US Patent 9615152 Optical element and light receiving device

An optical element includes: a polarization splitter that splits light input from an input port into a first signal and a second signal according to a plane of polarization; a polarization rotator that rotates a plane of polarization of the second signal output from the polarization splitter by 90 degrees; a first optical coupler that combines the first signal output from the polarization splitter and the second signal output from the polarization rotator and splits the resultant signal into a third signal and a fourth signal with an equal amplitude; a phase controller that controls a phase of the third signal; and a second optical coupler that combines the third signal output from the phase controller and the fourth signal output from the first optical coupler and splits the resultant signal into a fifth signal and a sixth signal with an equal amplitude.