JP2016008983A - Polarization control element - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a polarization control element that can convert polarization having an arbitrary polarization plane into polarization having a specific polarization plane and emit the polarization and that has improved resistance against disturbance.SOLUTION: A polarization control element comprises a plurality of stabilization elements that includes: sensing and current generation parts for changing electric currents generated in accordance with the polarization of incident electromagnetic waves; magnetic field generation parts that generate magnetic fields in proportion to electric currents generated in the sensing and current generation parts; and media. The polarization control element also comprises a phase-difference generation part for generating a predetermined phase difference between linear polarization and horizontal polarization in polarization. The plurality of stabilization elements are arrayed in a line in moving directions of the electromagnetic waves. The magnetic generation parts are formed by loop conductors provided on flat surfaces vertical to the moving directions of the electromagnetic waves in the surfaces of or in the insides of the media.

Description

  The present invention relates to a light polarization control technique. For example, the present invention relates to a polarization control element that controls polarization when light passes through an optical element having polarization dependency in optical communication.

Light is a type of electromagnetic wave that propagates while oscillating orthogonal electric and magnetic fields. Assuming that the horizontal component of the electric field of the electromagnetic wave with respect to a certain axis is E _x and the vertical component is E _y , E _x and E _y are amplitudes E _0x and E _0y , wave number a, angular frequency ω, traveling direction coordinate z, time t The following (Equation 1) and (Equation 2) are shown using the phase difference ε.
E _x = E _0x cos (az−ωt) (Formula 1)
E _y = E _0y cos (az−ωt + ε) (Formula 2)

The polarization is a vibration state of the electric field obtained by combining (Equation 1) and (Equation 2) _, and is determined by the amplitudes E _{0x and} E _0y and the phase difference ε. When a plane including an electric field is an electric field vibration surface, a polarization whose electric field vibration surface is constant is called a linear polarization. The polarization in which the electric field vibration surface forms a spiral orbit is called elliptical polarization, and the one in which the projection of the electric field vibration surface in the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave is a circle is particularly called circular polarization. At this time, a plane formed by the long axis of the ellipse drawn by the projection of the electromagnetic wave in the traveling direction is the horizontal axis is defined as the plane of polarization. The polarization plane coincides with the electric field vibration plane of the electromagnetic wave, and when the polarization plane changes, the amplitude ratio E _0x / E _{0y of} E _x and E _y changes. Linearly polarized waves can be considered as having no short axis component of elliptically polarized waves.

  The optical fiber used in optical communications has a random fluctuation in the polarization plane and phase difference after passing through the fiber due to deviation from the true circle of the core or external stress, so the polarization of light emitted from the fiber is random. To change. Optical elements used in optical communication often have polarization dependency. For example, there are many optical elements such as liquid crystal elements and Si thin wire waveguides that generate losses unless they are linearly polarized waves having a specific polarization plane. In order to make these optical elements function, it is necessary to control the polarization of incident electromagnetic waves, and for this purpose, a polarizer or a Faraday rotator is used. For this purpose, wave plates and Faraday rotators are used.

  FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a wave plate according to the prior art. The wave plate 100 shown in FIG. 1 uses a birefringent crystal to change the phase difference ε of incident light, and is called a phaser. The wave plate 100 generates a phase difference due to the difference in refractive index between incident light and a component perpendicular to the optical axis 101 disposed on the incident surface of the wave plate 100. For example, as a material constituting the wave plate 100, quartz having birefringence with a refractive index difference of 0.01 with respect to 633 nm light can be used. In order to obtain the phase difference π in the wave plate 100, the thickness of the quartz may be 35 μm.

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a conventional Faraday rotator. As shown in FIG. 2, the Faraday rotator 200 is an element that rotates the plane of polarization by applying a constant magnetic field 202 to the element 201 in parallel with the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave. The rotation surface rotation amount θ in the Faraday rotator 200 is expressed by θ = vBl using the Verde constant v of the element, the magnetic field strength B, and the length l of the element. The element 201 is a magnetic body that transmits an electromagnetic wave at the frequency of the electromagnetic wave to be used. For example, yttrium iron garnet (YIG) is used. In order to obtain a rotation angle by rotating the polarization plane by 45 °, the thickness of YIG is about 1 mm. The Faraday rotator 200 can rotate the plane of polarization without blocking electromagnetic waves. On the other hand, since the rotation angle 203 is determined by the thickness of the element 201 and the applied magnetic field 202, only a certain rotation angle is added to the polarization plane of the incident electromagnetic wave, and the electromagnetic wave is emitted. A linearly polarized wave having a plane cannot always be converted into a linearly polarized wave having a constant electric field vibration plane and emitted.

