Metal film polarizers for integrated optical fiber devices

Summary form only given. Polarizers are used in optical isolators that prevent reflected light from coming back into the laser source and to control the polarization state in optical modulators and other optical fiber devices. We describe new low cost polarizing filters using metal spheroid film coatings developed for the spectral bands centered at 1310 nm and 1550 nm. The polarizing coatings are formed by vacuum deposition of metals directly on transparent substrates using the Slocum process. The polarizing coatings consist of layers of parallel prolate metal spheroids grown on a substrate surface.