Mini Dynamic Polarisation Controller
In response to customer requests for low profile polarization controllers for system integration, General Photonics made a special effort to design this third generation polarization controller, the PolaRITE III, with significantly reduced height and size. The height reduction is especially advantageous for integration in test equipment, fibre sensors, fibre lasers and optical network modules. Due to a special athermal design, the temperature stability is also significantly improved over our early version PolaRITE II. As with our other PolaRITE products, the PolaRITE III's unique all fibre construction essentially eliminates insertion loss and back reflection. Combined with General Photonics’ miniature piezo driver card, it can be controlled either by a digital or analogue signal to obtain any desired polarization output from an arbitrary input polarization state.
Integrated PolaRite II/III with Miniature Piezo Driver
This module integrates a General Photonics all fibre dynamic polarization controller module with a MPD-001 miniature piezo driver card so that the SOP of the signal can be directly controlled either by a 0 to 5V analogue control signal or a 12-bit TTL digital control signal. No high voltage power supply is required, thanks to an on board HV DC/DC converter. For convenience, the card can be configured to accept either a ±12 volt power supply or an optional external 160-volt power supply (PWR-002 recommended). When working as polarization controller, the module can convert any input polarization states to any desired output polarization states. As a scrambler, it can randomise the output polarization state. The low insertion loss, low back reflection, and low activation loss of the module are important features for test and measurement applications, while the compact size is ideal for system integration or handheld devices.
4 Axis Polarization Scrambler Module
General Photonics’ 4-axis Polarization Scrambler Module uses a breakthrough all-fibre technology to effectively randomise polarization states. Depolarising by polarization scrambling has many important applications: Scrambling the input polarization can remove measurement uncertainties caused by the polarization sensitivity of the device under test. Performance degradation due to polarization-dependent-gain (PDG) induced in optical amplifiers can be suppressed by scrambling the State of Polarization (SOP). Polarization scrambling can also be used in systems to facilitate and simplify PMD monitoring. Based on a patented, award-winning all-fibre technology, the PCD-003 delivers superior performance with extremely low insertion loss, back reflection and residual phase and amplitude modulation. In addition, the total power consumption is typically less than 10W.
Polarization Scrambler Module with Microprocessor Controller
General Photonics’ Polarization Scrambler module uses a breakthrough all-fibre technology to effectively randomise polarization states. This module is designed to be easily plugged into sensor equipment or measurement instruments with minimal development effort. The PCD-005 is a more advanced version of our popular PCD-004 and PCD-003 modules. Its advanced digital circuitry delivers the uniform SOP distribution familiar to users of the earlier modules over a much wider operation temperature range, making it better suited for sensor field applications. The PCD-005 can be remote controlled via RS-232 to set the operation wavelength or enable/ disable the scrambling operation. While retaining dimensions and interfaces identical to those of the PCD-004, the PCD-005 delivers superior performance with extremely low insertion loss, back reflection, and residual phase and amplitude modulation
Miniature Polarization Scrambler Card
General Photonics’ miniature polarization scrambler module is designed specifically for hand held and field instruments. It uses fibre squeezer technology to effectively randomise polarization states. Unlike the PCD-003 and PCD-004, the scrambling rate of this miniature scrambler is user selectable from a few hertz to tens of kilohertz via a push-button switch. Its low power consumption, as low as half a watt, enables the module to be powered by batteries. Its miniature size (3”x4”x0.8”) makes it easy to be integrated in the tight spaces typical in handheld instruments. Finally, the scrambler has a superb scrambling uniformity enabled by an on board microprocessor and proprietary codes.
High Speed In-line Polarimeter
General Photonics’ in-line polarimeter is specially designed for low cost, high-speed polarization characterization without interrupting data traffic. It outputs four voltage signals for calculating both the degree of polarization (DOP) and the state of polarization (SOP) of the light passing through the device in microseconds. PolaDetect is ideal for integration into polarization monitoring and polarization stabilization modules, or into polarization characterization instruments. The preamplification board provides analogue signals for SOP/DOP calculation, feedback/control, and computer interface. A calibration matrix is provided with every device for this calculation. Devices without the preamplification board and calibration matrix are also available for OEM purposes. The output fibre can be either single mode or PM.
Polarization State Generator
General Photonics’ high-speed polarization state generator (PSG) module provides the ability to generate 6 states of polarization (-45°, 0°, 45°, 90°, RHC & LHC) across the Poincaré Sphere in less than 250 µs, with an impressive repeatability of less than 0.1 degrees. In addition, it comes as a compact module ideal for integration into systems that require precise generation of these 6 polarization states or precise 90° polarization rotation. Applications include Mueller matrix-based measurements, polarization OTDR, performance monitoring, and swept frequency component measurement systems. The PSG is easily controlled with a 6-bit TTL signal either from a microcontroller or a computer.
Polarization Controller, Pigtailed
This mini version of PolaRITE™ is conveniently pigtailed with or without connectors. It can be spliced to other components with a minimum loss and is ideal for controlling the polarization state of light in any single mode fibre optic systems. The compact, user-friendly device covers wide operation wavelength range.