The change of the polarization plane due to the wave plate and the Faraday rotator which are the prior art will be described using the Poincare sphere shown in FIG. The Poincare sphere corresponds to a point on a sphere having a radius of 1 as shown in FIG. For the Stokes parameters S ₀ , S ₁ , S ₂ , S ₃ representing the polarization, when the time change between the amplitudes E _0x and E _0y and the phase difference ε is sufficiently small, the electromagnetic wave intensity S ₀ = E _0x ² + E _0y ² is constant, and Stokes parameters S ₁ , S ₂ , and S ₃ are expressed by the following (Equation 3) to (Equation 5), respectively.
^{_{S 1 = E 0x 2 -E 0y}} 2 ( Equation 3)
_{S 2 = 2E 0x E 0y cosε} ( Equation 4)
_{S 3 = 2E 0x E 0y sinε} ( Equation 5)

For any E _0x , E _0y , ε, S ₁ ² + S ₂ ² + S ₃ ² = S ₀ ² holds. If S ₀ = 1, S ₁ , S ₂ , and S ₃ take values of −1 to ₁ , and a point having coordinates (S ₁ , S ₂ , S ₃ ) is on a Poincare sphere with a radius of 1 I understand that. In the Poincare sphere, each point corresponding to the Earth's north pole-south pole represents a circularly polarized wave of clockwise-counterclockwise, equatorial represents linear polarization, that intersects the S ₁ axis, respectively horizontal and vertical straight line Represents polarization. Converting a polarized wave having an arbitrary polarization plane into a polarized wave having a specific polarization plane and emitting the same means that the polarized waves are collected at an arbitrary point on the Poincare sphere.

As shown in FIG. 3 (b), changes the optical axis by parallel wave plate in the x-axis or y-axis is represented by rotation to the S ₁ and the shaft. In the wave plate, the amount of polarization rotation on the Poincare sphere is determined by the birefringence and thickness of the wave plate. When a wave plate is used, the polarization state can move only on a circle where the Poincare sphere and a plane perpendicular to the S ₁ axis intersect. Therefore, the polarization cannot be collected at any one point. It is impossible to convert the polarized wave having the polarization into a polarized wave having a specific polarization plane and output the polarized wave.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, the polarization plane rotation by the Faraday rotator corresponds to changing the amplitudes E _0x and E _0y while fixing the phase difference ε, and therefore, the S ₃ axis of the Poincare sphere. It is represented by a rotating orbit centered at. The amount of rotation of the Faraday rotator on the Poincare sphere is determined by the Verde constant, magnetic field, and thickness of the Faraday rotator. Similarly to the wave plate, the Faraday rotator cannot collect polarized light at an arbitrary point, and therefore cannot convert polarized light having an arbitrary polarization plane into polarized light having a specific polarization plane. .

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 (d), even when a combination of a wave plate and a Faraday rotator is considered, the polarization plane rotation amount and the phase difference are always constant, so that the polarization can be arbitrarily set on the Poincare sphere. Therefore, it is impossible to convert a polarized wave having an arbitrary polarization plane into a polarized wave having a specific polarization plane and output the polarized wave. When the wave plate and the Faraday rotator are combined, the change in the polarization state when the constant polarization plane rotation θ and the phase difference φ are generated is centered on the vector represented by the following (Equation 6). Represented by rotation.

Yoshiharu Ozaki, Toshimitsu Asakura, “Hect Optics II-Wave Optics”, 4th edition, Maruzen Co., Ltd., October 5, 2005, p. 104-111, 124-128

  The present invention collects a polarized wave at one point while spirally rotating on a Poincare sphere, thereby converting a polarized wave having an arbitrary polarization plane into a polarized wave having a specific polarization plane and emitting it. In addition to the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a polarization control element with improved resistance to disturbance.

