title: A universal optical all-fiber Omnipolarizer.
abstract: Wherever the polarization properties of a light beam are of concern, polarizers and polarizing beamsplitters (PBS) are indispensable devices in linear-, nonlinear- and quantum-optical schemes. By the very nature of their operation principle, transformation of incoming unpolarized or partially polarized beams through these devices introduces large intensity variations in the fully polarized outcoming beam(s). Such intensity fluctuations are often detrimental, particularly when light is post-processed by nonlinear crystals or other polarization-sensitive optic elements. Here we demonstrate the unexpected capability of light to self-organize its own state-of-polarization, upon propagation in optical fibers, into universal and environmentally robust states, namely right and left circular polarizations. We experimentally validate a novel polarizing device - the Omnipolarizer, which is understood as a nonlinear dual-mode polarizing optical element capable of operating in two modes - as a digital PBS and as an ideal polarizer. Switching between the two modes of operation requires changing beam's intensity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne, UMR 6303 CNRS - Université de Bourgogne, 9 Av. Alain Savary, BP 47870, 21078 Dijon, France. jfatome@ubourgogne.fr
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fatome
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pitois
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Assémat
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sugny
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picozzi
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Jauslin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Millot
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Kozlov
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wabnitz