Thin film coated optical hybrid
AssigneeOptoplex Corporation
InventorYung-Chieh Hsieh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An absorptive coating is in contact with an optical beam splitter such that a signal beam and a reference beam incident on the beam splitter from opposite sides are can be combined to produce two interference beams having a phase difference of about π 2 .
Claims21
An optical hybrid, comprising:
- an optical beam splitter (BS) for combining a signal beam and a reference beam incident on said BS from opposite sides to produce a first interference beam and a second interference beam, wherein said first interference beam comprises a reflected portion of said signal beam and a transmitted portion of said reference beam, and wherein said second interference beam comprises a transmitted portion of said signal beam and a reflected portion of said reference beam;
- and
- a coating in contact with said BS to satisfy a phase matching condition, said coating comprising a material that absorbs a portion of said reference beam and a portion of said signal beam, wherein said phase matching condition is φr+φr′−2φt=±
- π
- 2
- ,
- where φr is the phase change of said reflected portion of said signal beam, where φr′ is the phase change of said reflected portion of said reference beam and where φt is phase change of said transmitted portion of said reference beam.
A method, comprising combining a signal beam and a reference beam incident on said a beam splitter (BS) from opposite sides to produce a first interference beam and a second interference beam, wherein said first interference beam comprises a reflected portion of said signal beam and a transmitted portion of said reference beam, and wherein said second interference beam comprises a transmitted portion of said signal beam and a reflected portion of said reference beam, wherein a coating is in contact with said BS to satisfy a phase matching condition, said coating comprising a material that absorbs a portion of said reference beam and a portion of said signal beam, wherein said phase matching condition is φr+φr′−2φt=±
- π
- 2
- ,
- where φr is the phase change of said reflected portion of said signal beam, where φr′ is the phase change of said reflected portion of said reference beam and where φt is phase change of said transmitted portion of said reference beam.
A method for making an optical hybrid, comprising:
- providing an optical beam splitter (BS) for combining a signal beam and a reference beam incident on said BS from opposite sides to produce a first interference beam and a second interference beam, wherein said first interference beam comprises a reflected portion of said signal beam and a transmitted portion of said reference beam, and wherein said second interference beam comprises a transmitted portion of said signal beam and a reflected portion of said reference beam;
- and
- contacting a coating with said BS to satisfy a phase matching condition, said coating comprising a material that absorbs a portion of said reference beam and a portion of said signal beam, wherein said phase matching condition is φr+φr′−2φt=±
- π
- 2
- ,
- where φr is the phase change of said reflected portion of said signal beam, where φr′ is the phase change of said reflected portion of said reference beam and where φt is phase change of said transmitted portion of said reference beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.