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US 12,645,109 B2Granted
Integrated isolator and circulator systems
AssigneeVoyant Phetonics, Inc.
InventorChristopher T. Phare
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are integrated photonics systems including integrated polarizing devices for implementing on-chip optical isolators and circulators. Implemented around a Faraday rotator isolator arrangement, integrated photonic components are arranged in a device to polarize and rotate the polarization of optical signals traversing forwards and backwards through the device to effect optical isolators and circulators.
Claims26
An integrated photonics system comprising:
- at least one integrated chip;
- a first integrated polarizing device integrated in the at least one integrated chip for launching a first input optical signal received over a first component-side port of the first integrated polarizing device as a first polarized optical signal over a polarization-side port of the first integrated polarizing device into free space;
- at least one Faraday rotator for receiving the first polarized optical signal, rotating a polarization of the first polarized optical signal, and generating a rotated first polarized optical signal travelling in a first direction, and for receiving a second polarized optical signal having the same polarization as the rotated first polarized optical signal and travelling in a second direction opposite from the first direction, rotating a polarization of the second polarized optical signal, and generating a rotated second polarized optical signal;
- wherein the first integrated polarizing device is configured to receive the rotated second polarized optical signal over the polarization-side port of the first integrated polarizing device and to direct the rotated second polarized optical signal away from the first component-side port of the first integrated polarizing device,
- wherein the integrated photonics system further comprises:
- a second integrated polarizing device integrated in the at least one integrated chip for launching the rotated first polarized optical signal received over a polarization-side port of the second integrated polarizing device as an output optical signal over a component-side port of the second integrated polarizing device, and for launching a second input optical signal received over the component-side port as the second polarized optical signal over the polarization-side port into free space toward the at least one Faraday rotator,
- wherein the second integrated polarizing device comprises an integrated polarization controller (IPC) for generating the output optical signal with a polarization which is different from the polarization of the rotated first polarized optical signal, and for generating the second polarized optical signal from the second input optical signal, the second input optical signal having the same polarization as the output optical signal.
4 more elements
An integrated photonics system comprising:
- at least one integrated chip;
- a first integrated polarizing device integrated in the at least one integrated chip for launching a first input optical signal received over a first component-side port of the first integrated polarizing device as a first polarized optical signal over a polarization-side port of the first integrated polarizing device into free space;
- and
- at least one Faraday rotator for receiving the first polarized optical signal, rotating a polarization of the first polarized optical signal, and generating a rotated first polarized optical signal travelling in a first direction, and for receiving a second polarized optical signal having the same polarization as the rotated first polarized optical signal and travelling in a second direction opposite from the first direction, rotating a polarization of the second polarized optical signal, and generating a rotated second polarized optical signal;
- wherein the first integrated polarizing device is configured to receive the rotated second polarized optical signal over the polarization-side port of the first integrated polarizing device and to direct the rotated second polarized optical signal away from the first component-side port of the first integrated polarizing device and
- wherein the at least one Faraday rotator includes a 22.5° Faraday rotator, and wherein the integrated photonics system further comprises:
- a lens between the first integrated polarizing device and the 22.5° Faraday rotator;
- and
- a reflector situated on a side of the 22.5° Faraday rotator opposite the lens, for reflecting optical signals traversing the 22.5° Faraday rotator from the lens back into the 22.5° Faraday rotator towards the lens;
- wherein the first integrated polarizing device comprises an IPC for generating the first polarized optical signal with a polarization which is different from the polarization of the first input optical signal.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.