Reflective optical non-reciprocal devices
US5471340A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 7, 1994 |
| Grant date | Nov 28, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 7, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/093
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In order to reduce the number of components and avoid relatively long optical lengths, a non-reciprocal device such as a circulator comprises a plurality of ports at one end of the device, a mirror at an opposite end of the device, and a series of optical elements disposed between the ports and the mirror. The optical elements include a first element which spatially separates first and second orthogonally-polarized components of a light beam leaving one of said plurality of ports and passing through the device in a forward direction, and recombines the first and second components as they pass through the device in a reverse direction after reflection. A second optical element, disposed between the separating and recombining element and the mirror, selectively displaces and rotates the light beam components such that the recombined light beam is coupled to a different one of the plurality of ports.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.