Low loss fibre optic polarisers using differentialcouplingto dielectric waveguide overlays

Abstract

An investigation of the polarisation properties of fibre to planar waveguide coupling devices is reported. The results show that, for thin asymmetrically bound planar waveguide overlays, waveguide birefringence alone is sufficient for the realisation of polarisers. For a vacuum deposited zinc sulphide overlay a TE/TM extinction ratio of 35 dB was measured with a loss of 0.17 dB for the transmitted TE mode.