Isolated polarization beam splitter and combiner
US7081996B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 11, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jul 25, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 20, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B27/283
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An isolated polarization beam splitter or combiner, for joining light from different inputs into one common port, and for dividing a beam of light into orthogonal polarizations. In both modes of operation, the splitter/combiner provides isolation preventing transmission of light in a reverse direction. As a splitter, a beam of light is separated through a birefringent material into sub-beams of orthogonal polarization components, and each sub-beam is passed through a non-reciprocal polarization rotator to rotate the polarization so that a reflected beam, or other counter-transmitted light cannot return on the same path through the birefringent material to the source. As a combiner, two separate beams of light are launched with known orthogonal polarizations into a first birefringent material, passed through a non-reciprocal polarization rotator and then combined as orthogonal polarizations into a single output port.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.