Three-port optical circulator

• US 6,301,045 B1
• Filed: 01/27/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alliance Fiber Optic Products Incorporated (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Alliance Fiber Optic Products Incorporated (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Liu, Yugiao
• Primary Examiner(s): Spyrou, Cassandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Juba, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US09/239,031
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 359/484, 359/494, 359/495, 359/496, 359/497, 359/900, 385/11
• US Class Current: 359/484.04
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/093 used as non-reciprocal devices, e.g. optical isolators, circulators G02F1/0955 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/31 Digital deflection, i.e. optical switchingG02F1/33 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods

Abstract

A circulator (10) includes a first collimating device (12) and a second collimating device (16) with three external optic fibers (14), (18) & (20) thereon wherein the first fiber (18) and the third fiber (20) are coupled to the second collimating device (16) while the second fiber (14) is coupled to the first collimating device (12). A non-reciprocal section (22) is positioned between the first collimating device (12) and the second collimating device (16). The non-reciprocal section (22) includes a first optic isolator section (24) and a second optic isolator section (26) commonly sandwiching a first light deflecting device (28) therebetween, and a second light deflecting device (30) being positioned between the second optic isolator section (26) and the second collimating device (16).

Claims

1. A circulator comprising:

a first collimator, a second collimator, and first, second and third ports, said first collimator defining the second port, said second collimator defining the first port and the third port, and a non-reciprocal section positioned between said first collimator and said second collimator;

said non-reciprocal section including;

a first isolator section and a complementary second isolator section commonly defining a forward path and a backward path thereof, whereby a forward light beam may enter the circulator from the first port of the second collimator, through the forward path and leave from the second port;

in opposite, a backward light beam may enter the circulator from the second port, through the backward path and leave from the third port, wherein the forward path and the backward path are different from each other;

wherein a non-birefringent deflecting device is provided between the first isolator section and the second isolator section.

2. The circulator as defined in claim 1, wherein another deflecting device is provided between the second isolator section and the second collimator.

3. The circulator as defined in claim 2, wherein said another deflecting device is a rectangular prism.

4. The circulator as defined in claim 1, wherein said first isolator section includes a first birefringent wedge and a second birefringent wedge sandwiching a first Faraday rotator therebetween.

5. The circulator as defined in claim 4, wherein said first birefringent wedge and the second birefringent wedge are totally same but conversely positioned with each other.

6. The circulator as defined in claim 1, wherein said second isolator section includes a birefringent wedge and another birefringent wedge sandwiching a Faraday rotator therebetween.

7. The circulator as defined in claim 6, wherein said birefringent wedge and said another birefringent wedge are totally same but conversely positioned with each other.

8. The circulator as defined in claim 1, wherein said deflecting device is a dovetail prism.

9. The circulator as defined in claim 1, wherein said first isolator section includes a first birefringent wedge and a second birefringent wedge and said second isolator section includes a third birefringent wedge and a fourth birefringent wedge, and wherein all of said birefringent wedges have the same geometrical shape and a direction of an optic axis of the second birefringent wedge with regard to the geometrical shape thereof is perpendicular to that of another optic axis of the third birefringent wedge with regard to the geometrical shape thereof.

10. A non-reciprocal section for use with a circulator, comprising:

a first isolator section and a second isolator section; and

a deflecting device being positioned between the first isolator section and the second isolator section;

wherein

said deflecting device is a dovetail prism so that two backward light beams which are divergently outward deflected, may be convergently inward deflected toward each(other after passing the deflecting device.

11. The non-reciprocal section as claimed in claim 10, wherein a second deflecting device is positioned beside the second isolator section opposite to the first deflecting device, and is a rectangular prism for reflecting the backward light beam back to a collimator.

