Category: optical circulator

Polarization Maintaining Optical Circulator Guide 

Polarization maintaining (PM) optical circulators are key components in fiber optic networks and instruments. This guide provides an overview of PM optical circulators, their features, and applications. 

What are PM Optical Circulators? 

A PM optical circulator is a small fiber optic device that directs light signals from one port to the next in only one direction. 

Light entering Port 1 exits from Port 2. Light entering Port 2 is directed to Port 3. The circulator blocks light from traveling in the reverse directions. 

PM circulators maintain the polarization of light signals passing through them. This makes them ideal for use with other PM fiber components. 

Key Features of Polarization Maintaining Optical Circulator 

PM optical circulators come with the following features: 

  • Compact size 
  • High channel isolation – signals stay isolated in directed ports 
  • Low insertion loss – minimal signal loss through device 
  • High extinction ratio – low crosstalk between ports 
  • High stability and reliability 

They are available with various connector types like FC/PC, FC/APC, and no connectors. Center wavelength options include 2000nm, 2050nm, 1940nm, 1550nm, 1310nm, 1064nm, 10130nm, and more. 

Applications 

Common uses of PM optical circulators include: 

DWDM Networks 

Circulators allow individual channels to be dropped/added from dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) networks. 

Fiber Amplifiers 

They enable bidirectional flow in erbium-doped fiber amplifiers and fiber lasers. 

Fiber Sensors 

Circulators route light to and from fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. 

Test Equipment 

Used to route signals in optical test setups and instrumentation. 

Coherent Detection 

Support bidirectional transmission in coherent fiber optic communication. 

How Polarization Maintaining Optical Circulators Work 

PM optical circulators use a non-reciprocal property, meaning light traveling in one direction experiences a different effect than light going the reverse way. 

This breaks the symmetry of the ports, allowing light to pass from ports 1 to 2, but not 2 to 1. Isolation between ports is crucial for proper circulator function. 

Proper alignment of the fiber ports and internal components gives the desired circulation. The non-reciprocal property is typically achieved using a Faraday rotator crystal. 

PM optical circulators provide key routing capabilities for fiber networks and instruments. Their non-reciprocal design, polarization maintaining properties, and bidirectional light control make them an essential component in many photonics applications. 

Advancements in PM Optical Circulator Technology  

With ongoing research and development, PM Optical Circulator manufacturers are introducing new features and capabilities to meet the evolving demands of the industry. Enhanced designs and materials can lead to higher polarization extinction ratios, ensuring minimal polarization crosstalk and maintaining signal integrity in demanding optical systems. 

Developments in packaging and integration enable greater flexibility in system design and deployment. Compact form factors and compatibility with a wide range of connector types facilitate seamless integration into various optical setups and systems.

Exploring the Benefits of a 2000nm 3-Port High Power PM Optical Circulator

In the world of optical communication and photonics, optical circulators play a crucial role in directing light signals efficiently. Among the various types of optical circulators, the 2000nm 3-Port High Power PM Optical Circulator is a remarkable innovation. In this blog, we will delve into the world of optical circulators, with a specific focus on this advanced device. We’ll explore its applications, advantages, and how it can revolutionize high-power optical systems.

What is a 3-Port High Power PM Optical Circulator?

Before we dive into the details, let’s first understand what an optical circulator is. An optical circulator is a non-reciprocal optical component that allows light to circulate in a one-way loop, typically among three or four ports. The key feature of an optical circulator is that it directs light from one port to the next in a unidirectional manner.

The 3-Port High Power PM Optical Circulator is a specialized optical circulator designed to operate at the wavelength of 2000nm. This wavelength is part of the mid-infrared (mid-IR) range, and it offers several advantages for various applications.

Applications of the 2000nm 3-Port High Power PM Optical Circulator

1. Fiber Laser Systems: High-power fiber lasers operating at 2000nm are increasingly used in various industrial and scientific applications, including materials processing, medical procedures, and military applications. The 3-Port High Power PM Optical Circulator can efficiently manage and direct the laser light in these systems.

