阅读说明：本技术 光纤干涉装置和量子通信设备 (Optical fiber interference device and quantum communication equipment ) 是由 陈柳平 张建 肖云 金燕 李伍一 万相奎 于 2021-04-14 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种光纤干涉装置和量子通信设备,其中,所述光纤干涉装置包括：封装壳体,所述封装壳体的顶部设置有开口；安装柱,所述安装柱的一端设置在所述封装壳体的底部的内表面上；光纤干涉仪,所述光纤干涉仪覆盖在所述安装柱的外表面上并且与所述封装壳体的内侧表面间隔开；封装盖,所述封装盖密封所述开口并且与所述安装柱的另一端接触,以将所述光纤干涉仪封装在所述封装壳体的内部,其中,所述光纤干涉仪的输入光纤和输出光纤经由设置在所述封装盖中的通孔从所述封装壳体的内部向外引出。本发明提供的光纤干涉装置能够为光纤干涉仪提供稳定、可靠的工作环境,以使得光纤干涉仪保持高精度的长臂与短臂之差。(The invention provides an optical fiber interference device and quantum communication equipment, wherein the optical fiber interference device comprises: the packaging structure comprises a packaging shell, a packaging cover and a packaging cover, wherein an opening is formed in the top of the packaging shell; a mounting post having one end disposed on an inner surface of the bottom of the package housing; a fiber optic interferometer overlying an outer surface of the mounting post and spaced apart from an inside surface of the package housing; an encapsulation cover sealing the opening and contacting the other end of the mounting post to encapsulate the fiber optic interferometer inside the encapsulation housing, wherein input and output fibers of the fiber optic interferometer are routed out of the interior of the encapsulation housing via through-holes provided in the encapsulation cover. The optical fiber interferometer provided by the invention can provide a stable and reliable working environment for the optical fiber interferometer, so that the optical fiber interferometer keeps the difference between the long arm and the short arm with high precision.)

1. An optical fiber interference device comprising:

the packaging structure comprises a packaging shell, a packaging cover and a packaging cover, wherein an opening is formed in the top of the packaging shell;

a mounting post having one end disposed on an inner surface of the bottom of the package housing;

a fiber optic interferometer overlying an outer surface of the mounting post and spaced apart from an inside surface of the package housing; and

an encapsulation cover contacting the other end of the mounting post and sealing the opening to encapsulate the fiber optic interferometer inside the encapsulation housing,

wherein the input and output fibers of the fiber optic interferometer are routed outwardly from the interior of the package housing via through-holes provided in the package cover.

2. The fiber optic interference device of claim 1, further comprising:

a potting agent made of a high molecular polymer material having a low temperature coefficient and/or a low curing stress and filled between the fiber optic interferometer and the package housing.

3. The fiber optic interference device of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic interferometer is wrapped around an outer surface of the mounting post.

4. The fiber optic interference device of claim 3, wherein an outwardly projecting card slot is formed on an outer surface of the mounting post, the card slot having a shape that is adapted to a shape of an optical device in the fiber optic interferometer other than the input and output optical fibers to receive the optical device.

5. The optical fiber interferometer of claim 4, wherein the optical components in the fiber interferometer other than the input and output optical fibers are formed in an elongated shape.

6. The fiber optic interference device of claim 5, wherein the fiber optic interferometer is based on a Michelson interferometer optical path.

7. The fiber optic interference device of claim 6, wherein the optics in the fiber optic interferometer other than the input and output fibers comprise at least a coupler, a phase shifter, a first Faraday mirror, and a second Faraday mirror.

8. The fiber optic interference device of claim 1, further comprising:

a fastener that secures the mounting post between the bottom of the package housing and the package cover.

9. The fiber optic interference device of claim 8, further comprising:

a rubber gasket disposed between an inner surface of the bottom of the package housing and one end of the mounting post and/or between the package cover and the other end of the mounting post.

10. The fiber optic interference device of claim 1, wherein the mounting post is made of one of polytetrafluoroethylene and ceramic.

11. The optical fiber interference device of claim 2, wherein the potting agent comprises at least one of polyurethane, aerogel, epoxy, and silicone rubber.

12. A quantum communication device, comprising:

the optical fiber interference device of any one of claims 1-11.

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of quantum communication, in particular to an optical fiber interference device and quantum communication equipment.

Background

The optical fiber interferometer is a device manufactured based on the principle of interference of light, and the accuracy of the difference between the long arm and the short arm thereof determines the measurement sensitivity and the communication speed of the quantum communication system.

