coupling efficiency therebetween. By integrating a mode expander with a laser, it is possible to obtain efficient coupling to an optical fiber. The invention describes a general technique by which a mode can be coupled from a tightly confined waveguide to a loosely confined waveguide. In particular, the invention employs resonant coupling to achieve mode expansion over a relatively short distance to efficiently couple a tightly confined waveguide in an active region of a semiconductor laser/amplifier and a loosely confined mode in a passive waveguide such as an optical fiber.
Various mode expanders have been demonstrated based on a concept called adiabatic mode transformation. In this approach, there are two separate sections in the device: a section optimized for high gain; and a section optimized for maximum coupling to a fiber. The sections are linked through a mode expander region, which adiabatically transforms, i.e. expands, the mode from the first section to the second section. For minimum losses to occur, adiabatic mode transformation must take place gradually over a relatively long length, e.g. 500 microns. In an exemplary device, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the adiabatic mode expander is formed as an extension to the active device such as a laser.
Mode transformation can be achieved by means of a technique known as resonant coupling, sometimes hereinafter referred to as phase matching. When two waveguides are approximately matched in their refractive indices and dimensions, and are located in close proximity, there is a transfer of power between the two waveguides in an oscillatory fashion. In other words, the mode in one waveguide is coupled to the proximate waveguide. This phenomenon is illustrated in FIGS. 1C and 1D wherein two waveguides I & II, each 1 μm wide and each with a refractive index of 3.21 are proximately located in side by side relationship. Waveguide I may be an active device having an electrical current input, and waveguide II may be a passive device. The power transfer between the two waveguides is theoretically 100%. If the refractive index of waveguide I is changed, for example, to 3.23 keeping the width unchanged, weak coupling results as the waveguides are no longer phase matched. However, if the width of the waveguide I is changed, for example, to 2 μm, strong coupling is once again observed. This implies that the phase matching condition is re-established. Thus, the phase matching condition depends both on the refractive index and the dimensions of the waveguide. The device, shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D, comprises two rectangular waveguides: active waveguide I and coupling waveguide II. Waveguide I has a higher refractive index than waveguide II, but has a smaller size in both the horizontal (lateral) and vertical (transverse) directions. On the other hand, the waveguide II has a lower refractive index than waveguide I, but has a larger size in both dimensions. The two waveguides can be designed so that their effective refractive indices are nearly equal. This close match of the effective refractive indices forces the power to couple back and forth between the two waveguides in an oscillatory fashion over a characteristic overlapping distance along the length of the waveguides, known as the coupling length Lc.
In principle, by cleaving the device within the coupling length Lc at the exact point where the mode resides in the lower coupling waveguide II, i.e., where transfer takes place, a mode expander can be realized. However, the refractive indices of materials are not known with great precision. Further, the refractive indices also depend on the current injection level in the active device I. Given this uncertainty in the refractive indices, it is not possible to design the waveguides for optimum power transfer. In addition, the point where the mode in waveguide I couples to waveguide II is not known a priori. Therefore, the practical feasibility of the method has not been demonstrated so far. In addition, there is an oscillatory power transfer along the device between the two waveguides due to the phase-matched condition being met along the entire length of the device. Because, there is a power loss during each oscillatory cycle, the device length is usually limited to Lc. This limits the length of the gain (active) region of waveguide I, which in turn, affects the performance of the device.
The invention pertains to an approach for resonant coupling from a waveguide to another waveguide positioned in the horizontal or vertical plane, using an horizontal or a vertical taper, or a combination of both. The optical coupling between the two waveguides occurs over a very short taper with low optical loss. The invention enables monolithic integration of various passive and active optical devices and allows for improved coupling efficiency and alignment tolerances between various waveguides such as a laser and an optical fiber.
Multiple waveguides can be placed in close proximity to each other. Each waveguide can be optimized, for a specific optical function (e.g. active waveguide optimized for gain, passive waveguide optimized for ease of coupling, passive waveguide optimized for splitting, directional coupling or other passive devices). Using a properly designed taper, the optical mode can be moved from one waveguide to another as many times as required, therefore, achieving monolithic integration of several optical devices performing different functions.
The above-mentioned limitations of existing approaches are overcome in the device according to the invention by using a mode transformer having a selected tapered geometry for the active waveguide I. The horizontal dimension of waveguide I is tapered from a initial large width (Wi) to a small final width (Wf). To have arbitrarily long gain sections integrated into the device, it is necessary to have a portion where the two waveguides are off resonance, ensuring that the mode is resident almost entirely in waveguide I. This condition is achieved by choosing a suitably large initial width Wi. The tapering of waveguide I between two extreme widths ensures that the mode matching condition is met somewhere along the taper. When this condition is met, the dimensions of the waveguide I change slowly so that the optical power is transferred resonantly to waveguide II. It does not matter where exactly it occurs as long as it is in the range expected. In addition, the taper is such that waveguide I achieves a cutoff condition over a length smaller than the coupling length Lc, thus forcing the mode to be resident in waveguide II without oscillation. This makes the point of cleaving non-critical. In addition, the characteristic lengths can be designed to be much smaller than the lengths needed for adiabatic mode transformers. These short characteristic lengths directly translate to shorter lengths for the overall mode expanders.
In an exemplary embodiment, the mode transformer for coupling modes between first and second waveguides includes a coupling region having first and second ends, a coupling length, and a variable tapered width, such that, a phase matching condition is met within the coupling length defined in said coupling region. A tapered inlet for each end of the coupling region transmits a mode between each waveguide and the corresponding end of the coupling region. The inlets each have a first variable width which varies at a rate greater than the variable width of the coupling region.
In another embodiment, the coupling region includes an electrode means for varying a cut off characteristic of the coupling region.
FIGS. 1A & 1B are schematic illustrations of an adiabatic mode transformer;
FIGS. 1C & 1D are generalized schematic illustrations of two waveguides exhibiting resonant coupling;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of resonantly coupled waveguides according to the invention;
FIG. 3 is a plain view of a taper shape for the resonantly coupled waveguides shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a graphical representation of light intensity as a function of distance along the waveguide in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a plain view of an exemplary taper shape;
FIG. 6 is a graphical representation of the light intensity as a function of distance in a waveguide formed with the taper of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7A is a perspective illustration showing a device with active and passive monolithic integration;
FIG. 7B is a cross-section of FIG. 7A taken along line 7B—7B thereof;
FIG. 8 is a plain view illustrating side-by-side coupling of phase matched waveguides;
FIG. 9 is a plain view of side-by-side coupling of off resonant waveguides where one waveguide is tapered;
FIG. 10A is a plain view of a waveguide employing a separate cutoff electrode;
FIG. 10B is a perspective illustration of the arrangement shown in FIG. 10A;
FIG. 10C is a sectional view of the waveguide shown in FIG. 10A along line 10C—10C thereof;
FIG. 11 is a graphical representation of light v current with bias on a device having a second electrode;
FIG. 12 is a perspective illustration of a device employing active-passive monolithic integration;
FIG. 13 is an illustration of a multiple waveguide stack showing active and passive integration with confined and expanded mode sections;
FIGS. 14A and 14B are schematic plan and sectional views respectively of an active-passive monolithic optical piece with multiple channels;
FIGS. 15A-15E are schematic illustrations of various waveguides which may be employed in any desired combination in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 16 shows the absorption vs. wavelength for a polarization sensitive waveguide; and
FIG. 17 shows a vertical section of a coupling region of a resonant coupler in accordance with the present invention.
