The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 11, 1999
Filed:
Aug. 12, 1997
Robert M Payton, Portsmouth, RI (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling polarization, as one of a pair of erdependent light characteristics of an optical fiber, in response to a time dependent signal without the introduction of any significant variation in phase delay. A pair of transducers compress the optical fiber at spaced locations. When phase of energization of a first transducer in response to the time dependent signal is 180.degree. out-of-phase with the energization of the second transducer, the polarization shifts in response to the time dependent signal without any significant shift is phase delay. When the phases are in-phase, phase delay shifts in response to the time dependent signal without any significant shift in polarization. Multiple sets of transducers disposed along the optical fiber enable smooth variation of the controlled polarization or phase delay when a first transducer in each set is angularly displaced about the optical fiber by 45.degree. with respect to a first transducer in an adjacent set.