Patent ID: 6288807
Filing Date: 2001-09-11
Classification: G02B,G02F,H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
An optical device that separates an input signal into a first output signal having a first spectral band and a second output signal having a second spectral band, wherein the first and second spectral bands are substantially complementary, the optical device comprising:a first element that spatially separates the input signal into a first beam and a second beam that have orthogonal polarizations;a wavelength filter having a polarization-dependent optical transmission function such that the first beam is decomposed into a third beam and a fourth beam and the second beam is decomposed into a fifth beam and a sixth beam, wherein the third beam and the fifth beam carry the first spectral band and the fourth beam and the sixth beam carry the second spectral band, and the third beam and the sixth beam have a first polarization and the fourth beam and the fifth beam have a second polarization that is orthogonal to the first polarization; anda second element(s) that combines the third beam and fifth beam to form the first output signal and combines the fourth beam and the sixth beam to form the second output signal.