Tunable micro-optic architecture for combining light beam outputs of dual capillary polarization-maintaining optical fibers

US6823093B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• JDS Uniphase Corporation · US

Inventors

• Kok-Wai Chang · Sunnyvale, US
• Qingdong Guo · Sunnyvale, US
• Long Yang · Shenyang, CN
• Gonzalo Wills · Ottawa, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 11, 2002
• Grant date: Nov 23, 2004
• Expiry date: Feb 5, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/2766
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A tunable PM fiber combiner is configured to be accurately alignable with and operative to combine into a single composite beam a pair of non-collimated, orthogonally polarized light beams transported over polarization maintaining (PM) optical fibers, whose mutual spatial separation may vary. The combiner includes birefringent elements, that are linearly or rotationally displaced to realize the composite beam. The resulting composite light beam may then be readily coupled (e.g. via a single mode fiber) to a downstream beam processing device, such as a Raman amplifier.