Thorlabs' FPC155LA Piezo-Based Fiber Polarization Controller uses piezo-actuated squeezers to produce stress-induced birefringence within a fiber and dynamically control the output polarization state of light.
- Polarization Over Full Poincaré Sphere
- Low-Loss and High-Speed Operation from 1310 nm to 1550 nm
Features
- High Power Handling and Minimal Back-Reflections due to Inline, All-Fiber Design
- Operating Wavelength Range from 1310 nm to 1550 nm
- Low Insertion Loss
- Low Activation Loss
- Reset-Free Operation
- Compatible with Single Mode Fibers with FC/APC Connectors
The fiber is squeezed at four positions: channels 1 and 3 squeeze the fiber along the same axis while channels 2 and 4 are offset in the same direction by 45°, as shown in Figures 1.1 and 1.2, allowing for full coverage of the Poincaré sphere and low-loss operation. Each squeezer may be driven by a piezo controller, such as Thorlabs' BPC301 or BPC303 piezo controllers, via SMC connectors on the back of the device (see Figure 1.3). The FPC155LA polarization controller operates much faster than motorized fiber polarization controllers due to the high (>8 kHz) bandwidth of the piezo actuators, and can be mounted directly to an optical table using the slots on the device enclosure.
The FPC155LA offers an inline polarization control solution and is designed to achieve very low insertion loss values (<0.05 dB) when spliced onto an existing fiber link. These features make the product suitable for demanding low-loss applications such as quantum computing. Additionally, the inline all-fiber design minimizes back-reflections and offers high power handling in excess of 1 W when spliced. Further information on damage thresholds in silica optical fibers can be found in the Damage Threshold tab. It can also be driven with low voltage and a limited amount of current. The device functions over the entire 1310 nm to 1550 nm operating band of the SM1550P fiber, with single mode operation throughout the O, E, S, C, and L optical communication bands.
Figure 1.1 Piezo-actuated squeezers apply pressure on the fiber to create stress-induced birefringence and change the polarization of light propagating through the fiber. Each squeezer is oriented at either 0° (horizontally) or at 45°.
Figure 1.2 The piezo-actuated squeezers are positioned at four points along the fiber, with alternating angles so that the pressure is applied at 0°-45°-0°-45°, allowing for full coverage of the Poincaré sphere.
Figure 1.3 Each piezo-actuated squeezer can be controlled by a piezo driver via the SMC connectors located on the back of the FPC155LA.