Hybrid component and method for combining two pumping lights and depolarizing them simultaneously and optical amplifier therefor
US6831778B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 19, 2002 |
| Grant date | Dec 14, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 21, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/302
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention relates to a hybrid component and method capable of simultaneously combining and depolarizing two pump laser diodes of different wavelengths with linear polarized output. The beam combiner is a Wellstone prism which is used to combine two linear-polarized pumping beams, and the depolarizer has three different embodiments: a single stage high birefringent waveplate; two stages high birefringent waveplates; a quarter waveplate or a three-quarter waveplate plus a single stage high birefringent waveplate. The Polarization Beam Combiner (PBC) and the depolarizer are integrated into one single hybrid component, in which two orthogonal pumping lights with different wavelengths are combined and depolarized simultaneously. Therefore, the hybrid component and method makes it simpler and cheaper to design a Raman amplifier and will propel Raman amplifier market penetration in optical communication systems.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.