2. Spectroscopy: Mid-IR spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique for identifying chemical compounds based on their unique absorption spectra. The 2000nm optical circulator is an essential component in mid-IR spectrometers, ensuring that light passes through the sample only once to avoid unwanted interference.

3. Sensing and Metrology: In environmental monitoring, gas sensing, and precision measurement systems, the 2000nm optical circulator enables the creation of high-power optical paths for reliable and accurate data collection.

Advantages of the 2000nm 3-Port High Power PM Optical Circulator

1. Wavelength Specific: This optical circulator is optimized for 2000nm wavelength, which is ideal for mid-IR applications. It ensures minimal loss and efficient signal circulation at this specific wavelength.

2. High Power Handling: As the name suggests, it’s designed to handle high-power optical signals. This is crucial for applications like laser systems and sensors where power levels are critical.

3. Low Insertion Loss: The 3-Port High Power PM Optical Circulator is known for its low insertion loss, which means that it minimally attenuates the signal as it passes through the device, ensuring signal integrity.

4. Compact and Robust: The design of this optical circulator is compact and robust, making it suitable for integration into various optical systems.

Conclusion

The 2000nm 3-Port High Power PM Optical Circulator is a valuable addition to the world of optical components. Its wavelength specificity, high-power handling capabilities, low insertion loss, and robust design make it a standout choice for a wide range of applications in mid-IR photonics. Whether you’re working with fiber lasers, spectroscopy, or sensing systems, this optical circulator is an indispensable tool for enhancing the performance and reliability of your optical setup. Its ability to efficiently manage high-power signals at 2000nm opens up new possibilities for innovation in photonics and optical communication.

What to Know Before Buying Optical Circulator

Optical circulator is something used to monitor the optical power traveling in optical fiber. Either it can be used to polarize lights flowing different directions into a single direction or light in the single director into several directions.

There are varieties of Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulators meant to serve different purposes. Choose an optical circulator based on what you want to achieve.

What is Optical Circulator?

Optical circulator is a non reciprocal device used to allow the routing of light from one fiber to another, and this happens based on the direction of the propagation.

A special fiber optical component, optical circulator is used to separate optical signals in an optical fiber. It comes with three ports, and they are designed in a way that when light enters any port, it will exist from the next. This feature of high isolation of the input along others such as optical powers, low insertion loss, makes optical circulator a device widely used in a wide range of advanced communication systems and fiber optical sensing devices.

There are many manufacturers in China offering different types of optical circulators such as Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulator. If you are looking high quality circulators designed to your specific needs, and the best most competitive price, DK Photonics which offers a wide range of optical passive devices including the most widely used Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulator can be the right choice for you.

Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulators offered by DK Photonics comprised of several world-class features such as:

  • Low Insertion Loss
  • High Isolation
  • Low PD
  • High Stability and Reliability
  • Cost Effective

These are a few of the features that make the circulator highly suitable for the use in a wide range of applications. Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulators are widely used in:

  • DWDM Systems
  • Optical Fiber Amplifier
  • Pump Laser Source
  • Fiber Optic Sensor
  • Test and Measurement
  • Instrumentation

How to does the optical circulator work?

The Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulator which is used in fiber optical system directs the light/optical signals from one port to another. This helps prevent the signals transmitting in undesired direction. In a circulator which has three ports, signal is pushed from one port to the second port, and the another signal is directed from the port second to port 3 and at last, a third signal is transmitted from the last port to again to the port one. This is how the circulator helps you control the light and direct the signals into desired direction.

All you need to know about polarization maintaining optical circulators: a few major pointers!!

Since several years, Polarization Maintaining Optical Circulator has become an important element in the optical communication system. But these days, its applications have expanded not only in the telecommunication field but also in imaging and medical field.

In this blog, we’ll discuss on Polarization Maintaining Optical Circulator in more detail, but before that let’s know a few basic regarding it.

To begin with, let’s discuss what exactly is an optical circulator?

