Monolithic, linear glass polarizer and attenuator

• Main Authors: GAFSI RACHID, J. WANG
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 07.10.2015
• Subjects: DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF

The disclosure is directed to an element that is capable of acting as both an optical polarizer and an optical attenuator, thus integrating both functions into a single element. The element comprises a monolithic or one piece glass polarizer (herein also call the "substrate"), a multilayer " light attenuation or light attenuating " ("LA") coating that has been optimized for use at selected wavelengths and attenuations deposited on at least one polarizer facial surface, and a multilayer anti-reflective (AR) coating on top of the LA coating. The disclosure is further directed to an integrated optical isolator/attenuator comprising a first and a second polarizing elements and a Faraday rotator for rotating light positioned after the first polarizing element and before the second polarizing element, the integrated optical isolator/attenuator both polarizing and attenuation a light beam from a light source.