Patent ID: 6370285
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: G02B,H04B

Abstract:
An apparatus comprising:a polarization variable controller subjecting a plane of polarization of a polarized light to rotary control to change a ratio of P-polarized ray to S-polarized ray of the polarized light, to thereby output a polarization rotated polarized light, the polarized light being a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) light including a plurality of signal lights at different wavelengths multiplexed together; and a polarized light wavelength characteristic changing element having a wavelength characteristic such that transmittances or reflectances of P- and S-polarized rays vary differently with respect to the wavelengths of the signal lights and vary continuously over a range of the wavelengths, the polarization rotated polarized light output by the polarization variable controller being incident on the polarized light wavelength characteristic changing element and thereby being subject to said transmittances or reflectances.