Method of fabricating graded-index optical fiber lenses

Abstract

A GRIN fiber lens is fabricated by the steps of providing a graded index glass preform, thinning the graded index preform to remove a sufficient thickness of the graded glass to establish a desired Δn, and drawing a graded index optical fiber from the thinned graded index preform. Thinning, in this context, refers to removal of graded index glass from the outside of the graded index preform so as to reduce its outer diameter. The thinning thus changes Δn which is the refractive index difference between the center of the preform and its outer surface. The graded index preform can be provided by MCVD deposition followed by removal of the starting tube glass, by OVD deposition, by VAD, or by ion exchange fabrication. The thinned graded index preform is advantageously annealed before drawing in order to minimize ripple. And, in a variation of the process, an overcladding can be applied over the thinned graded preform before draw for further adjustment or control of the Δn.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.