Patent ID: 6580842
Filing Date: 2003-06-17
Classification: G02B,Y10S

Abstract:
An integrated circulator device, comprising:an optical substrate; a waveguide pair including first and second laterally adjacent waveguides formed in said optical substrate, each of said first and second waveguides having a first section and a second section; first and second polarization multiplexers formed in said substrate, said first polarization multiplexer coupling said first sections of said waveguide pair and said second polarization multiplexer coupling said second sections of said waveguide pair, each of said polarization multiplexers being configured to split or combine entering light signals depending on the direction of propagation of said light signals; and a nonreciprocal polarization rotation element positioned in the optical paths of said first and second waveguides between said first and second sections of said waveguide pair, said nonreciprocal polarization rotation element being configured to rotate a polarization of optical signals passing from said second section to said first section while leaving substantially unchanged a polarization of optical signals passing from said first section to said second section.