The following is a presentation of results from a set of computer simulations to demonstrate the use of resonant coupling between two waveguides for realizing a mode-expanded device according to the invention.
A schematic diagram of a basic device 20 used in the simulations is shown in FIG. 2. Table I sets forth the layer structure of the device 20 including active device 22 having an upper ridge width WR 24 and an active region 26, and a passive device 28 formed of a waveguide 30 on a substrate 32. Electrodes 34 and 36 disposed on the top and bottom respectively, provide the current terminals.
The active region 26 is a 5-Quantum well/4 barrier stack with 400 A� SCH regions (QW thickness=100 A�, Barrier thickness=100 A�), designed for optimum gain at 1.55 μm, the low-loss window of standard telecommunication optical fibers. The refractive index of the 5 QW/4 barrier active layer stack 26 has an approximated equivalent index, which takes a weighted square average of the refractive index. For the simulations described herein, an equivalent index of 3.460 (a weighted average of 3.54 for the QW and 3.38 for the barrier) and an equivalent thickness of 0.11 μm (which represents the total thickness of the stack 26) were used. The arrangement of the active region 26 is discussed hereinafter.
The simulations were carried out using a commercial 3-D Beam Propagation Method (3-D BPM)software from Optiwave Corporation. This software is capable of propagating a given input field along any arbitrarily defined waveguide. To obtain the initial mode supported at the start of the propagation, a 2-D eigen solver provided by the software package was used. The mode obtained from this solver was propagated across the waveguides using the 3-D beam propagation software. The following set of simulations demonstrates resonant coupling.
For the above specified layer structure and a device width (WD), shown in the plan view of FIG. 3, we first determine the ridge width WR at which the phase matching condition is met. At this point the mode couples from the upper active region 26 to the lower coupling waveguide 30 over a characteristic coupling length Lc along the device 20 as shown. To determine this point, an input mode was propagated along the device 20. The exemplary ridge width WR of the active device 22 is linearly tapered as shown from an initial width Wi of 2.0 μm to a final width Wf of 0.3 μm over a length of 500 μm.
The light intensity distribution in the transverse direction as a function of the propagation distance is shown in FIG. 4. In the exemplary embodiment, the observed resonant coupling between the active region and the coupling waveguide takes place where WR=1.4 μm. The characteristic length Lc is about 50 μm. Two oscillations are observed in which the power is coupled from one waveguide to the other. This leads to undesirable power losses which are obviated according to an embodiment of the invention discussed below.
FIG. 5 illustrates such an embodiment of the invention, wherein a waveguide 40 having a variable taper shape prevents oscillations and confines the mode to the lower waveguide after resonant coupling takes place. The device 40 shown in FIG. 5 has a moderately tapered coupling region 42 formed with respective opposite ends 44 and 46 and tapered walls 48 that converge slowly over the coupling length 42 (Lc). The larger end 44 has a more severe taper 50 to couple the active region 52 to the coupling region 42. The small end 46 is terminated by a cut-off region 54 as shown. In the arrangement shown, the walls 48 are tapered from about 1.4 μm at the large end 44 to a ridge width Wc where the active waveguide cannot support any mode (cut-of condition), over a length smaller than the characteristic length Lc. This ensures that the mode does not couple back to the active waveguide. Electrode 56 shown in dotted line covers the active region 52 and the coupling region 42 and 54, and severe taper region 58.
For the device design shown, the cut-off condition for the active waveguide is achieved at a ridge width of WC=0.7 μm. Accordingly, the ridge width is tapered from about WR=1.4 μm to about 0.3 μm over a length of about 100 μm, as shown. The taper 50 varies from about 2 μm to about WR=1.4 μm over a length of about 100 μm. The overall length of about 200 μm is considerably less than the length of the adiabatic device shown in FIG. 3 and can be further reduced with minimal optical losses.
The simulation results are shown in FIG. 6 where it can be observed that the mode is resonantly coupled to the underlying waveguide at a taper width of 1.4 μm. However, as the active waveguide width is decreased, below the cut-off width before the mode gets resonantly coupled back to the active region, i.e. the mode resides only in the coupling waveguide. Thus, by using the technique according to the invention, efficient mode transformation over very short lengths can be achieved.
FIG. 7A is a perspective illustration of another exemplary embodiment of the invention featuring active-passive monolithic integration. In the arrangement, a resonant coupler 60 is shown coupling an active gain section 62, a passive section 64 and an intermediate mode transformer section 66. The coupler 60 resonantly couples modes bidirectionally between an active waveguide 68 and a passive waveguide 70. The gain section 62 has a uniform ridge width of about 2.5 μm as shown. Likewise, the top waveguide in the passive section 64 has a ridge width of about 0.3 μm to ensure cutof. The intermediate mode transformer section 66 has an overall length of about 100 μm which is long enough to keep loss low but short enough to ensure coupling without oscillations. Taper lengths as short as 40 μm can be designed for a slightly higher optical loss. The dimensions and taper shape shown in FIG. 7A are exemplary and depend on the type of materials and the functions implemented. In the exemplary embodiment, the active section 62 employs an active solid state laser waveguide with a confined mode. The passive section 64 employs a passive waveguide 70 with a confined mode. It should be understood, however, that the passive waveguide 70 may be less confined. Also, if desired, the arrangement shown may include a pair of resonantly coupled, confined active waveguides.
The shape of the tapered ridge 72 in mode transformer section 66 may be tailored for various waveguides having different characteristics. In the arrangement shown, the region 72 employs an exponential configuration including a first exponentially tapered section 74 at an interface 74 coupled to the gain section 62 and having an initial width Wi−G, and second exponentially tapered section 76 starting at interface 78 and ending at the passive section 64 and having a final width Wf−P, as shown. In the region where the first exponential section 72, and the second exponential section 76 meet, the ridge width tapers gradually in such a way that the optical mode gets resonantly transferred from one waveguide to the other over the length Lc which corresponds to the coupling length. The width of ridge 80 within the coupling length Lc corresponds to the resonant ridge width WR. All useful coupling occurs within the coupling length Lc. It should be understood that the device 60 shown in FIG. 7 employs an electrode 82 on the top surface, and an electrode 84 on the lower surface, as shown.
The layer structure of the device is shown in FIG. 7B. The active layer 61 is formed of undoped four 1% compressively strained 10 nm thick quantum wells 63 for emission at 1.55 μm, and three lattice matched 10 nm barriers (λg=1.25 μm) 65. The active layer is surrounded by a 1.5 μm InP upper cladding (5�1017 cm−3 p-doped) 67 and a 0.8 μm Inp lower cladding 69 (5�1017 cm−3 n-doped). A cap layer 71 is disposed over the upper cladding 67 to establish ohmic contact with electrode 82. The lower waveguide comprises a 20 layer stack of alternating InP (62A) 73 and lattice matched quaternary 75 (138A), with an equivalent refractive index of 3.32 and a total thickness of 0.4 μm.
