OPTICAL ISOLATOR

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical isolator to be installed in a package for optical communication, which is small-sized and is superior in isolation characteristics. SOLUTION: The optical isolator includes: an optical isolator element A which has at least one of polarizers 1a and 1b and at least one Faraday rotator 2 and has light transmission surfaces of the polarizers 1a and 1b and that of the Faraday rotator 2 fixed so as to face each other; a magnet 5 which is disposed around the light transmission surface of the Faraday rotator 2 and applies a magnetic force to the Faraday rotator 2; a fixing member 4 which fixes one side surface of the optical isolator element A and one side surface of the magnet 5 with a gap between the optical isolator A and the magnet 5; and a light shielding elastic member 8 filled in the gap. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT