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US 10,429,584 B2Granted
Rotary optical beam generator
AssigneeLumentum Operations LLC
InventorsMartin H. Muendel, James J. Morehead
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Abstract
An optical fiber device may include a unitary core including a primary section and a secondary section, wherein at least a portion of the secondary section is offset from a center of the unitary core, wherein the unitary core twists about an optical axis of the optical fiber device along a length of the optical fiber device, and wherein a refractive index of the primary section is greater than a refractive index of the secondary section; and a cladding surrounding the unitary core.
Claims23
An optical fiber device, comprising:
- a unitary core including a primary section and a secondary section,
- wherein at least a portion of the secondary section is offset from a center of the unitary core,
- wherein the unitary core twists about an optical axis of the optical fiber device along a length of the optical fiber device,
- wherein a rate of twist at which the unitary core twists about the optical axis increases from a first rate of twist at a first end of the optical fiber device to a second rate of twist at a second end of the optical fiber device, and
- wherein the unitary core being twisted about the optical axis causes an optical beam, launched at the first end of the optical fiber device, to be at least partially converted to a rotary optical beam at the second end of the optical fiber device, and
- wherein a refractive index of the primary section is greater than a refractive index of the secondary section;
- and
- a cladding surrounding the unitary core.
5 more elements
An optical fiber device, comprising:
- a unitary core including a primary section,
- wherein the primary section of the unitary core has a non-circular shape,
- wherein the unitary core twists about an optical axis of the optical fiber device along a length of the optical fiber device
- wherein a rate of twist at which the unitary core twists about the optical axis increases from a first rate of twist at a first end of the optical fiber device to a second rate of twist at a second end of the optical fiber device, and
- wherein the unitary core being twisted about the optical axis causes an optical beam, launched at the first end of the optical fiber device, to be at least partially converted to a rotary optical beam at the second end of the optical fiber device;
- and
- a cladding surrounding the unitary core.
4 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving, by a rotator fiber, an optical beam at a first end of the rotator fiber,
- wherein the rotator fiber includes a unitary core that twists about an optical axis of the rotator fiber along a length of the rotator fiber,
- wherein a rate of twist at which the unitary core twists about the optical axis increases from a first rate of twist at a first end of the rotator fiber to a second rate of twist at a second end of the rotator fiber;
- at least partially converting, by the rotator fiber, the optical beam to a rotary optical beam,
- wherein the optical beam is at least partially converted to the rotary optical beam as a result of the unitary core being twisted about the optical axis;
- and
- outputting, by the rotator fiber, the rotary optical beam.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.