12. A method for providing two different paths transmitting a backward light beam and a forward light beam, respectively, comprising steps of:

providing first mechanism including means for significantly splitting a backward light beam into two backward rays;

providing second means for rejoining said two backward rays into one;

providing third mechanism including means for reflecting the split backward rays before said backward rays enter the second mechanism; and

defining a forward path and a backward path in said first mechanism, said second mechanism and said third mechanism for allowing the forward light beam and the backward light beam to travel therealong;

wherein the forward path and the backward path are different from each other and the forward path is deflected less than the backward path with regard to an imaginary center line along an axial direction of a combination of said first mechanism and second mechanism;

wherein

said third mechanism is positioned between said first mechanism and said second mechanism for reflecting two rays from an outward divergent manner to an inward convergent manner and toward each other.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein said first mechanism, second mechanism and third mechanism are aligned with one another along axis Z, and the backward light beam is significantly separably outward or jointly inward deflected with regard to axis Y.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the backward light beam is further deflected with regard to axis X.

15. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein said first mechanism, second mechanism and third mechanism are aligned with one another along axis Z, and said forward light beam is little deflected with regard to axis x but not with regard to axis Y.

16. A method for providing two different paths transmitting a backward light beam and a forward light beam, respectively, comprising steps of:

providing a first birefringent wedge and a second birefringent wedge to have an E-ray and an O-ray of a backward light beam in the first birefringent wedge respectively converted to be the O-ray and an E-ray in the second birefringent wedge, so as to significantly split the backward light beam into two backward rays; and

providing a third birefringent wedge and a fourth birefringent wedge to have the O-ray and the E-ray of the backward light beam in the third birefringent wedge respectively converted to be the E-ray and the O-ray in the fourth birefringent wedge so as to significantly rejoin said two backward rays into one.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein said method further comprises a step of providing a first Faraday rotator between the first birefringent wedge and the second birefringent wedge, and a second Faraday rotator between the third birefringent wedge and the fourth birefringent wedge.

18. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein an O-ray and an E-ray of a forward light beam in the fourth birefringent wedge are still the same in the third birefringent wedge, and an O-ray and an E-ray of the forward light beam in the second birefringent wedge are still the same in the first birefringent wedge, while the O-ray and the E-ray in the third birefringent wedge are converted to the E-ray and the O-ray in the second birefringent wedge.

19. A circulator comprising:

at least three ports including first, second and third ports wherein light may enter from the first port and leave from the second port, or may enter from the second port and leave from the third port;

a first birefringent wedge defining a first optic axis;

a second birefringent wedge defining a second optic axis opposite to said first optic axis with regard to one selected axis;

a third birefringent wedge defining a third optic axis perpendicular to said second optic axis; and

a fourth birefringent wedge defining a fourth optic axis opposite to said third optic axis with regard to the same selected axis.

20. The circulator as claimed in claim 19, wherein a first Faraday rotator and a second Faraday rotator are respectively provided between said first birefringent wedge and said second birefringent wedge, and between the third birefringent wedge and the fourth birefringent wedge for rotating direction of polarization of a transmitted light beam with respective predetermined angles.

21. The circulator as defined in claim 20, wherein said selected axis is axis X.

22. The circulator as defined in claim 21, wherein the first optic axis is at 67.5°

with regard to axis X, the second optic axis is at −

67.5°

with regard to axis X, the third optic axis is at 22.5°

with regard to axis X, and the fourth optic axis is at −

22.5°

with regard to axis X.

23. The circulator as defined*in claim 20, wherein said predetermined angles are −

45° and

45°

, respectively.

24. A circulator comprising:

at least three ports including first, second and third ports wherein light may enter from the first port and leave from the second port, or may enter from the second port and leave from the third port;

a first birefringent wedge and a reversely positioned second birefringent wedge having a same configuration as the first birefringent wedge and cooperating with the first birefringent wedge sandwiching a first rotator therebetween; and

a third birefringent wedge and a reversely positioned fourth birefringent wedge having the same configuration as the third birefringent wedge and cooperating with the third birefringent wedge sandwiching a rotator therebetween;

wherein

the second birefringent wedge and the third birefringent wedge are reversely positioned with each other.

25. The circulator as defined in claim 24, wherein a deflecting device is positioned between the second birefringent wedge and the third birefringent wedge.