An optical circulator is mainly a multiple port non-reciprocal passive component. Its function is just similar to that of a microwave circulator, i.e. to transmit the light wave from one port to other with maximum intensity. But, at the same time, it also blocks any light transmission from one port to its previous port. Besides, the entire optical circulator process is based on the non-reciprocal polarization of the Faraday Effect.

What are the features of Polarization Maintaining Optical Circulator?

There are various features of polarization maintaining optical circulator. Mentioned below are a few major ones:

–    It has a high stability

–    It has a low insertion loss

–    It has high reliability

–    It has high optical return loss and so on.

How can optical circulators be categorized?

Optical circulators typically can be categorized into two main streams namely:

–    Polarization-dependent optical circulator, and

–    Polarization independent optical circulator

Polarization-dependent optical circulator is functional only for a light wave with a specific polarization state. This type of optical circulator is used only in some of the applications that mainly include free space communication between crystal sensing and satellites. Whereas the polarization independent optical circulator is independent of the polarization state of light. In the ordinary circulators, the polarization is certainly not maintained, however, there are polarization maintaining optical circulators available, so they can be used on behalf of it.

Besides, they can also be utilized in a wide variety of applications, but depending on its functionality, optical circulators may be divided into two groups:

–    Quasi circulator: In this circulator, the light passes through all the multiple ports, but the light from the last port is lost.

–    Full circulator: In this circulator, the light passes through all the multiple ports in a full circle.

When it comes to circulator’s design, there are many variations, but, all the non-reciprocal rotation designs certainly share the same structure with at least three functional elements namely- non-reciprocal polarization rotation elements, polarization recombining, and splitting elements, as well as polarization dependent beam steering elements.

Finally, we can say that with the large development of advanced optical networks and elements, the application of optical circulators are rapidly growing and new and advanced applications and functionalities are emerging quickly.

A Brief Introduction to Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulator

In simple terms, an optical circulator is a fiber optic device with three or four ports designed in a way that the light entering from any port exits from the next port. This implies that if a light wave enters from port 1, it emits from port 2; however, if some fraction of the emitted light wave is reflected back to the circulator, it exits from the port 3 rather than coming out of port 1. This working is analogous with the working of an electronic circulator.

Fiber optic circulators are used to separate optical signals traveling in opposite directions in an optical fiber. They are commonly used for bi-directional transmission over a single fiber. But, there are polarization insensitive optical circulators in the market which are gaining high popularity in electronics and telecommunication industry. What are these? How are they different from ordinary ones? Let’s check out.

Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulators

This special type of optical circulator is a non-reciprocal fiber optic device that routes incoming light wave from any port to the next and sends the rejected part of the light wave to third port instead of the first port.

Here, non-reciprocal means that if there is any change in the property of the light wave caused by traveling through the fiber, it will not reverse by traveling in the opposite direction.

It is a compact high performance light wave component which functions similar to an isolator. It protects the input fiber from returning power and also allows the rejected/reflected light to be employed.

The benefit of using these optical circulators is that they are bestowed with high isolation, low insertion loss, low polarization dependent loss (PDL) and various other remarkable features.

As these circulators are polarization insensitive, they are highly desirable in a variety of applications. For instance, linearly polarized beams with different polarization states and polarization multiplexed beams are extensively used in optical telecommunication systems where the use of polarization sensitive circulators is extremely limited.

They find their wide usage in a number of applications such as fiber gratings and other reflective components in DWDM systems, bi-directional communication systems, dispersion compensation, wavelength add/drop, high speed systems, EDFA applications, optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) measurements, etc.

Polarization insensitive optical circulators are available in multifarious specifications, however, if available specifications are not suitable for your applications, you can also order custom optical circulators.

Salient Features:

  • High isolation
  • Low insertion loss
  • Low polarization distribution loss
  • Excellent stability
  • Superior reliability
  • Optimum performance

General Applications:

  • Optical fiber amplifier
  • Fiber optic sensor
  • DWDM systems
  • Pump laser source
  • Instrumentation
  • Test and measurement
  • Optical communication systems
  • Fiber Gratings

If you also have a requirement for polarization insensitive optical circulators in standard or customized specifications, contact today one of the reputed optical circulator manufacturers.