  In order to solve the above problem, the polarization control element according to claim 1 is connected to a sensing / current generating unit that changes a current generated according to the polarization of an incident electromagnetic wave, and the sensing / current generating unit. A plurality of stable units including a magnetic field generating unit that generates a magnetic field proportional to the current generated by the sensing / current generating unit, and a medium in which the sensing / current generating unit and the magnetic field generating unit are provided on or inside the surface. And a phase difference generating unit that generates a predetermined phase difference that is not an integral multiple of 2π between the vertical polarization and the horizontal polarization of the electromagnetic wave, and the plurality of stabilizers are configured to propagate the electromagnetic wave. The magnetic field generator is formed of a loop-shaped conductor provided on a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction of electromagnetic waves on the surface or inside of the medium.

  The polarization control element according to claim 2 is the polarization control element according to claim 1, wherein the phase difference generation unit generates a magnetic field having a magnetic field component perpendicular to a traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave. The phase difference is generated by applying to the medium.

  The polarization control element according to claim 3 is the polarization control element according to claim 1, wherein the phase difference generation unit has a magnetic field component perpendicular to a traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave and a horizontal magnetic field component. By generating a magnetic field and applying it to the medium, the phase difference is generated, and a constant polarization plane rotation is further generated in the polarization.

  The polarization control element according to claim 4 is the polarization control element according to claim 1, wherein the phase difference generation unit is a phase shifter, and the stabilizer and the phase shifter travel light. It is characterized by being arranged alternately with respect to the direction.

  The polarization control element according to claim 5 is the polarization control element according to claim 4, and further includes a polarization plane rotation generation unit that generates a magnetic field that generates a constant polarization plane rotation in the polarization. The polarization control element according to claim 4.

  The polarization control element according to claim 6 is the polarization control element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the phase difference generation unit generates a magnetic field using a permanent magnet or a coil. It is characterized by.

  The polarization control element according to claim 7 is the polarization control element according to claim 5, wherein the polarization plane rotation generation unit generates a magnetic field using a permanent magnet or a coil. .

  According to the present invention, light is incident on a plurality of stabilizers according to the present invention, and the rotation of the polarization plane proportional to the square of the vertical component of the amplitude of the electromagnetic wave and the constant phase difference are repeatedly applied to the light. The polarized light can be collected at one point while rotating spirally on the Poincare sphere. Further, since the movement path on the Poincare sphere is a spiral trajectory, it is possible to improve resistance to disturbance. Furthermore, since the stable point can be manipulated by setting a state in which a constant polarization plane rotation is applied, the number of stabilizers necessary to collect the polarized light at the stable point can be reduced.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the wave plate which is a prior art. It is a figure which shows the structure of the Faraday rotator which is a prior art. It is a figure for demonstrating the change of the polarization plane by the Faraday rotator which is a prior art using a Poincare sphere. It is a figure which shows the structure of the stabilizer which concerns on a reference example. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a stabilizer. It is a figure which shows the stabilizer group which arranged multiple stabilizers. It is a figure for demonstrating the change of the polarization when a vertical polarization passes the stabilizer group shown in FIG. 6 using a Poincare sphere. It is a figure which shows the structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the specific structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the specific structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the specific structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the change of the polarization when a vertically polarized wave passes the polarization control element which concerns on Example 1 of this invention using a Poincare sphere. It is a figure which shows the structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 3 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 4 of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the specific structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 4 of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the specific structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 4 of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the change of the polarization when a vertical polarization passes the polarization control element concerning Example 4 of this invention using a Poincare sphere. It is a figure which shows the structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 5 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 6 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the specific structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 6 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the polarization control element which concerns on Example 7 of this invention. It is a figure which illustrates the composition of the stabilizer using a solid ring.

(Reference example)
FIG. 4 shows a configuration of a stabilizer according to a reference example. FIG. 4 shows a sensing / current generation unit 402 that changes a current generated according to the polarization of an incident electromagnetic wave, and is connected to the sensing / current generation unit 402 and is proportional to the current generated in the sensing / current generation unit 402. A stabilizer 400 is shown that includes a magnetic field generator 403 that generates the generated magnetic field, and a sensing / current generator 402 and a medium 401 provided with the magnetic field generator 403 on or inside the surface.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the stabilizer 400 according to the reference example, the magnetic field generation unit 403 is configured by a loop-shaped conductor provided on a plane perpendicular to the incident direction of the electromagnetic wave inside the medium 401, and the magnetic field generation unit A sensing / current generating unit 402 is connected to both ends of a loop-shaped conductor constituting 403. When the electromagnetic wave passes through the loop of the magnetic field generation unit 403, a magnetic field parallel to the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave can be generated according to the polarization of the electromagnetic wave, and the incident electromagnetic wave has a rotation angle that varies depending on the plane of polarization. Join.