In accordance with the invention, if the indices of refraction of the active and passive waveguides 68 and 70 are not close, the ridge taper in the coupling region 80 should gradually change between the initial to final width Wi−Wf such that the coupling width Wc is between Wi−Wf. Similarly, if the indices of refraction of the active and passive waveguides are similar, coupling width Wc should likewise be between Wi−Wf. However, the taper may be less gradual because the coupling location is more readily determined.
Various alternative forms of the invention may be implemented as follows:
1. Different taper shapes:
a) Two linear tapered regions, the first one being adiabatic to approach the coupling width and the second region being a rapid taper to prevent coupling back.
b) Exponential+Linear Taper.
c) Linear+Exponential Taper.
d) Linear+Polynomial Taper or combinations thereof.
e) Exponential−Exponential.
f). Other functional dependence.
2. Different mode sizes in the two waveguides:
a) For mode transformer applications couple from the tightly confined mode to the large mode.
b) For other applications, e.g. involving integration of active and passive waveguides, the two waveguides can be of similar or dissimilar designs.
3. Different types of waveguides:
a) One waveguide may be active (bulk or quantum wells), the other one may be passive.
b) Both waveguides may be active.
c) Both waveguides may be passive.
4. 3-D Integration:
a) The method and arrangement employing two waveguides may be extended to multiple waveguides in the transverse direction, making it suitable for 3-D integration as shown in FIG. 13.
5. Waveguide Tapers:
The waveguide can be of various types including ridge, buried, loaded, voltage induced or combinations thereof.
6. Functionality Integration:
The resonant tapers can be used several times to couple light back and forth between different waveguides of different functionality. This leads to monolithic integration of several optical devices, e.g., loss-less splitters, Mach-Zehnder interferometers based on electro-absorption modulators or semiconductor optical amplifiers, cross-connect switches, distributed bragg grating lasers, modulators integrated with lasers, and the like.
7. Polarization:
The optical devices can be polarization sensitive or insensitive.
8. Taper Direction:
To achieve resonant coupling, the thickness of the waveguides, instead of its width, can be varied appropriately; or both the width and the thickness can be varied.
9. Multiple Tapers:
Both the waveguides can have the tapers in the same section to achieve resonant coupling.
10. Materials:
The optical waveguides resonantly coupled can be in either semiconductors, glass or polymers.
11. Waveguide Orientation:
Tapered geometry may be used for coupling between two or more similar or dissimilar waveguides disposed side by side in the lateral direction instead of the transverse direction arrangements described above.
The conventional approach for coupling between two waveguides illustrated in FIG. 8, involves bringing the two phase matched waveguides IA-IIA into close proximity, for the resonant coupling to take place. For off-resonant waveguides, cumbersome grating assisted coupling schemes are required. In the approach using tapered ridge geometry according to the invention, it is possible to effect resonant coupling between two off-resonant waveguides IB-IIB as illustrated in the FIG. 9. The tapered geometry of waveguide IIB ensures that phase match occurs at some point along the tapered portion.
In the above arrangements, a mode-expanded laser uses resonant coupling between two waveguides. A tightly confined active waveguide is preferred for optimized gain performance of the device, and a loosely confined larger waveguide is preferred for efficient fiber coupling. The two waveguides of different dimensions are phase-matched by adjusting their refractive indices. If the two waveguides are in close proximity to effect evanescent field coupling, power from one waveguide can be resonantly coupled to the second waveguide as discussed. According to the invention, the active waveguide is tapered from a wide initial ridge width Wi to a narrow final ridge width Wf. The coupling width Wc is between the two values. The initial width Wi is chosen such that the two waveguides are off resonance and the power resides mainly in the active waveguide. The final width Wf is such that less than 1% of the power resides in the active region and the bulk of the power is in the larger waveguide. The taper is designed, such that the taper width varies very slowly so that optical power can propagate through the characteristic length Lc required for resonant coupling at the coupling width Wc where phase matching occurs. The taper is then reduced sharply so that the power does not couple back.
An exemplary device according to another embodiment of the invention uses an 100 μm exponential taper 88 long followed by a 100 μm linear taper. The region of the taper over which the mode is guided into the underlying waveguide is very small. Separate electrodes are employed in the active region and in the mode transformation region. An applied bias on the second electrode region changes the refractive index of the quantum wells appreciably by a phenomenon called electrorefraction. Having two electrodes on the active region, one in the active region and one in the mode transformation region, causes the laser to act like a switch. The first electrode is on the linear section of the device and is forward biased. This electrode provides the carriers required for the optical gain necessary for lasing or amplification. The second electrode is positioned on the section of the taper where the mode is coupled from the active waveguide to the underlying passive waveguide. By applying an appropriate negative bias on the second electrode, the refractive index of the active region may be increased so that the waveguides go off resonance and the coupling is destroyed or inhibited. The optical power instead of coupling into the underlying waveguide is radiated and the lasing may likewise be suppressed. In this device, electroabsorbtion also plays a role.
The device may be used as an inexpensive, directly driven laser source or as an external amplifier switch. As the switching is done using negative bias in the absence of injected carriers, the chirp (i.e. rise time) of the device should be low, permitting high-speed devices. Also, the taper which is used for mode expansion is also used for switching. Thus, there is no increase in the cavity length. As the device inherently has expanded mode, fiber coupling is simplified. Such an arrangement thus enables passive packaging of devices in a batch processing environment. Also these devices may use conventional fabrication techniques without regrowth. Thus, the devices are ideal for inexpensive optoelectronic circuits useful in various applications.
FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C are respective top plan, perspective and sectional views of such a switchable device 90 according to the invention employing separate electrodes 92 and 94 on the top surface in the active region 96 and the mode transformation region 98 respectively. The device 90 shown in cross-section in FIG. 10C comprises active layer 102 formed of undoped five 1% compressively strained 10 nm thick quantum wells 104 for emmission at 1.55 μm, and four lattice matched 10 nm barriers (λg=1.25 μm) 96. The active layer is surrounded by a 1.5 μm InP upper cladding (5�1017 cm−3 p-doped) 108 and a 3.0 μm lower cladding 110 (5�1017 cm−3 n-doped). A cap layer 111 is disposed over the upper cladding 108 to establish ohmic contact with electrodes 92 and 94. The lower cladding/coupling waveguide comprises of a 20 layer stack of alternating InP (1200A) 112 and lattice matched quaternary 113 (300A), such that the equivalent refractive index was 3.21.
The waveguides are grown on InP substrate 115 with a buffer layer 117. The coupling width Wc of the active region where phase matching occurs is 1.4 μm. For efficient coupling between the two waveguides. A tapered ridge 120 has an optimized shape in the form of a third order 100 μm long exponential taper 122 followed by another 100 μm linear taper 124 from initial width of Wi−1 of 2.0 μm to a final width WF of 1.4 μm and another linear taper from a width Wi−2 1.4 μm to a final width Wi−2 of 0.3 μm. The two electrodes 92 and 94 are defined on top of the ridges. The first electrode 92 is 630 μm long and is positioned over the straight 2.0 μm ridge. The second electrode 94 is 150 μm long and is positioned over the taper 120.
