Abstract:
An optical device includes a small and low-cost variable polarization plane rotator that can control a rotation angle of the polarization plane easily. A variable polarization plane rotator is provided with a λ/4 phase plate having an optical axis in the same direction as, or at a 90 degree angle relative to, a polarization direction of an input light beam. A phase difference variable element has an optical axis at a ±45 degree angle relative to the optical axis of the λ/4 phase plate, to apply a variable phase difference between the polarization components parallel to and perpendicular to the optical axis thereof. A phase difference adjustment section adjusts the variable phase difference of the phase difference variable element, wherein the input light beam after being transmitted through the phase difference variable element to form elliptically polarized light or circularly polarized light, is transmitted through the λ/4 phase plate to form linearly polarized light. The polarization plane of the input light beam is rotated by an angle corresponding to the phase difference applied by the phase difference variable element.
Abstract:
The invention provides small-sized, power-saving and easily-producible magneto-optical devices. The magneto-optical device comprises a Faraday rotator having nearly parallel surfaces and a Z-direction magnetic easy axis; a total reflection film formed partly on one surface of the Faraday rotator; another total reflection film formed partly on the other surface thereof; a light input region through which light enters the Faraday rotator; a light output region through which the light having alternately reflected on the total reflection films goes out of the Faraday rotator; a permanent magnet that forms a predetermined magnetic domain structure in the Faraday rotator and applies a magnetic field component in the Z-direction to the Faraday rotator so that the magnetization direction could be the same both in the light input region and the light output region; and an electromagnet that varies the position at which the magnetic field component applied to the Faraday rotator is 0 (zero).
Abstract:
Unique multi-diffraction structures using electronically controlled Bragg diffraction devices such as acousto-optic (AO) devices to accomplish optical beam attenuation control functions. These variable optical attenuator (VOA) modules can be fully inertialess as they can use electronically programmable sub-microsecond speed AO devices to implement optical gain controls. These VOAs deliver desirable capabilities in one optically reversible unit, making high dynamic range, low loss, high power handling, ultra-fast, high optical isolation, broadband operation, self-aligning robust modules. These VOAs can be made essentially independent of the optical polarization of the incident light by the use of a unique fixed waveplate compensation technique within the VOA configuration that suppresses polarization dependent loss. Broadband gain control operation over several wavelengths can be achieved by controlling the frequency and electrical drive power of the chosen frequencies feeding the acousto-optic devices. Interleaver devices can be cascaded with the acousto-optic modules to improve wavelength selectivity of the overall VOA modules. Alternative embodiments can use electrically programmable Bragg gratings in polymer dispersed liquid crystal and acousto-optic tunable filter devices as Bragg grating devices. Embodiments are proposed using independently controlled Bragg diffractions using multiple drive signals connected to multiple device transducers. Drive signal formats can be digital, analog, or a combination for simultaneously driving the VOA modules. Dual-mode VOA module designs are also described using mirror positioning.
Abstract:
A spectroscopic apparatus which is compact in size and performs high-precision light-splitting with a large angular dispersion. An optical input-processing section outputs a filtered transmitted light, using a bandpass filter that transmits only wavelength bands at one period of an input light, and collects the filtered transmitted light to generate a collected beam. An optic includes a first reflection surface and a second reflection surface which are high but asymmetric in reflectivity, and causes the collected beam incident thereon to undergo multiple reflections within an inner region between the first reflection surface and the second reflection surface, to thereby cause split beams to be emitted via the second reflection surface. A received light-processing section performs received light processing of the beams emitted from the optic. A control section variably controls at least one of a filter characteristic of the bandpass filter and an optical length through the optic.
Abstract:
This invention pertains to a device and method for making same. The device includes a substrate suitable for supporting pathways for optical signals; separate pathways disposed on the substrate suitable for propagating optical signals, the pathways including an input and an output optical pathway; and a reflective surface in operative contact with the input and output pathways for receiving an optical signal from the input pathway and reflecting the optical signal into the output pathway. The method for making the device includes the steps of providing two separate optical pathways on a single substrate, one being an input pathway and the other being an output pathway; providing a reflective surface in operative contact with the pathways whereby an input optical signal is passed through the input pathway, reflected by the reflective surface into the output pathway, and passed out of the output pathway, whereby the device can be made on a lithium niobate substrate with titanium-diffused pathways with a loss of about 1.0 dB or less, in a space that is at least ⅕ the space required by the same or similar prior art device.
Abstract:
A tunable laser and laser tuning method based on the use of a tunable etalon in reflection as a mirror within a laser cavity and forming an end reflective surface thereof. The laser emission wavelength is not necessarily at a wavelength of peak etalon reflectivity. A preferred embodiment makes use of a microelectromechanical etalon to tune an external cavity semiconductor.
Abstract:
A set of three gratings may be operated in a vernier loop fashion to select a particular wavelength from a wavelength division multiplexed system. As a result, an optical add/drop multiplexer may be provided that can be tuned to select a desired wavelength. In one embodiment, the tuning may be done thermo-optically.
Abstract:
An apparatus includes a mixer, a combiner and first and second reflectors. The mixer has first and second inputs and has first and second outputs. The combiner includes first and second parts where the first output provides a mixed signal to the first part and the second part provides a combined signal to the second input. The first reflector receives a remaining signal from the first part and provides a reflected composite signal to the second part. The second reflector receives a split off pump signal from the first part and provides a reflected pump signal to the second part.
Abstract:
A method, an apparatus and a system are described for receiving an optical signal in an optical filter and routing the optical signal through the optical filter multiple times.
Abstract:
Single cell gap transflective liquid crystal display which provides that the backlight traverses the reflective pixel portion twice and thereby follows a path similar to that of the ambient light. A slant reflector is built on the path of the back light to reflect the transmitted light to the reflective portion so that the back light and ambient light follow similar paths.