Patent ID: 7382952

Claim:
A method of fabricating an optical polarizer comprising an optical waveguide having a core and a cladding, and a plurality of sections with periodically or quasi periodically varying birefringence, in or near the core for coupling light of a first polarization state out of the waveguide, while guiding light of a second polarization state therethrough substantially unaltered, wherein, in absence of microbending, an effective mode index varies between contiguous sections for the first polarization state, and not for the second polarization state, the method comprising the ordered steps of: a) providing a length of the optical waveguide having a longitudinal axis; b) applying an external stress transversely to the longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide in accordance with a desired change in birefringence; c) irradiating regions of the optical waveguide with radiation capable of photosensitively changing its index of refraction, while maintaining the applied stress so as to induce a desired change in birefringence in the waveguide regions; and, d) releasing the external stress applied to the optical waveguide.