Feedback-Controlled Polarization Maintenance

Certain types of optical gain media are sensitive to the polarization state of the optical pump and therefore require costly polarization-maintaining components. This is particularly the case in doped fiber amplifiers, where amplification varies depending on the polarization of the incident signal.

Giga Concept offers innovative and low-cost manual polarization control systems. The polarization controller technology developed and commercialized by Giga Concept is currently patent-pending, and the company aims to innovate further by adding dynamic feedback control functionality to its system.

Giga Concept’s technology is based on the principle that it is possible to induce a ¼ to ⅓ wave retardation through local compression of the optical fiber. Rotary micromotors apply torsional stress to the fiber, stretching it and thereby altering its polarization state.

The objective of the project was to achieve automatic and feedback-controlled polarization control.