POLARIZATION-INDEPENDENT OPTICAL ISOLATOR

摘要

[Problem] To provide a polarization-independent optical isolator in which a Faraday rotator and a magnet are reduced in size. [Solution] This polarization-independent optical isolator is provided with a pair of wedge-shaped birefringent crystal plates (1, 2) provided along a light path and a Faraday rotator (30) comprising a paramagnet provided along said light path between the wedge-shaped birefringent crystal plates. The angled light-transmission surfaces of the wedge-shaped birefringent crystal plates are parallel to each other, as are the non-angled light-transmission surfaces thereof, and said non-angled light-transmission surfaces face the Faraday rotator. This polarization-independent optical isolator is characterized in that the Faraday rotator comprises a paramagnet that has a parallelogram-shaped cross-section, the light entry/exit surfaces of which are not parallel to the non-angled light-transmission surfaces of the wedge-shaped birefringent crystal plates, and the right-angled parts (100) of the wedge-shaped birefringent crystal plates are on the same side of the central axis of the light path as the obtuse-angled parts (31) of the Faraday rotator.