Depolarized light source for fiber optic sensors
US5291266A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 13, 1991 |
| Grant date | Mar 1, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 13, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B5/30
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus comprised of a depolarized light source for fiber optic sensors is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the depolarized light source of the apparatus comprises: a first laser for generating a first beam at a first frequency, the first beam having a linear polarization state; a second laser for generating a second beam at a second frequency, the second beam having a linear polarization state; a means for rotating the polarization state of the second beam so that the first and second beams have orthogonal linear polarization states with respect to each other; and a means for combining the first beam with the polarization-rotated second beam to obtain a composite beam which is depolarized. In a system operation, the apparatus comprises: a source of depolarized light; an integrated optic modulator means for receiving a modulator drive signal; a first low-birefringence fiber for conveying the depolarized light beam from the depolarized light source to the integrated optic modulator means, the integrated optic modulator means modulating only one linear polarization state in the depolarized light beam as a function of the modulator drive signal to produce a modulated beam; a…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.