Title: Polarization compensator for optical communications

Abstract: An optical data communication system is provided whereby two orthogonal polarization states of a light beam carrier correspond to digital states. In such a system, automatic polarization compensation is provided by applying a dither modulating voltage to a cell exhibiting the electro-optic effect. The cell controls the relative phase of electric field components of an input light beam enabling the dither frequency component of the difference of the instantaneous powers in the two polarization states to be coherently detected. A signal derived from the coherent detection process is fed back to the cell via an integrator to form polarization bias compensating servo loop of Type I.

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Inventors: Fitzmaurice, Michael W. (Gambrills, MD, US)
Abshire, James B. (Greeneville, TN, US)

Application Number: 463925
Filing Date: 1974-04-24
Publication_date: 1976-07-27
Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the (Washington, DC)
Primary Class(es): 398/213 398/184
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3284632	Nov, 1966	Niblack et al.	250/199.
3415995	Dec, 1968	Kerr	250/199.
3457414	Jul, 1969	Ragen et al.	250/199.
3471803	Oct, 1969	Forster	250/199.
3532891	Oct, 1970	Simmons et al.	250/199.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Griffin, Robert L.
Assistant Examiner: Ng, Jin F.
Attorney: Kempf; Robert F., Marchant; Robert D., Manning; John R.