Design and performance of tuned fiber coil isolators

Optical isolators using coiled single-mode fibers with controlled birefringence have been thoroughly analyzed and tested experimentally. Isolation ratios as high as 44.5 dB with insertion losses (excluding coupling and polarizer losses) of 0.3 to 0.4 dB have been obtained at 633 nm. Analysis indicates that these devices will have >20-dB isolation over a spectral range of 2.5 nm or a temperature range of 36°C.