The magnetic field generated by the stabilizer will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 shows a specific configuration example of the stabilizer. FIG. 5 shows a stabilizer in which a sensing / current generating unit 502 and a magnetic field generating unit 503 made of a ring-shaped conductor arranged on a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction of electromagnetic waves are arranged on the surface of or inside the medium 501. 500 is illustrated. Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 5, the z-axis is taken in the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave, and the x-axis and the y-axis are taken in a plane perpendicular to the propagation direction. Among the electric field component of the electromagnetic wave, and the horizontal component E _x with respect to the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave, and the vertical component E _y component perpendicular to the horizontal component E _x.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the magnetic field generation unit 503 is configured by a ring-type conductor. The positive electrode of the sensing / current generating unit 502 is connected to one end of a loop-shaped ring conductor constituting the magnetic field generating unit 503, and the negative electrode of the sensing / current generating unit 502 is connected to the other end.

FIG. 5B is a plan view of the sensing / current generating unit 502 viewed from the side on which the electromagnetic wave is incident. As shown in FIG. 5B, as the sensing / current generating unit 502, for example, a photoelectric conversion element 505 whose surface on which an electromagnetic wave is incident is covered with a polarizer 504 can be used. Since the polarizer 504 transmits the vertical component E _y and blocks the horizontal component E _x , the photoelectric conversion element 505 converts the electromagnetic wave into a direct current proportional to the amplitude E _0y ² . As the photoelectric conversion element 505, for example, a photodiode (PD) can be used, and a positive electrode and a negative electrode are taken out.

Consider a case where an electromagnetic wave having the same diameter as the ring-type conductor is incident on the stabilizer 500. As shown in FIG. 5C, a part of the electromagnetic wave incident on the stabilizer 500 enters the sensing / current generation unit 502. The photoelectric conversion element 505 of the sensing / current generation unit 502 generates a direct current 506 proportional to the amplitude E _0y ² of the electromagnetic wave incident via the polarizer 504. As shown in FIG. 5D, the direct current 506 generates a magnetic field 507 parallel to the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave in the magnetic field generator 503. The electromagnetic wave incident on the stabilizer 500 is subjected to the Faraday effect by the magnetic field 507 and the plane of polarization rotates. Therefore, the stabilizer 500 generates θ = kE _0y ² where k is the proportionality coefficient and θ is the amount of polarization plane rotation.

A change in polarization by the stabilizer 500 will be described using a Poincare sphere. The electric field amplitude E _0y is expressed by the following (formula 7) using the values of S ₀ and S ₁ of the Poincare sphere.
E _0y ² = (S ₀ −S ₁ ) / 2 = (1−S ₁ ) / 2 (Formula 7)
From (Expression 7), the generated polarization plane rotation amount θ is expressed by the following (Expression 8).
θ (S ₁ ) = k (1−S ₁ ) / 2 (Formula 8)

From (Equation 8), it is possible to generate a larger polarization plane rotation as it is closer to S ₁ = −1 which is a vertical linear polarization, and to generate a smaller polarization plane rotation as it is closer to S ₁ = 1 which is a horizontal linear polarization. Recognize. Polarization plane rotation is represented by a rotation trajectory around S ₃ of the Poincare sphere in order to correspond to changing the amplitudes E _0x and E _0y while fixing the phase difference ε.

For example, the change in polarization when vertical polarization (S ₁ = −1) passes through a stabilizer group 600 in which a plurality of stabilizers 500 _{1 to} 500 _n are arranged in the traveling direction of electromagnetic waves as shown in FIG. This will be described using the Poincare sphere shown in FIG. If vertical polarization passes through the stable element 500 _1, as shown in FIG. 7, the polarization is rotated over the Poincare sphere toward the S _{1 =} 1 from S _{1 =} -1 to S ₃ axis. Continuing polarization passes through the stable element 500 _2, but is smaller S ₃ around the axis rotation of the polarization, further closer to S _{1 =} 1. By repeating this change, gradually approaches S _{1 =} 1, since S 1 _{= 1} and the vertical component of the electromagnetic wave upon reaching disappears, a stable state of polarization state does not change (hereinafter, stable on the Poincare sphere The point that becomes the state is the stable point). For this reason, the stabilizer group 600 can convert a linearly polarized wave having an arbitrary polarization plane into a horizontally polarized wave.

