Manual Fiber Polarization Controllers

If your application includes single mode fiber and requires linearly polarized light, the FPC Series Polarization Controllers can be easily implemented to convert elliptically polarized light in a single mode fiber into another state of polarization, including linearly polarized light. This polarization conversion is achieved by loading the paddles with a prescribed number of fiber loops and adjusting their positions to control the output polarization state.

These polarization controllers utilize stress-induced birefringence to create three independent fractional wave plates to alter the polarization of the transmitted light in the single mode fiber by looping the fiber into three independent spools. The new FPC020 achieves the same results with just two paddles.

The amount of birefringence induced in the fiber is a function of the fiber cladding diameter, the spool diameter (fixed), the number of fiber loops per spool, and the wavelength of the light. The fast axis of the fiber, which is in the plane of the spool, is adjusted with respect to the transmitted polarization vector by manually rotating the paddles. The FPC031, FPC032, FPC561, and FPC562 fiber polarization controllers come preloaded with fiber.

NOTE: The FPC030 and FPC020 work well with all of our single mode fibers. For fibers with higher bend loss (e.g. Corning’s SMF-28e), use model FPC560.

Item#                FPC030          FPC031          FPC032       FPC560         FPC561          FPC562           FPC020
Number of Paddles                                                                   3                                                                         2
Loop Diameter                            27 mm (1.06")                     56 mm (2.2")                                               18 mm (0.71")
Paddle Rotation                                                                         ±117.5°                                                     ±286°
Foot Print (W x L)        216 x 25 mm (8.5" x 1.0")                 317.5 x 25 mm (12.5" x 1.0")                  77.72 mm x 12.70 mm (3.06" x0.5 ")
Fiber                       -                      D5†                 D5†              -                    SMF-28e                SMF-28e             -
Connectors            -                     FC/PC                FC/APC         -                FC/PC                   FC/APC                   -
Bend Loss              -                   ≤0.1 dB               ≤0.1 dB      -                 ≤0.1 dB               ≤0.1 dB               -

Features
Polarization Control over Full Poincare Sphere
Operates over Full Fiber Bandwidth
Very Easy to Operate