Optical isolator
US5040863A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 6, 1989 |
| Grant date | Aug 20, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 6, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/093
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method of manufacturing an optical isolator which has a rotator capable of rotating a plane of polarization by the Faraday effect, and a polarizer of multilayer structure formed of alternately superposed transparent dielectric films and films having a complex dielectric constant, includes the steps of: forming the rotator as a plate having a large area and the polarizer as an array having a large area; forming an optical isolator array by attaching the polarizer array at least to one surface of the rotator plate in such a manner that the layers of the polarizer array extend perpendicularly to the surface of the rotator plate; and cutting the optical isolator array into a plurality of optical isolator chips. An optical module incorporating the isolator chip includes a case, a semiconductor laser provided in the case, an optical fiber fixed to the case with the optical axis thereof in alignment with that of the semiconductor laser, and the optical isolator chip attached directly or through a transparent member to the end of the optical fiber. The structure enables the optical module to be assembled easily and accurately, and to be of a compact lightweight construction.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.