The device 90 is mounted p-side up on copper heat sinks (not shown). The first electrode 92 maybe pumped in pulsed mode and different reverse biases may be applied on the second electrode 94. The light output from the expanded facet in the passive region has characteristic LI curves for various reverse biases as shown in FIG. 11. When no bias is applied on the second electrode 94, the device 90 lases at 70 mA. The lasing threshold is increased by ˜20 mA and ˜30 mA for reverse biases of 0.2 V on the second electrode respectively. With bias of 1.5 V, the device does not lase. Also, good modulation depth, even with very low bias of 0.2 V around the threshold may be seen. This shows the good switching response of the device. In FIG. 11, it can be appreciated that switching voltages is reduced from about 1 V to about 0.1 V.
Farfield measurements of the device 90 using a rotating stage and a pin-hole detector were made. The transverse and lateral farfields resulted in full width half maximum (FWHM) angles 24� and 10� respectively for the transverse and lateral sides. The FWHM angles from the control facet are 39� and 34� respectively for the transverse and lateral directions. This illustrates the expansion of the mode, which would be helpful for efficient fiber coupling. A butt coupling efficiency of 3.7 dB is expected to a standard cleaved single mode fiber at 1.55 μm.
In the arrangement of FIGS. 10A-10C the device 90 uses a single region for both mode expansion and switching. The cavity length is thus not increased and hence, the device is good for high speed applications and for making hybrid fiber DBR lasers. Also, as the switching is done using reverse bias. Carriers are not involved, and hence, the associated problems of chirp in the laser are minimized.
The device may be antireflection coated on both end faces and used in a traveling wave amplifier configuration as a switch. The external modulators like electroabsorption modulators have the disadvantage of high losses and need to be integrated with amplifiers either monolithically or in a hybrid arrangement. Hybrid integration would require complex packaging technology. To have passive packaging of the devices, it may be necessary to add mode expanders on the amplifiers or modulators. Monolithic integration typically requires growth of two active regions with different bandgaps. The device has the integrated mode expander along with providing good switching contrast. It also has a gain section, which can be tailored. Thus, the device performs the function of the amplifier and the external modulator reducing the number of devices required.
FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of the invention featuring active passive monolithic integration. The device 130 includes input fiber 132 coupled to a ridge waveguide 134 according to the invention, and a splitter 136. Monolitically integrated amplifiers 138 are integrally coupled to the splitters at one end, and are aligned with output fibers 140 as shown.
FIG. 13 shows a three stage device 140 according to the invention. In the arrangement shown, a confined active region 142 is coupled to a confined passive region 144 by a tapered ridge arrangement 146 described hereinabove. An expanded mode section 148 is coupled to the passive section 144 by tapered ridge 150.
FIGS. 14A and 14B are respective schematic plan and sectional views of an active-passive monolithic optical device 160 wherein an optical input 162 is divided or split into N channels 164-1 . . . 164-N on a passive waveguide 166. In each of the channels (e.g., channel 164-N, as shown) the optical power or mode 170 is coupled to an active region 171 of active waveguide 168 using resonant coupling to achieve an optical gain therein. In this way a 1�N lossless splitter may be implemented. The mode 170 is then coupled back to the passive waveguide 166 to achieve further optical functionality. In channel 164-N, an integrated Mach Zender 172 is implemented to achieve phase modulation. In the Mach Zender 172, the passive waveguide 166 is divided into channels 164-N1 and 164-N2 to thereby divide the optical mode 170, which is then coupled to the active region 174 in the active waveguide 168. Biasing electrodes 176 and 178 are provided on the respective arms or channels 164-N1 and 164-N2. By biasing electrodes 176 and 178 differently, a phase difference may be introduced into each arm or channel 164-N1, 164-N2 or the Mach Zender. The phase shifted modes resulting therefrom, namely 170-S1 and 170-S2, are then coupled back to the passive waveguide 166 and combined using mode combiner 180. In this way, the optical modes in the channel 164-N can be phase modulated.
FIGS. 15A-15E illustrate various types of waveguides which may be employed in various combinations in accordance with the present invention. For example, FIG. 15A shows a deep etch ridge waveguide 190A including core 192A and cladding 194 A. FIG. 15B shows a shallow edge waveguide 190B comprising core 192B, cladding 194B and residual cladding 196B. FIG. 15C shows a buried waveguide 190C having core 192C and cladding 194C all surrounding the core. FIG. 15D shows a loaded waveguide 190D having loading in the form of dielectric or metal depositions 180D which result in an effective core 192D and an effective cladding 194D. FIG. 15E shows a voltage-induced waveguide 199E with electrodes 200E and 202E which receive a bias voltage 204E resulting in a voltage-induced core 192E and a voltage-induced cladding 194E.
FIG. 16E shows absorption vs. wavelength for TE and TM modes of a polarization sensitive waveguide. In a polarization insensitive waveguide the absorption vs. wavelength characteristics for the TE and TM modes are essentially the same.
FIG. 17 shows a vertical section of a coupling region 210 between an active waveguide 212 and a passive waveguide 214, wherein the thickness T of the coupling region 110 of the active waveguide 212 is tapered in the vertical direction to achieve resonance of the optical mode 216. It should be understood that the coupling region of either or both waveguides may be so tapered.
While there have been described what as present are considered to be exemplary embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and is it intended in the appended claims to cover such changes and modifications which fall within the spirit and score of the claims.
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The Buff Neck Warmer offers a high level of UV protection and a seamless, multifunctional design to protect you during warm and hot weather.
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Watch Knowing Online
Release:March 19, 2009
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Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 33554432 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 13506756 bytes) in /home/star10/public_html/cache-credits/Knowing_2009.php on line 1


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Marijuana Blog
Saturn OG Medical Marijuana
Category: Nugs | Posted on Tue, October, 15th 2013 by THCFinder
Halloween 420 style
Category: Fun | Posted on Tue, October, 15th 2013 by THCFinder
Marijuana Chemicals Help Protect Body's Nervous System From MS
Category: Medical Marijuana | Posted on Tue, October, 15th 2013 by THCFinder
According to a study reported in the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, chemical compounds which are found in marijuana could help treat multiple sclerosis.
Already being tested on mice, the study shows that marijuana helps prevent inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. "Inflammation is part of the body's natural immune response, but in cases like MS, it gets out of hand," says Dr. Ewa Kozela of Tel Aviv University, Israel.
Kozela continued by saying: "Our study looks at how compounds isolated from marijuana can be used to regulate inflammation to protect the nervous system and its functions."
Kozela also said that when marijuana is used wisely, it has a lot of potential, and that "We're just beginning to understand how it works."
Source: http://www.rttnews.com
Tahoe OG Wax
Category: Concentrates | Posted on Tue, October, 15th 2013 by THCFinder
Strain Review; Dutch Dragon
Category: Medical Marijuana | Posted on Tue, October, 15th 2013 by THCFinder
I love when strains contain the word "Dragon" because smoking always reminds me of dragons, especially with the huge bong hits that people take these days! While this strain won't let you breathe real fire, she's pretty fire herself. The Dutch Dragon is a plant with huge potential... Literally. As a warmth loving plant, this strain can reach heights of 9ft tall if grown outside. That's no weed! That's a small tree!