However, in practical use, the long and short arms of the fiber interferometer are susceptible to environmental factor changes (e.g., temperature heating or cooling), which may cause the long and short arms of the fiber interferometer to change. Because the changes of the long arm and the short arm of the optical fiber interferometer are often inconsistent, the precision of the difference between the long arm and the short arm of the optical fiber interferometer is difficult to control, which affects the performance of the optical fiber interferometer and further reduces the measurement sensitivity and the communication speed of the quantum communication system.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide an optical fiber interference device and quantum communication equipment.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical fiber interference device, including: the packaging structure comprises a packaging shell, a packaging cover and a packaging cover, wherein an opening is formed in the top of the packaging shell; a mounting post having one end disposed on an inner surface of the bottom of the package housing; a fiber optic interferometer overlying an outer surface of the mounting post and spaced apart from an inside surface of the package housing; and an encapsulation cover contacting the other end of the mounting post and sealing the opening to encapsulate the fiber optic interferometer inside the encapsulation housing, wherein input and output fibers of the fiber optic interferometer are drawn out from the inside of the encapsulation housing via through holes provided in the encapsulation cover.

Preferably, the optical fiber interference device further includes: a potting agent made of a high molecular polymer material having a low temperature coefficient and/or a low curing stress and filled between the fiber optic interferometer and the package housing.

Preferably, the fiber optic interferometer is wrapped around an outer surface of the mounting post.

Preferably, the outer surface of the mounting post is formed with an outwardly protruding slot, the shape of which is adapted to the shape of the optical device in the fiber optic interferometer, except for the input and output optical fibers, to receive the optical device.

Preferably, the optical devices other than the input optical fiber and the output optical fiber in the fiber optic interferometer are formed in a strip shape.

Preferably, the fiber optic interferometer is based on a michelson interferometer optical path.

Preferably, the optical devices in the fiber optic interferometer other than the input fiber and the output fiber include at least a coupler, a phase shifter, a first faraday mirror, and a second faraday mirror.

Preferably, the optical fiber interference device further includes: a fastener that secures the mounting post between the bottom of the package housing and the package cover.

Preferably, the optical fiber interference device further includes: a rubber gasket disposed between an inner surface of the bottom of the package housing and one end of the mounting post and/or between the package cover and the other end of the mounting post.

Preferably, the mounting post is made of one of teflon and ceramic.

Preferably, the potting agent comprises at least one of polyurethane, aerogel, epoxy, and silicone rubber.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a quantum communication device comprising the optical fiber interference apparatus as described above.

The optical fiber interference device according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention can provide a stable and reliable working environment for the optical fiber interferometer, so that the optical fiber interferometer keeps the difference between the long arm and the short arm with high precision, and the overall working performance of the optical fiber interference device is effectively improved. In addition, the optical fiber interference device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may also be applied to a quantum communication apparatus to further improve the measurement sensitivity and the communication speed of a quantum communication system.

Drawings

The above objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a fiber optic interference device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the fiber optic interference device of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an interferometer light path included in the fiber optic interference device of fig. 1.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view 100 of a fiber optic interference device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows an exploded view 200 of the fiber optic interference device of fig. 1.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, the fiber optic interference device may include a package housing 101, a mounting post 102, a fiber optic interferometer 103, and a package cover 104.

In the optical Fiber interference device shown in fig. 1 and 2, the package housing 101 may be provided with an opening 105, one end of the mounting column 102 may be disposed on an inner surface of the bottom of the package housing 101, the optical Fiber interferometer 103 may be covered on an outer surface of the mounting column 102 and spaced apart from an inner side surface of the package housing 101, the package cover 104 may contact the other end of the mounting column 102 and seal the opening 105 to package the optical Fiber interferometer 103 inside the package housing 101, and the input optical Fiber _ in and the output optical Fiber _ out of the optical Fiber interferometer 103 may be led out from the inside of the package housing 101 via a through hole 106 disposed in the package cover 104.

By adopting the above-described optical fiber interferometer structure, the long arm and the short arm of the optical fiber interferometer 103 can be made to physically extend simultaneously with the expansion of the mounting post 102 and to be shortened along with the contraction of the mounting post 102. That is, even if the external environment changes (for example, the temperature becomes hot or cold), the difference between the long arm and the short arm of the optical fiber interferometer 103 can be kept consistent as a whole (in other words, the variation of the difference between the long arm and the short arm of the optical fiber interferometer 103 is minimized), which can effectively improve the control of the precision of the difference between the long arm and the short arm of the optical fiber interferometer 103 and ensure the stability and reliability of the interference effect of the optical fiber interferometer 103.

In addition, for further thermal insulation, sound insulation and vibration isolation, the optical fiber interferometer shown in fig. 1 and 2 may further include a potting agent (not shown), which may be made of a polymer material having a low temperature coefficient and/or a low curing stress, and filled between the optical fiber interferometer 103 and the package housing 101. By way of example, the potting agent may include, but is not limited to, at least one of polyurethane, aerogel, epoxy, and silicone rubber. The filling and sealing agents not only can play the roles of moisture prevention, dust prevention, corrosion prevention and shock prevention, but also can further improve the stability and reliability of the optical fiber interference device.

