Variable optical attenuator
US9488847B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 17, 2013 |
| Grant date | Nov 8, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 1, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B27/281
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A variable optical attenuator in which a polarization beam splitter splits a beam incoming from the front into two linearly-polarized beams perpendicular to each other and separately outputs them to the back along first and second light paths. A Faraday rotator rotates a polarization plane of the two incoming linearly-polarized beams to an arbitrary angle by controlling a magnetic field to be applied to a Faraday element by a magnetism applying means and outputs them to the back. First and second analyzers arranged in the first and the second light paths and parallelly arranged perpendicular to these light paths are arranged in that order. The two analyzers have optical axes perpendicular to each other so that the optical axes are in the same direction as that of the polarization plane of the two linearly-polarized beams output from the polarization beam splitter.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.