However, the above-mentioned stabilizer can convert a linearly polarized wave having an arbitrary polarization plane into a linearly polarized wave having a specific polarization plane, but an ellipse having a phase difference between the vertically polarized wave and the horizontally polarized wave. The polarization could not be converted to a specific polarization. Further, in the above-described stabilizer, the polarization can be controlled only on the circle where the S ₁ -S ₂ plane of the Poincare sphere and the Poincare sphere intersect, and the polarization cannot be freely moved on the Poincare sphere. Furthermore, since the above-mentioned stabilizer rotates the linearly polarized wave in one direction on the Poincare sphere and collects it at one point, the polarized wave starts rotating again when it passes through the stable point due to the disturbance. There was no.

Example 1
The configuration of the polarization control element according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 shows a sensing / current generation unit 802 that changes the current generated according to the polarization of the incident electromagnetic wave, and is connected to the sensing / current generation unit 802, and is proportional to the current generated in the sensing / current generation unit 802. A magnetic field generating unit 803 that generates a magnetic field, a stabilizer group including a plurality of stabilizers including a medium 801 provided on the surface or inside of the sensing / current generating unit 802 and the magnetic field generating unit 803, and the inside or the vicinity of the medium 801 A polarization control element 800 including a phase difference generation unit 804 that generates a phase difference between vertical polarization and horizontal polarization is shown. The phase difference generation unit 804 can control the phase difference between the vertical polarization and the horizontal polarization.

  By repeatedly passing the electromagnetic wave through the polarization control element of the present invention, it is possible to give a constant phase difference while changing the polarization rotation amount according to the vertical component of the incident electromagnetic wave. Therefore, any polarization can be collected at one point while spirally rotating on the Poincare sphere, and even if it passes through a stable point due to the influence of disturbance, it can be collected again at one point. Resistance to disturbance can be improved.

  A specific configuration of the polarization control element according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, consider the case where the electromagnetic wave 901 passes through the medium 902 as shown in FIG. When a magnetic field 903 is applied to the medium 902 in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of light, uniaxial anisotropy of the refractive index due to the magnetic field 903 is generated, so that an optical axis 904 is formed in the medium 902. For this reason, a phase difference occurs in a component perpendicular to the component parallel to the optical axis 904. Such a positional relationship between the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave 901 and the direction of the magnetic field 903 is referred to as a forked arrangement, and the effect of causing a phase difference is referred to as a cotton mouton effect. In this embodiment, the phase difference generation unit can generate a phase difference by applying a magnetic field 903 to the medium 902 in a direction perpendicular to the light traveling direction.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, by applying a magnetic field 1003 perpendicular to the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave 1001 to a stabilizer group 1000 in which a plurality of stabilizers 1004 using PDs are arranged in the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave, Consider a case where the horizontally polarized wave 1002 is emitted. For example, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, a uniform magnetic field 1003 perpendicular to the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave 1001 can be generated by using a permanent magnet as the phase difference generating unit. . FIG. 11 shows an example of a polarization control element according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 11A shows an example in which a phase difference generating unit is configured using two permanent magnets 1005, and a stabilizer group 1000 is provided between the two permanent magnets 1005. FIG. 11B shows an example in which a phase difference generating unit is configured using a cylindrical permanent magnet 1006, and a stabilizer group 1000 is provided inside the cylindrical permanent magnet 1006.

  Needless to say, the permanent magnet may be of any shape, number, or material as long as the magnetic field component perpendicular to the light traveling direction and the magnetic field component parallel to the traveling direction generate a constant magnetic field. Here, in the configuration of FIG. 11A, the permanent magnet 1005 is arranged in the direction in which the incident electromagnetic wave is emitted. However, in practice, the electromagnetic wave is incident on the stabilizer group 1000 so as to avoid the permanent magnet 1005. This is done with a lens system.