This strain is something you'd smoke with a group of good friends. It creates a giggly, happy high that's sure to keep everyone in a good mood. It's highly effective in fighting pain and stress, while at the same time keeping you productive. The bud has almost a coffee-like high that people compare to their favorite morning drink. This is a great daytime smoker, definitely wake and bake material.
Reportedly, there are users who claim to feel slight headaches when the high from Dutch Dragon begins to wear off. Other than that, there really aren't any negatives aside from the normal dry mouth. The buds are dense, good looking, and contain a good amount of THC. Clear headed highs are the best kinds, especially for patients who are suffering but still want to go about their normal activities.
See more strains here: http://www.thcfinder.com/strains/
Blackberry Kush - Indica
Category: Nugs | Posted on Mon, October, 14th 2013 by THCFinder
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How to balance law practice and business
There is a thin line between law practice and entrepreneurship, but how can lawyers strike a balance between combining law and business so as not to undermine the legal profession? Answers were sought at a roundtable organised by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) in Lagos. JOSEPH JIBUEZE reports.
The practice of law is not just about service provision: It is a big business in itself if well-handled, law experts have said. The biggest law firms have made net incomes far in excess of what blue-chip companies make in a year.
Beyond that, lawyers have also combined practice with business. While retaining their toga as legal practitioners, they sit on boards of companies and manage businesses by the side.
However, while lawyers are encouraged to deploy their entrepreneurial skills if they must, there is a danger in losing focus and in creating confusion in the minds of the public. The public should either see you as a lawyer or as a businessman, it was said.
How to strike this balance was the thrust of discussions by lawyers at a roundtable in Lagos. Organised by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), it had the theme: Legal practice and entrepreneurship.
Speakers include former Chairman, Section on Business Law, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr George Etomi who chaired the event; his successor Mr Gbenga Oyebode, Mr Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), Mr Paul Usoro (SAN) and Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, who was the special guest.
Others are Prof Yinka Omorogbe, Prof Paul Idornigie, Chief Tony Idigbe (SAN) who was represented by Mr Nnamdi Oragwu, a partner at Punuka Attorneys and Solicitors, Lagos; Executive Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr Sam Amadi, and NIALS Director of Research, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye.
Oyebode, who gave the keynote address, focused on law as a business. Urging law firms to stick with global standards of legal practice, he pointed that the progression of law partnerships in Nigeria "has not been particularly inspiring."
According to him, successful law partnerships have been few and far between, saying that is an aspect of the business of law practice that has not been properly harnessed.
"We haven't done well with law partnerships," he said.
According to him, the problem is not just with the lawyers who set up law firms. It is down to some lawyers who sing different tunes, making finding a common ground a challenge.
But that is not the case with other professional bodies, such as the Institute of Chattered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). An election of leadership is not fraught with controversies. They pay strictly attention to their rules, Oyebode said.
"ICAN pays close attention to their rules. The next President is anointed and there's no controversy." To him, such culture should apply to the NBA.
Oyebode said beyond personality issues, law firms cannot grow if a country's economy is on a downward spiral.
He recalled that the fortunes of lawyers nosedived after the Buhari/Idiagbon administration and stabilised with the return of democracy in 1999. From then till 2007, law firms witnessed a boom.
"Commercial lawyers make money when the economy grows," he said.
What Oyebode called "our extremely ineffective justice system" has not boded well for the growth of law firms, he noted.
Due to a lack of complete faith in the system, foreign investors demand the insertion of arbitration clauses in agreements. They do not end there. They demand that arbitration be conducted abroad if it came to that.
"Our judicial system is extremely corrupt, slow and inefficient," Oyebode said, reminding his audience that he was only re-echoing what had been said before by those who knew better. The consequence, he said, is a "disincentive" in the level of patronage of law firms in Nigeria.
Again, "poor quality of legal practice" has not helped matters, Oyebode said, adding that there should be a reform of teaching methods.
On entrepreneurship, he said: "I think it should be taught in school because a lot of Nigerian lawyers do not understand the balance sheet."
Lawyers do not only need business skills, they need to acquir technological know-how as it applies to their profession.
"Technology is the key to building small to medium firms," he said.
For partnerships to grow, information must be shared. Oyebode wondered why partners usually ignore the agreement they reached at the beginning.
"Partnerships rarely look at the Deed. People need to look at partnership agreements," he said.
Also, effective leadership is crucial in running a successful law firm. "What is missing in many law firms is visionary leadership. Pick the right partnerships," said Oyebode.
To be made a partner in a firm, Oyebode said, should not be merely treated as a form of promotion. "Partnership is what you aspire to."
He deplored one-man practice where a lawyer is an accountant, a practice manager and a marketer of his services. "Play to other people's strengths. Don't do it all," he admonished.
Mentoring of younger lawyers or non-lawyers who want to be lawyers by senior lawyers should be encouraged. "We must make sure we mentor better."
To him, technology is a basis for growth. Nigerian law firms need to build capacity. And if the government can control terrorism and reduce corruption, there is nothing stopping foreign law firms from partnering their counterparts in Nigeria.
Oragwu added that an absence of a shared vision or common culture is the bane of successful partnerships. For one to succeed, such issues must be resolved, even as there must be strategic planning.
Amadi, a Ph.D holder from Harvard, said it is wrong to "restrict lawyering," urging lawyers to expand their knowledge base and expand their skills.
"If you are taking a public sector work, you need to look at a number of skills you need to harness to be effective," he advised.
For Prof Omorogbe, given the right circumstances, graduates, including lawyers, would perform better. Speaking from an academic perspective, she said the circumstances under which students learn are "unimaginable".
Classes are over-populated, classrooms are awful and students study with candles rather than with electricity. Yet, many among them succeed as graduates. Imagine what would happen if learning conditions were better, she added.
On how to better the legal pro
fession, she said something
should be done to "tweak" its conservatism. "The profession is very conservative. People are sort of trained not to rock the boat, but sometimes you need something to be changed."
For instance, she said she did not understand why law is a masculine profession where women judges are addressed as "Mr Justice" and wondered: Why not address women judges as "Mrs Justice…? "We need to tweak ourselves," she said.
Omorogbe, a former Company Secretary/Legal Adviser at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said the post of company secretary and legal adviser should be separated because the roles clash.
"Combining the two amounts to belittling the profession. The bar should look at this and take a position," she said.
"The Section on Business Law should look at the role of the lawyer and how the lawyer can make a difference.
"We need to understand that the question of character always comes in. The NBA can force us to have character by becoming stricter," Omorogbe added.
Ajogwu said managing a successful law firm entails building systems and procedures that get things working in the absence of the principal.
It is important for a law firm to consider investments, he said. "It is important to invest proceeds in things that earn you money."
According to him, the market is large enough for lawyers to make a successful living. He said law firms should model their practice after those who have been successful, adding: "I am an advocate for getting it better and better."
While it is not wrong for lawyers to invest in other businesses, Ajogwu, known for his research and writings on corporate governance, warned: "We should not allow lawyers to become traders. We should give dignity to the profession and not demean it with other things."
