Lynn & Lynn
Cutoff polarizer and method
 The cladding and a portion of the core of apparatus of a length of optical fiber are removed to form an interaction region where the fiber will not guide a light wave. A metal thin layer placed on the exposed core and a portion of the cladding. Polarizations perpendicular to the metal film couple into the metal film to form a surface plasma wave that propagates parallel to the fiber while parallel polarizations radiate through the metal film. The surface plasma wave couples energy back into the fiber so that the throughput of the polarizer is only the perpendicular polarization component. A photodetector forms an error signal from the polarization radiated from the fiber, and control circuitry processes the error signal to drive a polarization controller that adjusts the polarization of light input to the polarizer to minimize the error signal and maximize the intensity of the desired polarization output from the polarizer. 
Litton Systems, Inc.
G G Y
G02F G02B Y10S
inventional inventional additional
Chin-Lung John R.
Chang Feth