Each time the light incident on the stabilizer group 1000 passes through the stabilizer 1004, it receives a polarization plane rotation amount θ proportional to the vertical component of the electric field by the stabilizer 1004 and a constant phase difference φ by the phase difference generator, and is polarized. Wave state changes. The change in polarization at this time will be described using the Poincare sphere shown in FIG. The change in the polarization state is expressed by rotation about the vector obtained by substituting the polarization plane rotation given in (Equation 8) above and a constant phase difference into (Equation 6) above. The amount of polarization rotation generated in the stabilizer 1004 is not constant due to the change in the vertical component of the incident electromagnetic wave, and the rotation axis changes for each stabilizer 1004 from (Equation 6) due to the change in the polarization rotation amount θ. Unlike the cases 3 (b) to (d), the polarization does not draw a closed orbit on the Poincare sphere as shown in FIG. For this reason, the polarization moves spirally on the Poincare sphere toward S ₁ = 1 where θ gradually decreases, and converges to one point. Therefore, by applying a magnetic field 1003 to the stabilizer group 1000, a polarized wave having an arbitrary polarization plane can be converted into a horizontal polarized wave and emitted.

  Here, when the phase difference φ generated in the phase difference generation unit is φ = 2π × n (n = 0, 1, 2,...), The polarization goes around the Poincare sphere and reaches the same point. Since it does not converge to one point, it is necessary not to make the phase difference φ = 2π × n generated in the phase difference generator. The same applies to the following embodiments.

(Example 2)
The configuration of the polarization control element according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the polarization control element according to the first embodiment, a permanent magnet is used as the phase difference generation unit. However, in the polarization control element according to the second embodiment, a coil 1310 is used as the phase difference generation unit as shown in FIG. The stabilizer group 1000 is provided in the coil 1310. The coil 1310 can apply a magnetic field 1301 perpendicular to the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave to the stabilizer 1000.

  In the polarization control element according to the second embodiment, similarly to the polarization control element according to the second embodiment, a polarization having an arbitrary polarization plane that has passed through the stabilizer group 1000 is converted into a horizontal polarization and emitted. Can do. Since the magnetic field 1301 generated by the phase difference generator can be controlled by the voltage applied to the coil 1310, the generated phase difference can be easily controlled.

(Example 3)
The configuration of the polarization control element according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the polarization control elements according to the first and second embodiments, the phase difference generating unit is configured by applying a magnetic field to the medium. However, in the polarization control element according to the third embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. The phase shifter 1402 is an element that changes the phase difference such as the above.

  In the polarization control element according to the third embodiment, a constant phase difference φ is generated by alternately arranging the stabilizers 1401 and the phasers 1402 constituting the stabilizer group 1400 in the light traveling direction. A polarized wave having a wavefront can be converted into a horizontally polarized wave and emitted. The phase shifter 1402 is disposed so that the optical axis is parallel to the x-axis or the y-axis. The phase shifter 1402 may have any material and shape as long as it has a uniaxial optical axis and generates a phase difference.

Example 4
The configuration of the polarization control element according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 15, a sensing / current generation unit 1502, a magnetic field generation unit 1503, and a stabilizer group including a plurality of stabilizers including a medium 1501 provided with the sensing / current generation unit 1502 and the magnetic field generation unit 1503 on or inside the surface. A polarization control element 1500 including a phase difference / polarization plane rotation generator 1504 that generates a constant phase difference and generates a constant rotation in the polarization plane, which is provided in or near the medium 1501. ing. In the polarization control element according to the above-described embodiment, a polarization having an arbitrary polarization plane is converted into a horizontally polarized wave with no polarization rotation, and is emitted. However, in the polarization control element 1500 according to the fifth embodiment, an arbitrary polarization is generated. By applying a constant polarization plane rotation generated by the phase difference / polarization plane rotation generator 1504 to the polarized wave having the wavefront, it can be converted into a polarized wave whose stable point is determined and emitted.

  A specific configuration of the polarization control element according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 16, a case is considered where a horizontal magnetic field 1602 is emitted by applying a magnetic field 1603 to a stabilizer group 1600 in which a plurality of stabilizers 1604 using PDs are arranged in the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave 1601. At this time, a magnetic field 1603 having a component perpendicular to the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave 1601 and a component parallel to the traveling direction is generated by the phase difference / polarization plane rotation generating unit.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, a magnetic field 1603 can be generated by using a permanent magnet 1605 as a phase difference / polarization plane rotation generator. FIG. 17A shows an example in which a phase difference / polarization plane rotation generator is configured using two permanent magnets 1605, and a stabilizer group 1600 is provided between the two permanent magnets 1605. . FIG. 17B shows an example in which a phase difference / polarization plane rotation generator is configured using a cylindrical permanent magnet 1606, and a stabilizer group 1600 is provided inside the cylindrical permanent magnet 1606. Yes. Needless to say, the permanent magnet may be of any shape, number and material as long as the vertical component and the parallel component in the direction of light generate a constant magnetic field.

