Optical power splitter and polarization splitter

Claim 1

An optical guiding structure for providing splitting of both the power I of an input signal and the polarizations TE, TM (TE being defined as the transverse electric polarization and TM being defined as the transverse magnetic polarization) of said input signal, said optical guiding structure being defined as having a central guide and a pair of outer guides, coextensively parallel over a predetermined length L and mutually separated by a predetermined distance d, wherein the propagation constants β 1 and β 3 of said outer pair of guides are equal to a first propagation value β 1 =β 3 =β; the predetermined length L and predetermined separation distance d defined by the relations ##EQU11## being defined as the coupling length required to completely transfer a first polarized state from one guide to an adjoining guide for a predefined pair of guides, and γ being defined as the guide lateral evanscent penetration depth, the relations being solved for proscribed values of l oTM , l oTE , and γ TE , said predetermined length L and predetermined separation distance d thus achieving transfer of a first polarization from an input signal applied to the central guide to said outer pair of guides and allowing the second, remaining polarization to emerge from said central guide.