Superfluorescent light source, optical waveguide for use as superfluorescent light source, and optical apparatus

摘要

A superfluorescent fiber source outputs highly polarized light without a substantial decrease in output power efficiency. According to one embodiment, a polarizer is spliced within the superfluorescent fiber at a selected location along the length of the fiber (e.g., near the middle of the fiber). According to another embodiment, the entire length of the superfluorescent fiber is polarizing to thereby assure that one of the polarizations of light is substantially extinguished while the other polarization of light is nearly double the power which that polarization would have if the polarizer were not present within the superfluorescent fiber. In this manner, superfluorescent sources can be adapted especially for use in fiber optic gyroscopes, or the like, which require highly polarized light, without a substantial reduction in efficiency.