He called for stricter sanctions for lawyers who bring the profession to disrepute, saying: "We should disbar lawyers who break the rules. Integrity has a return on investment."
For Usoro, entrepreneurial skills are important for lawyers, as are the need to expand knowledge and invest in technology.
His advice: equip your library, train your lawyers, spend money on technology. According to him, a lawyer who knows what he is doing should be able to respond to messages in real time. He must also pay attention to his practice environment and make it efficient.
Man-management skills are also needed by law firm managers. "Differentiate between rainmakers and those who are able to do the job. It is wise to have a little of this and a little of that," said Usoro.
Prof Idornigie said the time has come to re-examine legal training in the country. To him, there should be a different curriculum for barristers and solicitors.
He suggested: "Design one stream for those who want to practice as barristers, and another stream for those who just want knowledge of law."
Awomolo said lawyers are free to engage in business outside law practice, so long as it is within the bounds of decency. "We as lawyers are trained to be a master in many things," he said.
He went on: "We should mentor young one who are getting frustrated. They need encouragement because there are several opportunities."
For Prof Owasanoye, lawyers are not trained to "think outside the box." He called for flexibility, which should extend to law graduates deciding where to get advanced legal education
"In the future, we need to break the monopoly of the Law School. It has become elitist and exclusionary and is no longer coping. We must allow people decide where they get professional training. We have to reform the legal profession," he said.
Etomi said the law profession should be in the forefront of nation-building as nobody can ignore lawyers in a democracy. However, little can be achieved in an unstable polity fraught with violence and corruption
\With thousands of lawyers graduating yearly, Etomi asked: "Are we expanding the frontiers of the practice?"
"We are overdue for restructuring ourselves," he said, adding: "Business is the future of the profession."
With what he said is a severe challenge of a shrinking economy, Etomi added that lawyers must be business-minded. "Do we prepare lawyers to become good businessmen?" he asked.
He, however, warned: "Compromise is what has landed us where we are today. Don't pass off as a lawyer when you are a car dealer."
NIALS Director-General, Prof Epiphany Azinge (SAN), said the teaching of business skills should form lawyers' training.
He said: "We want to acknowledge that the idea for this theme came from Gbenga Oyebode. He mooted the idea in December last year and we assured him we are going to buy into it, and we're glad he's here today to give the keynote address.
"This is a very topical issue for lawyers and even non-lawyers, because we are all in the business of making money one way or the other. So, we're all potential entrepreneurs in our own right, regardless of our discipline.
"This is one area that nothing is done about it in the university and the Law School. We're expected to gather whatever we can gather in the journey through legal practice.
"I am happy that the institute is hosting this, and I am sure that we're going to benefit immeasurably; not just those in attendance, because as is customary we're going to issue a communiqué arising from this for the benefit of all and sundry."
The dual practice of law and another occupation is generally permissible in many jurisdictions, provided that certain conditions are met.
Needless to say, however, providing non-legal services to legal clients must be undertaken with care and there are traps for the unwary. There are situations in which the provision of such services would not be permissible under the Rules, and a lawyer must carefully analyse each particular situation. It is particularly important to be mindful of conflicts of interest.
Alawyer is at all times governed
by the Rules of Professional
Conduct, and ordinarily, the person to whom a lawyer provides non-legal services will be considered a legal client with respect to the applicability of the rules of professional conduct.
Occupations that have been found to be law-related include real estate brokerage, sale of title insurance, administrative assistance, marriage counselling, accountancy, labour relations consulting, the operation of an insurance agency or a loan or mortgage brokerage office.
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What Boko Haram and NADECO have in common
As we watched troubled President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in his black kaftan with black cap behind the distraught emir of Kano last week, it was ... Full story


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The new center, which will serve agricultural research for beauty and nutrition ingredients, is Amway's second such center in China.
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Originally written on Pro Sports Daily | Last updated 10/14/12
12 Dec 1999: Jason Hanson #4 of the Detroit Lions kicks a field goal as John Jett #19 holds during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida. The Buccaneers defeated the Lions 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport
PHILADELPHIA -- The Detroit Lions trailed by 10 points in the fourth quarter and all the momentum was in the other huddle. In other words, the Lions had the Philadelphia Eagles right where they wanted them. "We always feel that we're at our best when things look the worst," Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson said. "And things looked pretty bad." That's because the Eagles had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and it seemed as if nothing was going the Lions' way. Then, suddenly, everything was going their way as they pulled out a 26-23 victory in overtime on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. The Lions tied the game with just three seconds left to play when Jason Hanson kicked a 19-yard field goal and after the Lions' defense stopped the Eagles to start overtime -- sacking quarterback Michael Vick twice -- Hanson won it with a 45-yarder. "I'm numb," Hanson said just minutes after his game-winner sailed over the crossbar. "I know I've been at this for 20-plus years, but I wa...
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Best of Total Beauty: All Our Best Beauty Product Stories in One Place
Contouring: It's one of those amazing makeup tricks that can fake the chiseled cheekbones of a supermodel -- provided you know how to do it. With just a few swipes of strategically placed makeup, you can practically redefine your bone structure. It's all about using light to play up your best features and shadow to downplay the ones you're not as fond of. Though the concept is essentially the same no matter your skin tone, women with darker complexions can run the risk of looking muddy. Here, we've rounded up the best contouring tutorials from YouTube with product recommendations for highlighting and lowlighting darker skin tones. read more
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Seeing all the holiday makeup collections before they hit stores is a perk of the job. We get giddy just thinking about what Nars will debut each holiday season. Last year, their provocative Guy Bourdin collection practically sold out in seconds. We expect no less of this year's collection. read more
Lip liners get a bad rap, probably because they make people think of that awful lined-lips-with-nude-lipstick look. But skipping a lip liner is a missed opportunity to make your lips look fuller and more defined. It also keeps your lipstick locked in place and prevents feathering. With so many options to choose from, it's easy to end up with a liner that doesn't deliver on its promises. So we narrowed them down to only the top reader-reviewed lip liners to make you a believer. See reviews
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Tattoos have their time (spring break, mid-life crisis, life-changing moment) and their place (small of the neck, ankle, back), but a job interview rarely qualifies as either. Instead of fretting over strategically placed jewelry or how you're going to pull of a turtleneck, turn to your makeup bag to cover up your tattoo. The proper full-coverage makeup can make your ink do a disappearing act. Here, we've compiled the best heavy-duty concealers that can temporarily camouflage any permanent work of art to help you snag that new gig this fall. read more
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These YouTube beauty bloggers (or vloggers as they're known on the web) have been known to steal hours of our time as we sit entranced by their countless hair, makeup and nail tutorials. No, we're not talking about Michelle Phan. These ladies may not have reached household name status (yet), but they're "the next big thing" in the YouTube beauty space. With viewers reaching into the millions, they know what they're talking about. And we're taking notes on all of their looks. read more
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In the wake of September 11, the city's normal firefighting tours did not resume until September 28, due to the large number of personnel working at Ground Zero.
