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US 10,838,141 B2Granted
Spun round core fiber
AssigneenLIGHT, Inc.
InventorsJoona Koponen, Changgeng Ye, Ossi Kimmelma
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Optical waveguide cores having refractive index profiles that vary angularly about a propagation axis of the core can provide single-mode operation with larger core diameters than conventional waveguides. In one representative embodiment, an optical waveguide comprises a core that extends along a propagation axis and has a refractive index profile that varies angularly about the propagation axis. The optical waveguide can also comprise a cladding disposed about the core and extending along the propagation axis. The refractive index profile of the core can vary angularly along a length of the propagation axis.
Claims21
An optical waveguide, comprising:
- a core that extends along a propagation axis, the core comprising a mode-propagating region and a plurality of mode-discriminating regions, the mode-propagating region comprising a material having a first index of refraction, the plurality of mode-discriminating regions comprising a second material having a second index of refraction that is different from the first index of refraction, the core comprising a round outer boundary;
- and
- a cladding disposed about the round outer boundary of the core and extending along the propagation axis;
- wherein the mode-propagating region comprises a non-circular cross-section circumscribed within the round outer boundary of the core;
- and
- wherein the mode-discriminating regions are defined by the round outer boundary of the core and the non-circular cross-section of the mode-propagating region such that the mode-discriminating regions are enclosed by the material of the mode-propagating region of the core and the cladding;
- and
- wherein a refractive index profile of the core is configured to attenuate one or more higher order modes.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- machining a silica rod such that the silica rod has a non-circular cross-section, the silica rod having a first index of refraction;
- situating the machined silica rod in a silica tube comprising a second index of refraction different from the first index of refraction;
- and
- collapsing the silica tube to form a core rod preform;
- situating the core rod preform in a cladding tube to obtain an optical waveguide preform;
- and
- drawing the optical waveguide preform to obtain an optical waveguide comprising a core that extends along a propagation axis, the core comprising a mode-propagating region and a plurality of mode-discriminating regions, the mode-propagating region comprising the first index of refraction, the plurality of mode-discriminating regions comprising the second index of refraction, the core comprising a round outer boundary, the optical waveguide comprising a cladding disposed about the round outer boundary of the core and extending along the propagation axis, wherein the non-circular cross-section of the mode-propagating region is circumscribed within the round outer boundary of the core, and the mode-discriminating regions are defined by the round outer boundary of the core and the non-circular cross-section of the mode-propagating region such that the mode-discriminating regions are enclosed by the silica material of the mode-propagating region of the core and the cladding, the core having a refractive index profile configured to attenuate one or more higher order modes.
4 more elements
An optical waveguide, comprising:
- a core that extends along a propagation axis, the core comprising a mode-propagating region and a plurality of mode-discriminating regions, the mode-propagating region comprising a material having a first index of refraction, the plurality of mode-discriminating regions comprising a second material having a second index of refraction that is different from the first index of refraction, the core comprising a round outer boundary;
- and
- a cladding disposed about the round outer boundary of the core and extending along the propagation axis;
- wherein the mode-propagating region comprises a polygonally-shaped cross-section comprising a plurality of facets circumscribed within the round outer boundary of the core, adjacent facets of the plurality of facets intersecting each other to define vertices;
- and
- wherein the mode-discriminating regions are defined by areas bounded by the outer boundary of the core, a facet of the mode-propagating region, and vertices on opposite sides of the respective facet such that the mode-discriminating regions are enclosed by the material of the mode-propagating region of the core and the cladding.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.