Polarization Controller, Drop In
This is the in-line version of PolaRITETM. It can be inserted into a fibre optic system to control the polarization state of light without having to disconnect any part of the system. It can be used by simply inserting a length of fibre into the slot located on top of the device. The miniature version can be inserted in even tighter spaces in a fibre optical module
Polarization Controller, Connectorised
This is a fully connectorised polarization controller that comes with either male (PLC-005) or female (PLC-004) connectors, thus eliminating the headaches of fibre pigtails. Customers can use the bulkhead connectors of their choice. Although the unit comes with FC type connectors, it can interface with ST and SC type connectors with industry standard FC/ST or FC/SC adapters. The device is especially suitable for interconnecting polarization maintaining (PM) fibres using standard connectors without having to align the birefringent axes of the PM fibres. The improved design includes scales for easy replication of earlier settings, a feature highly desirable in laboratories for repeating polarization adjustments.
Reset-Free Polarization Tracker – PolaStay™
The PolaStay™ polarization tracker automatically adjusts the state of polarization (SOP) towards a reference SOP, counteracting continuous input SOP variations as fast as 0.9 ms with no resets. The reference SOP is determined by a feedback signal which can be provided either internally or externally. The internal feedback version (POS-002-I) consists of a fibre squeezer polarization controller, in-line polarization monitor, digital and analogue circuits, and proprietary algorithm. The error signal from the polarization monitor is fed back to the polarization controller to maintain a linear SOP at the output. The external feedback version (POS-002-E) replaces the internal polarization monitor with an external analogue electrical feedback signal of the user’s choice, such as a voltage proportional to the degree of polarization (DOP) measured by a polarimeter, the bit-error rate (BER) from a BER chip, the RF spectrum of a detected signal, or the optical power after a polariser. The output fibre can be either single mode fibre or PM fibre with the SOP aligned to its slow axis. This module can be used for PMD compensation, polarization division demultiplexing, elimination of polarization fading in coherent detection and fibre sensor systems, suppression of noise figure in optical amplifiers, and reduction of PDL effects.
Polarization Mode Dispersion Compensator- PMDBuster™
PMDBuster™ is a multi-stage PMD compensation module that can effectively eliminate impairments caused by all-order (1st, 2nd, and higher) PMD in 40Gbps or 100Gbps systems. The multi-stage approach has clear performance advantages over its single- or 1.5-stage counterparts. This OEM module is designed to be placed directly in front of a receiver to extend system PMD tolerance range and reduce PMD-induced system outage probability. With an ultra-low insertion loss of less than 2.5 dB, it can neutralize the effects of 1st order PMD up to 50 ps (17 ps mean) and 2nd order PMD up to 600 ps2. With General Photonics’ proprietary reset-free tracking algorithm, the module can track random SOP variations up to 40 p/s, and PMD variation of up to 150ps/s. RS-232 or I2C interface options are available for communication with network management equipment. PMDBuster™ eliminates the threat of PMD drift or bursts in fibre optic networks.
The PMDC-001 is designed for use as an OEM module. To facilitate evaluation and laboratory testing, a 1U, rack-mountable instrument version is available. The PMDC-102 contains up to two independently controllable PMDC-001 modules. It includes buttons and indicator LEDs for front panel control, analogue voltage DOP monitoring outputs to monitor the PMDC performance of each module, and a DC power adapter so that the instrument can be powered from a wall power supply
Miniature Polarization Scrambler Module
General Photonics’ miniature polarization scrambler module, the PSM- 002, is specially designed for integration into sensor and communication systems that may be subject to extreme environmental conditions. The module uses General Photonics’ patented fibre squeezer technology to effectively randomise polarization states. Unlike that of the PCD-005, the scrambling rate of this miniature scrambler is user selectable via an RS-232 command. Another attractive feature is that the scrambling function can also be enabled and disabled by a TTL trigger signal. The PSM-002 is available either as a standard board for lab use or fully enclosed in a water-tight enclosure for applications in high humidity environments. It also comes in either standard or extended operation temperature versions
Micro Polarization Controller/Scrambler Module
This OEM micro polarization controller/scrambler integrates General Photonics' all-fibre dynamic polarization control technology with miniature electronic drive/control circuitry into a compact, self-contained device that provides full polarization control functionality while minimizing volume, power consumption, and cost. Three different versions are available: polarization controller, continuous polarization scrambler, or random polarization scrambler.
In the polarization controller version, the state of polarization (SOP) of the output signal can be controlled via three analogue 0 to 5V control voltages.
The polarization scrambler version has two scrambling options available: random scrambling at a rate of up to 30 discrete points/s or smooth trace scrambling at a rate of up to 188 rad/s (60 p rad/s). Scrambling can be disabled with a 5-volt TTL high and enabled with a TTL low.
This module requires only ±12VDC power supplies, and its low power consumption enables use in battery-powered handheld devices.
Polarization Switch
General Photonics’ all solid-state polarization switch can quickly and repeatably rotate the SOP of incoming light by a fixed angle, either 45 or 90 degrees. Both single mode and PM fibre pigtailed versions are available. With the PM option, the device functions as a TE to TM converter, switching the SOP between being aligned with the slow and fast axes of the PM fibre, or between the slow axis and 45 degrees from the slow axis. With the SM option, the device simply rotates the polarization ellipse either 45 or 90 degrees. The device can be used for PMD monitoring, polarization modulation, polarization detection, and polarization metrology
