Patent ID: 7170921

Claim:
An optical attenuator comprising: at least one polarizing element having an optical polarization axis, wherein the polarizing element transmits a portion of an incident light signal proportional to the angular difference between an optical polarization axis of the incident light signal and that of the polarizing element; and a variable faraday rotator including: a semi-transparent material, wherein the semi-transparent material has a substantially cylindrical shape having a central axis; a magnetic material for applying a magnetic force to a light signal that is passed through the semi-transparent material, wherein the magnetic material is wrapped around an outer perimeter of the semi-transparent material; and a conductive wire disposed around at least a portion of the semi-transparent material and configured to induce a magnetic field on the magnetic material when a current is passed through the conductive wire, wherein the conductive wire is wrapped around an outer perimeter of the magnetic material.