Optically Tunable Polarization State of Propagating Light at 1550 nm in an Etched Single-Mode Fiber With Azo-Polymer Overlay

• Published in: IEEE photonics technology letters Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 170 - 172
• Main Authors: Tian, Xiujie, Cheng, Xusheng, Qiu, Weiwei, Luo, Yanhua, Zhang, Qijin, Zhu, Bing, Zou, Gang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.02.2011; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Azo-polymer; Birefringence; Conferences; etched fiber; Etching; evanescent wave; Fiber optics; Optical fiber communication; Optical fiber polarization; Optical fibers; Optical films; Optical polarization; photoinduced birefringence; Polarization; Polarized light; Propagation; Radiation effects
• ISSN: 1041-1135; 1941-0174
• DOI: 10.1109/LPT.2010.2096414

An optically tunable and rotatable polarization state of light at 1550 nm is achieved in an etched single-mode fiber (SMF) with azo-polymer overlay. The SMF is etched by hydrofluoric acid to access the evanescent field, and then immobilized by the azo-polymer. With irradiation of 435-nm polarized light, photoinduced orientation of the azo-polymer occurs, causing birefringence in the fiber, and finally makes the polarization state of the 1550-nm propagating light tunable. Changing the polarization directions of 435-nm polarized lights, the polarization state of 1550-nm propagating light is tuned from right-handed elliptically polarized light to left-handed elliptically polarized light.