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:
Feb. 23, 2010
Filed:
Sep. 28, 2005
Isabella T. Lewis, San Jose, CA (US);
Robert W. Kaliski, Boulder, CO (US);
Isabella T. Lewis, San Jose, CA (US);
Robert W. Kaliski, Boulder, CO (US);
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to a numerous user laser communications optical system. Numerous optical signals comprising a number of channels are simultaneously received and demultiplexed (and/or multiplexed and transmitted) at a numerous access communication device. The numerous access communication device may comprise multiple stages that each include a multiple order waveplate and a polarizing beam splitter. The multiple order waveplate is configured so that it retards a first electrical field component of signals corresponding to certain channels in a frequency grid in an integer multiple of wavelengths with respect to a second electrical field component, and retards a first electrical field component of signals corresponding to other channels in the frequency grid in an integer multiple of wavelengths plus one-half a wavelength with respect to a second electrical field component. Separation can then be performed on the basis of the resulting opposite polarization.