PM Optical Circulators: Technology used and Categorization

Since 1990, polarization maintaining optical circulator has become one of the essential components in advanced optical communication systems. Nowadays, its applications have expanded widely not only in telecommunication industry but also in medical and imaging fields. Here, we will discuss this indispensable component in detail. So, let’s start with the basics.

Polarization Maintaining Optical Circulator

What is a PM Optical Circulator?
PM optical circulator is a three or four port non reciprocal passive component which functions similar to an isolator. It transmits the light wave from one port to next port with maximum intensity while maintaining polarization and blocking any light transmission from one port to the previous port. Thus, it is also featured as a unidirectional circulator.

Technology Used in PM Optical Circulators
Polarization Maintaining Optical Circulators are designed on the basis of nonreciprocal polarization rotation of the Faraday effect. As the working of optical circulators is based on several components such as Faraday rotator, birefringent crystal, waveplate and beam displacer, let’s take a quick look at each of them.

Faraday Effect:
It is a magneto-optical effect which explains the phenomenon in which polarization plane of electromagnetic wave (or light wave) is rotated inside a material under magnetic field applied in parallel to the direction of wave propagation. The unique aspect of this effect is that the direction of rotation is independent of the propagation direction of light wave, which implies that rotation is non-reciprocal.

Light Propagation in Birefringent Crystal:
Birefringent crystal is a common material used in the designing of optical circulators. The crystals used in optical circulators are typically anisotropic uniaxial which means they have two refractive indices with one optical axis. The function of this birefringent crystal depends on the propagation direction of light and its optic axis orientation (crystal cutting). The crystals which are generally used include quartz, rutile, YVO4, etc.

Waveplate:
Also called retardation plate, a waveplate is one of the applications of birefringent crystal. It is made by cutting a crystal into a particular orientation. Due to small birefringence, crystal quartz is broadly used for making waveplates.

Beam Displacer:
A birefringent crystal based beam displacer is used to split an incoming light beam into two beams with orthogonal polarization states.

Categorization of Optical Circulators
Optical circulators are mainly divided into two categories:
Polarization-dependent optical circulator
Polarization-independent optical circulator

The former type is only functional for a light wave with a particular polarization state and is only used in a few applications such as free space communications between satellites and crystal sensing.

On the other hand, the latter type is functionally independent of the polarization state of light. While in ordinary circulators, the polarization is not maintained but there are polarization maintaining optical circulators available in the market also. They are used in a large variety of applications.

According to their functionality, optical circulators can also be divided into two groups.
Full Circulator – light passes through all ports in a full circle
Quasi Circulator – light passes through all ports but the light from last port is lost

Fortunately, due to the advancement in technology, you can avail highly reliable and efficient Polarization Maintaining Optical circulators not only in standard specifications but in customized specifications too.

What Are Optical Circulators And Their Applications?

Each optical circulator is a generalized isolator which has three ports or sometimes more. Where an isolator causes the loss in the direction of isolation, a circulator gathers the light and redirects it to an output port which is nonreciprocal.

If I talk about a three-port circulator with non-strict-sense, this type of circulator has significance use in telecommunication applications because it is not necessary that the light should travel back from port 3 to port 1. For example, the light reflected from a fiber Bragg grating requires to be separated from the input light without loss, but since optical links are not operated in reverse only, there’s no requirement of strict-sense behavior.

An optical circulator is a special kind of fiber optic device which can separate optical power traveling in one single optical fiber in opposite directions. A polarization insensitive optical circulator can be used here to get bi-directional transmission of power over a single fiber. This circulator is majorly used in modern communication systems and advanced fiber-optical sensor systems due to its high isolation between the input power and reflected optical power and its lower loss of insertion.

