摘要 |
An optical fiber that transforms light of undesired polarization into light of desired polarization. In principle, the signal power of the non-preferred polarization is transformed into signal power of the preferred polarization, thereby actually transforming the polarization. The fiber can have a circular end for input of light having randomly phased polarization, and an elongated end for output of light having a single principal orientation component. A generally smooth transition from the circular end to the elongated end causes substantially all the light entering the fiber to exit from the fiber without losing light due to reflection or radiation. Alternatively, the fiber can have a lobed end, for input of light having first and second mutually orthogonal polarization components, and an elongated end, for output of light having a single principal orientation component. Alternatively, the fiber can be a combination of the two forms described above. That is, the fiber can have a circular section that transforms first into a lobed section with increasing distance from the input port, with the lobed section then transforms into an elongated (e.g., elliptical or ovoid) section with increasing distance from the input port.
|