Next, the manner in which the fiber interferometer 103 is covered on the mounting post 102 will be specifically described.

In one example, the fiber optic interferometer 103 may be wrapped around the outer surface of the mounting post 102.

It is contemplated that the Fiber optic interferometer 103 may include various optical devices (such as, but not limited to, coupler 301, phase shifter 302, etc., shown later in FIG. 3) in addition to the input Fiber Fiber _ in and output Fiber Fiber _ out. Since these optical devices cannot be wound around the mounting post 102 as the input and output fibers Fiber _ in and Fiber _ out, in this example, an outwardly protruding card slot 107 may also be formed on the outer surface of the mounting post 102, the shape of the card slot 107 being adaptable to the shape of the optical devices in the Fiber interferometer 103 other than the input and output fibers Fiber _ in and Fiber _ out to accommodate the optical devices. In this way, not only can the optical fiber interferometer 103 be tightly covered on the outer surface of the mounting post 102, but also the disassembly is convenient and the maintenance is easy.

It should be understood that although the example in which the fiber interferometer 103 is wound to cover the outer surface of the mounting post 102 is described above, this example is merely illustrative and the present invention is not limited thereto. The fiber optic interferometer 103 may also be coated on the outer surface of the mounting post 102 in other ways, as desired.

Additionally, in this example, fiber optic interferometer 103 may be based on the Michelson (MK) interferometer optical path. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the fiber interferometer 103 may be based on other types of interferometer optical paths (e.g., mach-zehnder interferometer optical paths, etc.). In the optical Fiber interferometer 103 based on the michelson interferometer optical path, the optical Fiber interferometer 103 may include optical devices such as a coupler, a phase shifter, a first faraday mirror and a second faraday mirror, in addition to the input optical Fiber _ in and the output optical Fiber _ out. In the fiber optic interferometer 103, these optical devices may be formed in elongated shapes to fit into outwardly projecting card slots 107 formed on the outer surface of the mounting post 102.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram 300 of the interferometer optics included in the fiber optic interference device of FIG. 1.

Referring to fig. 3, the Fiber interferometer 103 may include an input Fiber _ in and an output Fiber _ out as well as a coupler 301, a phase shifter 302, a first faraday mirror 303, and a second faraday mirror 304.

It should be understood that although fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram 300 of an interferometer optical path included in the fiber optic interference apparatus of fig. 1, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the interferometer optical path shown in fig. 3 may also include other optical devices (e.g., a circulator for adding an output fiber, etc.) as desired.

In addition, to avoid the fiber optic interferometer 103 from contacting the inner wall of the package housing 101, the fiber optic interference device shown in fig. 1 and 2 may further include a fastener 108 (such as, but not limited to, a screw, etc.), and the fastener 108 may enable the mounting post 102 to be fastened between the bottom of the package housing 101 and the package cover 104. This provides a more stable and reliable working environment for the fiber interferometer 103. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, the mounting post 102 may be fixed to the middle inside the package case 101 by a mounting groove (not shown) provided on the inner surface of the bottom of the package case 101 to prevent the optical fiber interferometer 103 covered on the mounting post 102 from contacting the inner wall of the package case 101.

In addition, the optical fiber interference device shown in fig. 1 and 2 may further include a rubber gasket 109, and the rubber gasket 109 may be disposed between the inner surface of the bottom of the package housing 101 and one end of the mounting post 102 and/or between the package cover 104 and the other end of the mounting post 102. This not only further secures the mounting post 102, but also further reduces the effect of vibration on the fiber optic interferometer 103.

In addition, in the optical fiber interference device shown in fig. 1 and 2, the mounting post 102 may be made of one of teflon and ceramic. Both materials have low coefficients of thermal expansion, however, compared to ceramics, ptfe is not only less expensive in material, but is also easier to machine and form and more accurate in fabrication.

It can be seen that the fiber optic interferometer apparatus shown in fig. 1 and 2 can provide a stable and reliable working environment for the fiber optic interferometer 103, so that the fiber optic interferometer 103 maintains a high precision difference between the long arm and the short arm. Therefore, the optical fiber interference apparatus shown in fig. 1 and fig. 2 can also be applied to a quantum communication device (such as a transmitting end and/or a receiving end in a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system) to further improve the measurement sensitivity and the communication speed of the quantum communication device. Accordingly, the present invention may also provide a quantum communication device comprising the optical fiber interference apparatus as described above, which may be included in a transmitting end and/or a receiving end in a quantum key distribution system.

While the present application has been shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application as defined by the following claims.