A majority of online suppliers offer three or four-port optical circulators with;

Standard 1310nm or 1550nm windows

Or sometimes a wider range of wavelength from S to L band

Some of the manufacturers can also provide customized circulators on special requests with providing different wavelength, for instance, 1030nm, 1050nm, or 1040nm can be requested.

Though the standard power handling of this kind of a circulator is 300mW (CW), in the market, circulators are also available with power handling 1000mW, 2000mW, and 500mW (CW).

Here, a buyer requires being fully aware of the requirements of the application before choosing one.

Features

Low Insertion Loss

Low PDL

Wide Band, High Isolation

Epoxy Free Optical Path

Compact In-line Package

High Stability and Reliability

Easy mounting

The polarization insensitive optical circulators are often easily mounted to optical tables and can withstand various handlings. The use of four strong magnets helps to hold the rugged package securely on surfaces. Another mounting option is to wisely use tow countersunk holes with having some space in-between, in order to achieve compatibility with mounting patterns of optical tables.

Major Applications

Optical Amplifier

Fiber Sensors

Add-Drop Filters

Bi-Directional Communications

Metro Area Network

Digital, Hybrid, and AM-Video System

Wavelength Add / Drop

Dispersion Compensation

EDFAs

The online market is actually full of such optical circulators and buyers can place an order for customized circulators too, for instance, pigtailed versions of circulators would be perfect if an application requires a fiber with extended length on the circulator’s input and output.

Once you go online you will find that there are several suppliers of these optical circulators. You require making a decision on which one you should choose to shop. Apart from that, gather complete information about the application’s requirements and then decide which one you should buy.

These Are Proven Tips That Will Help Quickly Find the Best Optical Circulator

There are many brands in China making a wide range of optic fibers or circulators – a crucial device widely used for electronic applications. What that makes it a bit complex to choose the best one (optical circulator) is that all of them claim to offer high quality products for the most competitive prices. To help you with that, here we have curated a list of some tips that are very effective and anyone can apply them to select optical circulator.

 Tips to Choose an Optical Circulator

Look for all the options

 There are many options that you will find in China when it comes to optic fibers. For example Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulator one of the most widely used optic fibers for a wide range of electronic applications. The circulator is packed with host of features. If you are looking for an option that is durable, affordable and provide high quality performance, Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulator is what you must consider.

 Check after sales support

Whatever option you choose, make sure the supplier you buy your Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulator provides a good sale support. So when you have any problem with the product, you do not need to hire a technician. You can call to the supplier who will provide the right assistance to solve your problem. So buying Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulator from such a supplier saves you a chunk of money you need to pay for hiring a technician.

The suitability of the fiber to your device

As optic fibers come with different features, and so are suitable for some certain types of devices, it is vitally important to make sure the Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulator you buy is compatible with your device.

Compatibility

Types of fiber optic transceivers are getting richer, but the compatibility between different types has a great impact on the quality of network. It should be known that this product is designed to meet related international standards. Because. The circulators meeting international standards have no issues of compatibility.

Temperature adaptation

The temperature which is generated inside fiber optic transceivers is low, but as they are used in the Switches and computer room, the temperature fluctuates. It may get higher or lower. Too high or too low temperature adversely affects the parameters, for example optical power, optical sensitivity, etc. Polarization Insensitive Optical Circulator seems a best choice in this case. It is highly sensitive to fluctuation in power, and quickly adapts to the temperature.

 When you need to buy optic fibers, follow these tips that will surely profoundly help you choose the right circulator for you.

Achieving highly precise polarization is Easy like Never Before with Insensitive Optical Circulator

There are applications like optical fiber communication networks, fiber optic instruments, and depression compression modules wherein it is vitally important to polarize the lights going in multiple directions into one single direction. Thanks to Insensitive Optical Circulator, it is now pretty possible to achieve the polarization of light into single direction.

