Method and apparatus for compensating polarization-dependent frequency shifts in optical waveguides

US8295656B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Martin Schell · Berlin, DE
• Norbert Keil · Berlin, DE
• Huihai Yao · Berlin, DE
• Crispin Zawadzki · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 23, 2008
• Grant date: Oct 23, 2012
• Expiry date: Jan 5, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F2203/20
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for compensating the polarization-dependent shift of the center frequency in an optical filter comprising an interferometer by way of compensating the birefringence in at least one waveguide of the interferometer, wherein at least one half-wave plate is arranged into the optical path of the interferometer and at least a section of the waveguide (16, 17) on the right and on the left of the half-wave plate (11) is brought to a pre-selectable temperature, and wherein at least one section on the right of the half-wave plate (11) is brought to a first temperature T1, and at least one section on the left of the half-wave plate (11) is brought to a second temperature T2.