Due to the traveling direction parallel component of the magnetic field 1603, a constant polarization plane rotation θ ₀ is added to the polarization every time it passes through the stabilizer 1604 using the PD. The change in polarization at this time will be described using the Poincare sphere shown in FIG. The change in the polarization state is expressed by rotation about the vector obtained by substituting the polarization plane rotation amount θ and the phase difference φ shown in (Expression 8) into (Expression 3).

As shown in FIG. 18, in the polarization control element according to the fourth embodiment, in addition to the polarization plane rotation that fluctuates depending on the vertical component of the electromagnetic wave generated by the stabilizer, the phase difference / polarization plane rotation generator generates a constant phase difference. And polarization plane rotation is also applied. For this reason, since the stable point fluctuates due to the constant polarization plane rotation generated by the phase difference / polarization plane rotation generation unit, the stable point is not a horizontal linearly polarized wave but an elliptically polarized wave. Therefore, other than S ₁ = 1 This is the stable point. Here, since S 1 _{= 1} near polarization rotation amount is small, the ability to in point stable point other than S 1 _{= 1,} the above described the number of necessary stability child to collect polarized in one point It can be reduced as compared with the polarization control elements according to Examples 1 to 3. Also, by changing the angle of the stabilizer group 1600 with respect to the magnetic field 1603, the intensity ratio between the traveling direction magnetic field and the vertical direction magnetic field can be easily changed.

(Example 5)
The configuration of the polarization control element according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the polarization control element according to the fourth embodiment, a permanent magnet is used as the phase difference / polarization plane rotation generating unit. However, in the polarization control element according to the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. A coil 1910 is used as the generator, and a stabilizer group 1600 is provided in the coil 1910.

In the polarization control element according to the fifth embodiment, similarly to the polarization control element according to the fourth embodiment, a polarization having an arbitrary polarization plane that has passed through the stabilizer group 1600 is converted into a polarization having a specific polarization plane. And can be emitted. Further, in the polarization control element according to the fifth embodiment, unlike the polarization control elements according to the first to third embodiments, points other than S ₁ = 1 are stable points, as in the fourth embodiment. The number of stabilizers required to collect the polarization at one point can be reduced as compared with the polarization control elements according to the first to third embodiments. Further, by changing the angle of the stabilizer group 1600 with respect to the magnetic field 1901, the intensity ratio between the parallel component in the traveling direction of the magnetic field and the vertical component can be easily changed. Furthermore, since the generated magnetic field can be controlled by the voltage applied to the coil 1910, the generated phase difference and the absolute value of the polarization plane rotation can be easily manipulated.

(Example 6)
The configuration of the polarization control element according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the polarization control elements according to the fourth and fifth embodiments, the phase difference / polarization plane rotation generation unit is realized by a magnetic field having both the traveling direction and the vertical direction of the electromagnetic wave. Then, phase difference generation is achieved using a phase shifter, and polarization plane rotation generation is achieved using a light traveling direction magnetic field.

  As shown in FIG. 20, a case is considered where a magnetic field 2003 is applied to a stabilizer group 2000 in which two or more stabilizers 2004 and phase shifters 2005 using PD are alternately arranged in the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave 2001. At this time, in addition to generating polarization plane rotation that fluctuates depending on the vertical component of the electromagnetic wave generated by the stabilizer, a constant polarization plane rotation is further generated by an external magnetic field parallel to the traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave 2001. In the stabilizer group 2000, a constant phase difference is generated by the phaser 2005.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B, a magnetic field 2103 can be generated by using a permanent magnet as the polarization plane rotation generator. FIG. 21A shows an example in which polarization plane rotation is generated using two permanent magnets 2105, and a stabilizer group 2000 is provided between the two permanent magnets 2105. FIG. 21B shows an example in which a constant polarization plane rotation is generated using a cylindrical permanent magnet 2106, and a stabilizer group 2000 is provided inside the cylindrical permanent magnet 2106. Needless to say, the permanent magnet may be of any shape, number, or material as long as it generates a constant magnetic field in the light traveling direction.

According to the polarization control element according to the sixth embodiment, it is possible to convert a polarization having an arbitrary polarization plane into a polarization 2202 having a specific polarization plane, as in the above-described embodiment. Unlike the polarization control elements according to the first to third embodiments, a point other than S ₁ = 1 is a stable point. Therefore, the number of stabilizers necessary for collecting the polarization into one point is determined as the first to third embodiments. It can be changed as compared with the polarization control element according to.

