US 12,007,631 B2
Polarization scrambler using a retardance element
Joshua Philipson, Ottawa (CA); Christopher Russell Wagner, Kanata (CA); and Luis Andre Neves Paiva Fernandes, Maia (PT)
Assigned to VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC., Chandler, AZ (US)
Filed by VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC., Chandler, AZ (US)
Filed on Jul. 26, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/359,678.
Application 18/359,678 is a continuation of application No. 17/979,114, filed on Nov. 2, 2022, granted, now 11,754,862.
Application 17/979,114 is a continuation of application No. 16/436,481, filed on Jun. 10, 2019, granted, now 11,526,035, issued on Dec. 13, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0019721 A1, Jan. 18, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G02F 1/01 (2006.01); G02B 3/00 (2006.01); G02B 6/27 (2006.01); H04B 10/2569 (2013.01); H04B 10/532 (2013.01); H04J 14/06 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/0136 (2013.01) [G02B 3/0087 (2013.01); G02B 6/2786 (2013.01); H04B 10/2569 (2013.01); H04B 10/532 (2013.01); H04J 14/06 (2013.01); G02F 1/0139 (2021.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A polarization scrambler comprising:
an optical fiber input to receive an optical signal;
a beam expander to expand the optical signal from the optical fiber input into an expanded optical signal;
a patterned retarder to receive the expanded optical signal from the beam expander and provide a polarization scrambling effect on the expanded optical signal to create a scrambled expanded optical signal;
a motor arm to move the patterned retarder in and out of an optical path of the expanded optical signal in at least one of an x-, y-, or z-plane to improve the polarization scrambling effect of the patterned retarder;
a beam reducer to reduce the scrambled expanded optical signal from the patterned retarder into a scrambled optical signal; and
an optical fiber output to transmit the scrambled optical signal from the beam reducer to a downstream component.