James McGrath Morris has created a lesson plan for a government or civics class in grades seven through twelve. Consisting of a Power Point presentation on community needs and a group activity on community needs assessment, the lesson will encourage students to reflect on the meaning of community, examine the ways a community's needs may be determined, and evaluate the connection between the democratic health of a community and voluntary association.
About the Author
James McGrath Morris
is a member of the social studies department of West Springfield High School, Springfield, Virginia and serves on the PBS TeacherSource Advisory Group. He joined Fairfax County Public Schools in 1996 after a career in journalism and publishing. During his first year of teaching Morris was nominated for the Sallie Mae First Class Teacher Award. As an author or editor, Morris has published four books. He is currently at work on a biography of a turn-of-the-century New York journalist to be published by Fordham University Press.
continue to lesson plan
© 2002 Educational Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.


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Leave it to criminals to vote for criminals:
The six month vote recount in the Senate race was a torturous process. The morning after November 4, 2008 election, Senator Norm Coleman lead Al Franken by 725 votes. Correcting for typos cut Coleman's margin to 215, and a recount by all the counties reduced it further to 192.
Once the state canvassing board had looked into the intent of voters and counted 953 previously rejected absentee ballots, the final total had reversed that count and handed Franken a 312 vote victory.
This should not be a surprise, especially after the results of the Minnesota Majority study. With this small number of votes separating the two candidates even just hundreds of illegal voters can alter the outcome. By any measure, felons overwhelmingly vote for Democrats.
It makes sense that parasites would vote for other parasites considering that democrats and felons share the same view of property rights.
You work hard to produce something good, they use violence to take it from you.
Given the narrow margins in the Senate needed to block passage of tyrannical bills, one has to consider it ironic that the fate of our country was decided by a handful of literal felons from Minnesota.


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29 year old man | Harrisonburg, VA, USA | Seeking women 23-30 within 35 miles
Thought I'd try something different...so here I am...
I'd say I am a down to earth, easy-going person. I have learned that life is too short to have regrets or hold grudges, so I always try to give 100% and make the best of any situation. My friends and family mean the world to me. Any time I've ever needed them in my life they have been there for me and I try to return the favor. Life without sports in no fun at all! If the weather is nice out, I'm always up for a game of soccer, football, lax, basketball, and volleyball (if the weather is bad...lets find somewhere indoors!). When I'm not playing, nothing can be a good tailgate with friends/family to get ready to cheer on my favorite teams (Clemson, Ravens, O's, CAPS). My hope is to find someone who shares the same view on life as I do: successful career, strong family connection, enjoys sports sporting events, likes to travel...basically someone who wants to get the most of of life that they can!
Alumni connections , Business networking , Cooking , Dining out , Fishing/Hunting , Movies/Videos , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Nightclubs/Dancing , Playing sports , Political interests , Travel/Sightseeing , Watching sports , Wine tasting
Auto racing / Motorcross, Basketball, Billiards / Pool, Football, Golf, Hockey, Skiing, Soccer, VolleyBall, Walking / Hiking, Weights / Machines
I exercise 5 or more times per week.
I like Dogs
Middle of the Road
Vegas, AC, OC, OBX, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Savannah (St. Patty's Day=AWESOME), Bahamas, Fed. Hill, Annapolis.
Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Well I love my teams - Clemson Tigers, Ravens, O's & Caps!
Way too many technical manuals on chemical treatment of process water -- I assure you it's riveting material, NOT!
Z{{Cta}} {{#if HasMoreInfo}} ?{{CtaSecondary}} {{/if}}
|What he is looking for
|5'10" (177cms)
|5'0" (152cms) to 5'10" (177cms)
|Body type:
|About average
|Slender, About average, Athletic and toned
|No preference
|Dark blonde
|No preference
|No Way
|No Way, Occasionally
|Social Drinker
|Social Drinker, Regularly
|Sales / Marketing
|No preference
Chemical Sales
|$100,001 to $150,000
|$50,001 to $75,000, $75,001 to $100,000, $100,001 to $150,000, $150,001+
|Never Married
|No preference
|Have kids:
|Wants kids:
|Definitely, Someday
|White / Caucasian
|No preference
|Christian / Catholic
|Christian / Catholic, Christian / Other
|Bachelors degree
|Some college, Associates degree, Bachelors degree, Graduate degree, PhD / Post Doctoral


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History's 10 worst oil disasters
Published On: Apr 12 2012 12:17:07 PM EDT Updated On: Apr 20 2015 12:32:36 PM EDT
On the five-year anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, take a look back at history's worst oil disasters.
The views expressed are not those of clickorlando.com, WKMG or its affiliated companies. This is a community moderated forum (Please note the 'Flag' button). By posting your comments you agree to accept our Terms Of serviceblog comments powered by Disqus


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|1 Jul. 2015
Heads of Navies meet for SEA SENSE 2015 Global Maritime Security Conference
Today more than 160 NATO and partner nation military and civilian leaders are gathering in London for the two day NATO Maritime Commanders' Meeting (MARCOMET) to discuss current and future maritime security challenges. The theme for SEA SENSE 2015 is NATO's Future Maritime Posture - Readiness and Responsiveness for a New Era.
|30 Jun. 2015
Secretary General marks 60 years of Germany's NATO membership
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Berlin on Tuesday (30 June 2015) to commemorate Germany's 60th year of NATO membership. Addressing an audience at the German Foreign Ministry including Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, the Secretary General said that Germany's accession to the Alliance cemented the nation's role as "an anchor of stability at the centre of NATO".
|30 Jun. 2015
Annual Conference of the NATO Committee on Gender Perspectives 2015
The 15th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security and its impact on recruitment and retention in the armed forces were the focus of this year's Annual Conference of the NATO Committee on Gender Perspectives (NCGP) from 2 to 5 June 2015.
|30 Jun. 2015
Educators support defence capacity building for partners
The Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP) connects senior educators from NATO nations with their counterparts from partner countries with the objective of enhancing educational curricula and learning methods.
|29 Jun. 2015
Milestones in NATO's deepening cooperation with Moldova
On Wednesday 24 June, NATO defence ministers endorsed a defence capacity building package to help Moldova to enhance its defence and security institutions. Other milestones were reached last week in the area of defence education, which will be an important element of cooperation with the country under the Defence and Related Security Capacity Building (DCB) Initiative.
|26 Jun. 2015
NATO Allies and Partners and the donors' community committed to continue supporting the financial sustainment of the Afghan Security Forces
NATO Allies and Partners and representatives of the donors' community met today (Friday, 26 June 2015) in a plenary meeting of the Afghan National Army Trust Fund Board, to renew their commitment to the continued support of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces.
|25 Jun. 2015
NATO Defence Ministerial Statement
NATO Defence Ministers on Thursday (25 June 2015) issued a statement after their two-day ministerial which focused on the implementation of the Readiness Action Plan and other key issues including NATO-Ukraine relations, the Alliance's engagement in Afghanistan and preparations for next year's NATO Summit in Warsaw.
