US 2001/0036330 A1 · Polarization beam splitter or combiner

Abstract

This invention relates to elements such as birefringent crystals, which are used to separate a non-collimated input beam into two orthogonally polarized sub-beams or to combine two orthogonally polarized beams into a single beam. The optical device lessens or obviates the optical path length difference encountered in prior art devices and provides a polarization beam splitter/combiner that has substantially same optical path lengths for two split or combined beams propagating therethrough. Alternatively, the device is designed to provide a selected path length difference to compensate for polarization mode dispersion in other optical devices. The polarization beam splitter/combiner in accordance with the invention has a first uniaxial crystal having an o-ray path and an e-ray path and having the first port disposed at an end face thereof; a second uniaxial crystal having an o-ray path and an e-ray path, the e-ray path of the second uniaxial crystal being optically coupled with the o-ray path of the first uniaxial crystal and the o-ray path of the second uniaxial crystal being optically coupled with the e-ray path of the first uniaxial crystal. Alternatively, the axis of the second crystal is aligned in such a manner that the o-ray path is retarded by an extraordinary index of refraction of the crystal and the e-ray path is retarded by an ordinary index of refraction to equalize the optical path lengths.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A polarization beam splitter/combiner for splitting a non-collimated beam of light into first and second beams of orthogonal polarization, and for combining first and second beams of light of orthogonal polarization into a beam of light comprising:

a first port for launching a beam of light into the polarization beam splitter/combiner in a forward direction or for receiving a beam of light from the polarization beam splitter/combiner in a reverse direction;
a first uniaxial crystal having an o-ray path and an e-ray path and having the first port optically coupled to an end face thereof;
a second uniaxial crystal having an e-ray path and an o-ray path such that the e-ray path of the second uniaxial crystal is optically coupled with the o-ray path of the first uniaxial crystal and the o-ray path of the second uniaxial crystal is optically coupled with the e-ray path of the first uniaxial crystal;
and
a second and a third port optically coupled to an end face of the second uniaxial crystal for one of outputting a first beam of a first polarization state and a second beam of a second orthogonal polarization state in the forward direction and for launching the first beam of the first polarization state and the second beam of the second orthogonal polarization state into the polarization beam splitter/combiner in the reverse direction, wherein the polarization beam splitter/combiner provides selected relative optical path lengths for a first beam of the first polarization state and a second beam of the second orthogonal polarization state propagating therethrough.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Polarization beam splitter or combiner

Life of this patent

Polarization beam splitter or combiner

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20