Optical isolator module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10962813-B2
Application number	US-201815972321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2018
Priority date	Jun 29, 2017
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

The present invention provides an optical isolator module, including: a plurality of optical devices, each comprising a Faraday rotator and being configured to have an optical isolator function upon application of a magnetic field, a magnet to apply the magnetic field to the Faraday rotator in each of the plurality of optical devices, wherein at least two optical devices of the plurality of optical devices are configured to have the optical isolator functions in different directions from each other, and each magnetic field applied with the magnet is in the same direction. This provides an optical isolator module that can be prevented from degradation of the performance such as increase of insertion loss and degradation of isolation due to magnetic field interference even when a plurality of optical isolators are close to each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical isolator module, comprising:
a plurality of optical devices, each comprising a polarizer and a Faraday rotator and each being configured to have an optical isolator function upon application of a magnetic field to the Faraday rotator, and
a magnet to apply the magnetic field to the Faraday rotator in each of the plurality of optical devices, wherein
at least two optical devices of the plurality of optical devices are disposed with respective optical axes in parallel and configured to have the optical isolator functions in opposite directions from each other,
each magnetic field applied with the magnet is in a same direction,
each of the plurality of optical devices is tilted in a same tilt direction and is configured such that an individual incident surface of the plurality of optical devices is tilted away from a plane that is perpendicular to a transmission direction of light, and
the magnet is a sole and plate-shaped magnet.

2. The optical isolator module according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the optical devices is two.

3. The optical isolator module according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical devices are set on a plane of a flat base, and a polarization direction of outgoing light in a forward direction is parallel to the plane of the flat base.

4. The optical isolator module according to claim 1 , wherein the optical isolator function allows light transmission in a direction and prevents light transmission opposite the direction.

Assignees

• Shinetsu Chemical Co

Inventors

• Watanabe Toshiaki

Classifications

• G02F2201/18

  parallel · CPC title

• G02F2201/16

  series; tandem · CPC title

• G02F1/093 Primary

  used as non-reciprocal devices, e.g. optical isolators, circulators (G02F1/0955 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02F2203/06

  Polarisation independent · CPC title