|25 Jun. 2015
NATO Secretary General welcomes EU efforts on defence at European Council in Brussels
The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addressed the European Council on Friday (26 June 2015) and welcomed the efforts made by the European Union to strengthen its defence sector. " Of course NATO and the European Union are two different organizations but we have a lot in common. Actually nine out of ten EU citizens live in NATO countries and we share the same values. We share the same security environment. And now this security environment is changing, therefore both NATO and the European Union have to adapt. NATO has taken decisive steps to strengthen its collective defence. I also welcome the efforts by the European Union to strengthen its defences. A strong Europe also makes NATO strong. I look forward to discussing how we can increase the cooperation between NATO and the European Union", said Mr. Stoltenberg at a media doorstep.
|25 Jun. 2015
NATO Defence Ministers express strong support for Ukraine
Allied Defence Ministers reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine in a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission on Thursday (25 June 2015). In their talks with Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak, the ministers discussed the security situation in Ukraine, and reviewed NATO's assistance. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg underlined that Ukraine continues to be "faced with heavily-armed separatists, supported, trained and equipped by Russia," and is also undertaking reforms despite a serious economic crisis. "Ukraine is making progress against all these challenges, and this is remarkable," he said.
|25 Jun. 2015
NATO Defence Ministers confirm enduring support for Afghanistan
NATO Defence Ministers confirmed enduring support for Afghanistan in a ministerial meeting of Resolute Support nations on Thursday (25 June 2015). Meeting with Afghan Acting Minister of Defence Masoom Stanekzai, the ministers reviewed the security situation and the first six months of the Resolute Support mission. While noting that "it has been a challenging time," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that the Afghan forces "have dealt with this effectively," demonstrating "exemplary courage, determination and commitment." The Secretary General reaffirmed that the Alliance will continue to support Afghanistan in the years ahead, saying "NATO and our partners stand with Afghanistan."


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In a campaign sullied by shadow money, the California Fair Political Practices Commission is seeking to unveil hidden donors. In the process, the FPPC is heading into an area where the Internal Revenue Service has failed to tread.
We applaud the effort.
FPPC Chairwoman Ann Ravel and FPPC lawyers are preparing to sue in a step that could force an Arizona nonprofit corporation to disclose the identities of contributors who provided the $11 million that the nonprofit dumped into California campaigns last week.
No one questions the right of Americans for Responsible Leadership and its donors to spend their money to promote the deceptive Proposition 32. But Ravel, long a critic of secretive contributions, seeks to force the donors out of the shadows, so the public can better evaluate their propaganda.
Nonprofit corporations long have tried to influence California elections as they cloak donors' identities. But because of the size of its donation, Americans for Responsible Leadership is especially brazen, though not particularly wise.
Its $11 million helps puts the lie to the claim that Proposition 32 would improve the campaign finance system. The initiative would do nothing to enhance disclosure, but rather is aimed at crippling unions' ability to raise money.
The California Political Reform Act was perhaps the strongest law of its type in 1974 when voters approved it. The world has changed. If a shell corporation can hide identities of donors who give $11 million, the law must be updated.
The IRS is failing the public by allowing nonprofits to benefit from their tax-exempt status as they spend freely on elections. As the IRS dawdles, the FPPC is confronting the issue, for the public good.


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A look at the HHOF's Class of 2015
Here's a look at the seven players and builders who got the call to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday:
Skill, humour served former Leaf Stanowski well
When spinning tales about the Maple Leafs, Wally Stanowski would always pause to get his facts straight.
Sens open door for Erik Condra's return
The ball is in Erik Condra's court.
Senators re-sign D prospect Chris Wideman to rich deal
The Senators won't be letting defenceman Chris Wideman walk away.
Paul Postma, three others given qualifying offers by Winnipeg Jets
Paul Postma was among the four players given qualifying offers by the Winnipeg Jets prior to Monday's deadline.
Oilers issue qualifying offers for Justin Schultz, Brandon Davidson and Tyler Pitlick
The Edmonton Oilers have decided to retain just three of their pending free agents for now.
Coyotes ordered to increase payment to Glendale
A judge has ordered the Arizona Coyotes' ownership to increase its bond payment to Glendale by $750,000 while ordering the city to make its $3.75 million quarterly payment to the team.
Lidstrom, Pronger headline Hockey Hall of Fame class
A crowded 2015 Hockey Hall of Fame induction class still won't likely satisfy fans who feel yesteryear's stars have been denied.
Stars sign G Niemi to three-year extension
The Dallas Stars signed goaltender Antti Niemi to a three-year contract extension Monday.
Free agents the Jets might target
Can the Winnipeg Jets find the next Mathieu Perreault on July 1?
Sabres place forward Cody Hodgson on waivers with intention of buying out contract: Report
A person familiar with the decision has told the Associated Press that the Buffalo Sabres have placed forward Cody Hodgson on unconditional waivers with the intention of buying out his contract.
Oilers give up three late draft picks in trade for goaltender Cam Talbot from New York Rangers
SUNRISE, Fla. - Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli promised all week he was going to get a goalie and on Saturday at the NHL Draft, he delivered.
Leafs Cup winner Wally Stanowski 'didn't like to lose'
The Whirling Dervish loved skating against the wind. Having the odds stacked against him is how Wally Stanowski liked it best.
Penguins bring back defenceman Ian Cole on 3-year deal
The Pittsburgh Penguins and defenceman Ian Cole have agreed to a new contract.
Maple Leafs alumni Wally Stanowski dead at 96
Wally Stanowski, believed to be the oldest Maple Leaf and a member of the 1942 team that was the only one to overcome a 3-0 hole in a championship series, has died at 96.
Leafs look to take patient approach to free agency
When it comes to lighting fireworks, the Maple Leafs are giving July 1 back to pyrotechnics and the Fathers of Confederation.
Players that should be up for Hall of Fame debate
With no first-year shoo-in Hockey Hall of Fame candidates this year other than Nicklas Lidstrom, perhaps the selection committee will look at players who've been held up at check-in.
NHL free agency frenzy isn't what it used to be
Remember not so long ago when teams were camped out outside the Newport Sports Offices on July 1 like college recruiters, trying everything and anything to woo then-prized free agent Brad Richards to sign on their club's dotted line?
Paul Maurice open to idea of Burmistrov returning to Winnipeg
Count Paul Maurice among those who is open to a return by Alex Burmistrov, provided that's the direction the Winnipeg Jets choose to go and a contract can be worked out.
Don't expect much noise from Ottawa during free agency frenzy
Bryan Murray and his staff packed their bags for the trek north Sunday after wrapping up the two-day NHL entry draft on the weekend.
Kings' Richards, Canadiens' Parenteau on waivers to be bought out
Mike Richards of the Kings, P.A. Parenteau of the Canadiens and Mark Fistric of the Ducks are the latest players on the verge of being bought out.
Lidstrom: Leafs coach Babcock runs a tight ship
It is a scriptwriter's dream and, upon first blush, Mike Babcock's nightmare.
Leafs' Babcock ready to 'clean up'
Mike Babcock has a message for the Maple Leafs, whether it's the jaded veterans he's been contacting, eager juniors draftees or anyone else in the Toronto fold.
Leafs draft their skill, but trades will wait
Brendan Shanahan departed Florida with only one of his two summer projects completed.
A closer look at the Leafs' draft
The Maple Leafs couldn't get Connor McDavid in the draft.