Patent · US Expired

Compact optical circulator with three ports

US6476967B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
14References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 1, 2001
Grant dateNov 5, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 1, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B5/3083
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The invention provides a compact optical circulator with three ports positioning between a dual-core collimator and a single-core collimator. The inventive circulator has a propagation director to couple a light from the dual-core collimator to one port of the circulator and another light form the other port of the circulator to the dual-core collimator. The invention further provides a compact optical circulator with three ports having a reflective compensator. The reflective compensator compensates the optical path length of two polarized beams. Furthermore, the invention eliminates the polarization mode dispersion by utilizing a reflective compensator. As well, the inventive circulator forgoes use of the reciprocal polarizing-rotating unit, thus reducing production costs.

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