Optical systems with antireciprocal polarization rotators
First Claim
1. An optical system, comprising:
- a source of electromagnetic radiation;
a component of said system, capable of optical communication with said source, serving to transmit or reflect at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by said source; and
a device which includes a substantially antireciprocal polarization rotator, said device being capable of optical communication with said source and said component, whereinsaid device exhibits a refractive index profile which includes a first local waveguiding maximum positioned within said rotator, and said device further includes means for reducing the electromagnetic energy of at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation which traverses said device but is not guided by said rotator during the operation of said system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical system, e.g., an optical fiber communication system or an optical mass storage device, which includes a linearly birefringent polarization rotator useful in an optical isolator or optical circulator, is disclosed. The rotator, which compensates for the effects of linear birefringence and is substantially antireciprocal, includes two or more material regions which are capable of subjecting incident light to elliptic birefringences. However, the sign and/or magnitude of the linear, or the sign and/or magnitude of the circular, components of the elliptic birefringences differ from region to region. Moreover, the length of each region, except the first or last region, is substantially equal to one-half the birefringent period of the region. The length of the first or last region, by contrast, is substantially equal to one-quarter the birefringent period of the region.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An optical system, comprising:
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a source of electromagnetic radiation; a component of said system, capable of optical communication with said source, serving to transmit or reflect at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by said source; and a device which includes a substantially antireciprocal polarization rotator, said device being capable of optical communication with said source and said component, wherein said device exhibits a refractive index profile which includes a first local waveguiding maximum positioned within said rotator, and said device further includes means for reducing the electromagnetic energy of at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation which traverses said device but is not guided by said rotator during the operation of said system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification