Patent ID: 6252711
Filing Date: 2001-06-26
Classification: G02B,H04J,Y10S

Abstract:
A birefringent filter comprisingan input optical apparatus for receiving an input optical beam and producing therefrom parallel first and second polarized optical beams offset in a first direction and having the same polarization;a birefringent filter for receiving the first and second polarized optical beams and producing therefrom a first and second elliptically polarized optical beams, each including first and second beam components having inversely varying intensities which vary periodically, over a predefined free-spectral range, with the frequency of the input optical beam; andan output optical apparatus for receiving the first and second elliptically polarized optical beams and for combining together the first beam components of the first and second elliptically polarized optical beams to form a first elliptical polarized output beam and for combining together the second beam components of the first and second elliptically polarized optical beams to form a second elliptical polarized output beam.