Optical circulator is specially designed fiber optic device with an ability to separate optical power traveling in opposite directions in one optical fiber. The optical circulator can also be used to achieve bi-directional transmission over a single fiber. The high isolation between the input and reflected optical power and low insertion loss makes the circulator highly suitable for the use in advanced communication systems and fiber-optical sensor systems.

Besides being highly capable of controlling the light flowing into different directions and directing it into a single desired direction, the insensitive optical circulators have hosts of other qualities that make it much the best choice for fiber optic device. They are:

  • Low insertion loss
  • High isolation
  • Ultra-low PDL and PMD
  • Epoxy-free optical path
  • Special operating wavelengths

The optic circulator provides high reliability and excellent optical performance. The device’s high isolation properties make it ideal for applications in telecommunications, fiber optic sensing, bio-medical, and photonics research.

The circulators com with different ports, for example three or four ports that cover standard wavelength rang. Also, it is possible to customize the wavelength according to different needs. For example, you can get circulators with wavelength ranges such as 1030nm, 1040nm, and 1050nm.

There are various brands making insensitive optical circulators. This means there are a wide range of makes of such optic devices available in the market. They all have features that almost identical but this does not mean they also have the same performance. The process they are built and quality of the material used is factors that play a vital role in the performance of an optic circulator. In addition, other things that should be considered before making the final buying decision are like:

  • Rugged, compact design: Rugged, encased design utilizing bulkhead connectors rather than loose pigtails reduces the fragility of the fibers from tangle and handling.
  • That is easy to install or mount: Choose the one that is easy to mount with optical cables. Four strong magnets hold the rugged package securely onto steel surfaces.
  • Pigtail circulators for the applications that require a length of fiber on the input and output of the circulator.
  • And the price of the circulator

DK Photonics Technology Limited is a leading and one of the top companies providing high quality optical passive components that are widely used for telecommunication fiber sensor and fiber laser applications. If you are looking for quality insensitive optical circulators for the most reasonable price, you can count on DK Photonics Technology Limited.

Things That You Must Know about Polarization Maintaining Optical Circulator

Optical fiber is used for an electric device in which light polarization is required. And each fiber is designed to do a certain job and so is suitable for some certain applications. So you should have the knowledge of an optical fiber that you want to buy and make sure the fiber you want to buy would be perfect for your need. So we have gathered some crucial information about optical circulator used for maintaining light polarization, and that will help you choose the right fiber.

If you are looking for a circulator for devices like fiber amplifiers, fiber sensors, test and measurement appliances, coherent detecting appliances, The 1310nm&1550nm 3-port Polarization Maintaining Optical Circulator with both axis working would be the best choice. The circulator is compact and very efficient to route the incoming signals from Port 1 to Port 2, and incoming Port 2 signals to Port 3. The circulator works as a single that can be used to transmit light from an input fiber to an output fiber. It directs the light returning from the output fiber to the third port. The 3 port circulator with both axis working is like an isolator that protects the input fiber from return power but the light that is rejected can be used.

Another fiber can be also used for those applications is 3 port optic circulator with fast axis blocked. This type of circulator is also lightweight, compact and performs well. This circulator also works as the circulator (with both axis working) does. Both circulators used for maintaining polarization can handle the power ranging from 300mW to 20 W, and have center operating wavelengths ranging from 850nm to 1650nm.

Both optical circulators (with both axis working and with fast axis blocked) provide a host of benefits such as low insertion loss, high isolations, etc. Here are some key benefits that the circulator provides:

  • Low Insertion Loss
  • High Isolation
  • High Extinction Ratio
  • Low Cost
  • High Stability & Reliability

Apart from those two circulators that are widely used for a wide range of applications, there are other optical fibers that are used for electric devices. Whatever fiber you buy make sure it works perfectly with your device.

So before you start looking for optical fibers, get to know about your device in details. Learn everything that can help you in a way or so to decide on which type of optic fiber you should look for.

Once you are done with the type of fiber you need, find a Polarization Maintaining Optical Circulator supplier. There are many Polarization Maintaining Optical Circulator suppliers in China, you should trust only those that are reputed and have long been into the business.