Patent ID: 6018412
Filing Date: 2000-01-25
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
A Faraday rotator comprising:a magneto-optic crystal supplied with an input beam;magnetic field application means for applying a magnetic field to the magneto-optic crystal such that the input beam is Faraday rotated in the magneto-optic crystal, said magnetic field including a first magnetic field vector having a first direction and a first strength and a second magnetic field vector having a second direction different from the first direction and a second strength, said first and second magnetic field vectors combining to form a resultant vector having a direction which is continuously variable through a specific range of 90.degree. by varying at least one of the first and second strengths; andcontrol means for varying at least one of the first and second strengths so that, as the direction of the resultant vector is varied through the specific range, the resulting vector maintains a strength which saturates a magnetization of the magneto-optic crystal.