(Example 7)
A polarization control element according to Example 7 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the sixth embodiment, a constant magnetic field is applied in the traveling direction of light using a permanent magnet. In this embodiment, a constant polarization is generated by generating a magnetic field 2203 using a coil 2210 as shown in FIG. Generate rotation. In addition to generating polarization plane rotation that varies depending on the vertical component of the electromagnetic wave generated by the stabilizer, the stabilizer group 2000 has constant polarization plane rotation and a constant phase difference due to an external magnetic field parallel to the light traveling direction. Will occur.

According to the polarization control element according to the seventh embodiment, similarly to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to convert a polarization having an arbitrary polarization plane into a polarization having a specific polarization plane. Unlike the polarization control elements according to the first to third embodiments, a point other than S ₁ = 1 is a stable point. Therefore, the number of stabilizers necessary for collecting the polarization into one point is determined as the first to third embodiments. It can be changed as compared with the polarization control element according to. Since the generated magnetic field can be controlled by the voltage applied to the coil 2210, the generated polarization plane rotation amount can be easily manipulated.

The medium used in the polarization control element according to the present invention is preferably a material that transmits electromagnetic waves and has a large Verde constant, such as YIG (Verde constant ν is 1.9 deg / A). Crown glass (Verde constant) ν may be 4 × 10 ⁻⁴ deg / A) or nitrogen (Verde constant ν is 1.3 × 10 ⁻⁷ deg / A), and the material is not limited.

  In the above embodiment, a stabilizer using PD is described as an example. However, as shown in FIG. 23, a three-dimensional metal split ring resonator 2302 made of a metal wire is provided on the surface or inside of the medium 2301. It goes without saying that a stabilizer 2300 using a ring may be used.

Wave plate 100
Faraday rotator 200
Polarization control element 800, 1500 medium 401, 501, 801, 902, 1501, 2301
Sensing / current generator 402, 502, 802, 1502
Magnetic field generator 403, 503, 803, 1503
Polarizer 504
Photoelectric conversion element 505
Stabilizer group 600, 1000, 1400, 1600, 2000
Phase difference generator 804
Stabilizer 400, 500, 1004, 1401, 1604, 2004, 2300
Permanent magnet 1005, 1006, 1605, 1606, 2105, 2106
Coil 1310, 1910, 2210
Phaser 1402, 2005
Phase difference / polarization plane rotation generator 1504
Metal split ring resonator 2302

Claims (7)

A sensing / current generator that changes the current generated according to the polarization of the incident electromagnetic wave;
A magnetic field generating unit connected to the sensing / current generating unit and generating a magnetic field proportional to the current generated in the sensing / current generating unit;
A medium in which the sensing / current generating unit and the magnetic field generating unit are provided on the surface or inside;
A plurality of stabilizers including
A phase difference generating unit that generates a predetermined phase difference that is not an integer multiple of 2π between the vertically polarized wave and the horizontally polarized wave in the electromagnetic wave;
With
The plurality of stabilizers are arranged side by side in the traveling direction of electromagnetic waves,
The polarization control element, wherein the magnetic field generation unit is formed of a loop-shaped conductor provided on a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction of electromagnetic waves on the surface or inside of the medium.   2. The bias according to claim 1, wherein the phase difference generation unit generates the phase difference by generating a magnetic field having a magnetic field component perpendicular to a traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave and applying the magnetic field to the medium. Wave control element.   The phase difference generating unit generates a phase difference by generating a magnetic field having a magnetic field component perpendicular to a traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave and a horizontal magnetic field component and applying the magnetic field component to the medium, and is constant in the polarization. The polarization control element according to claim 1, further generating polarization plane rotation. The phase difference generator is a phaser,
The polarization control element according to claim 1, wherein the stabilizer and the phase shifter are alternately arranged with respect to a traveling direction of light.   The polarization control element according to claim 4, further comprising a polarization plane rotation generation unit that generates a magnetic field that generates a constant polarization plane rotation in the polarization.   The polarization control element according to claim 1, wherein the phase difference generation unit generates a magnetic field using a permanent magnet or a coil.   The polarization control element according to claim 5, wherein the polarization plane rotation generation unit generates a magnetic field using a permanent magnet or a coil.

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