Resonantly driven fiber polarization scrambler

US6721468B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• ILX Lightwave Corporation · US

Inventors

• Christopher Wood · Webster, US
• Terry J. Brown · Lafayette, US
• Jason Ensher · Lafayette, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 7, 2002
• Grant date: Apr 13, 2004
• Expiry date: Jun 7, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F1/0134
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention provides a polarization scrambler to rapidly change the state of polarization of light transmitted through a single mode fiber such that a substantial portion of the Poincare sphere is covered. A plurality of piezoelectric squeezers couple with an electronic drive. Each squeezer resonates in response to drive signals from the electronic drive to induce radial compression forces on the fiber. The drive signals remain resonant with each squeezer, at frequencies of about 100 kHz, through a feedback loop for each of the squeezers and the electronic drives. Coverage over the Poincare sphere typically occurs in less than about 100 milliseconds, and preferably less than 1 millisecond.