Patent · US Expired

Optical isolator

US5151955A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
5References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 9, 1990
Grant dateSep 29, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 9, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F2203/06
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical isolator having three or four birefringent crystals and two magneto-optic elements is disposed between two light waveguides to prevent reverse-directed light from returning to the light waveguide on the light-source side. Forward-directed light emitted from the light waveguide on the light-source side is allowed to properly enter into the other light waveguide, whereas the reverse-directed light returning reflectively toward the light waveguide on the light-source side is separated into two polarized component and undergoes polarization rotation while propagating in the optical isolator, to thereby advance out of the optical axis of the light-source side light waveguide.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.