Apparatus and methods for depolarizing polarized light in optical fibers and in free space
OwnerXiaotian Steve Yaoinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques and devices for depolaring polarized light by using one or more birefringent optical elements in the optical path of light to scramble the state of polarization of light. Examples of devices for coupling with a fiber or a fiber device, and their applications in various fiber environments are also described.
Claims41
1) A system to depolarize a beam of polarized light comprising:
- a first birefringent crystal wedge to receive the beam of polarized light at an input first surface, the first birefringent crystal wedge to output spatially depolarized light from an output surface.
8) A system to depolarize a beam of polarized light comprising:
- an array of birefringent crystal chips arranged to from a plane, each crystal chips having an optic axis oriented such that a substantial component of the optic axis is oriented perpendicular to the propagation direction of the beam of light being depolarized, each chip dimensioned to be substantially smaller than a cross section of the beam of polarized light.
15) A system to depolarize light from a fiber comprising;
- a collimating lens to collimate light from a first fiber,
- a depolarizing element to spatially depolarize the collimated light output by the collimating lens;
- and
- a focusing lens to focus the depolarized light output by the depolarizing element into a second fiber segment.
23) A method of depolarizing light comprising:
- collimating light output from an optical fiber segment into a polarized beam of light;
- depolarizing the beam of light by directing the beam of light through a birefringent crystal to generate a depolarized beam of light;
- and
- focusing the depolarized beam of light into a second optical fiber segment.
25) A method of forming a depolarizer comprising:
- forming a plurality of rods of birefringent material;
- bundling together the plurality of rods;
- and cutting a section of the bundled rods to form a plane of birefringent chips.
29) An optical fiber communication system comprising:
- a light source;
- a depolarizer to depolarize an output of the light source and output depolarized light;
- a modulator to modulate the depolarized light;
- and a receiver to receive an output of the modulator.
32) A communication system comprising:
- a plurality of depolarizers, each depolarizer to receive an output from a corresponding light source;
- a wavelength division multiplexer to combine the depolarized light outputs of the depolarizers;
- an electro-optic modulator to modulate the multiplexed signal.
36) A coherent heterodyne communication system comprising:
- a modulator to modulate a laser light signal;
- and
- a depolarizer to depolarize light output by the modulator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.