Method and apparatus for producing depolarized light
US7088878B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 27, 2003 |
| Grant date | Aug 8, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 19, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01D5/35383
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing depolarized light that is useful in forming interrogation signals for an optical sensor array and demodulator having reduced polarization-induced fading and phase noise. The depolarized light is produced by splitting a light beam, delaying a first orthogonal component of the light beam with respect to a second orthogonal component of the light beam using a predefined delay, while maintaining the polarization of the first orthogonal component and the polarization of the second orthogonal component. The delayed light beams are combined to produce a depolarized light beam by selecting a predefined delay that causes an interference signal having a delay equal to the predefined delay to be suppressed during a demodulation process.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.