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AssigneeTyco Electronics Raychem BVBA
InventorsJan Watte, Juergen Van Erps, Tomasz Nasilowski, Christof Debaes, Hugo Thienpont
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A microstructured fiber or photonic crystal fiber is described having a doped solid core region and a cladding region, holes being provided in the cladding region, the fiber having a low hybrid splice loss to conventional fiber as well as being able to be tightly bent due to the microstructured cladding. The cladding region can contain a plurality of holes surrounding and distanced from the core. These holes are preferably located symmetrically around the core and extend longitudinally along the length of fiber. The holes may be two or more D-shaped holes or truncated D-shaped holes arranged symmetrically around the care. In other embodiments, the holes comprise hole structures arranged symmetrically around the core in a ring. The holes may be arranged having the inner side facing the core formed from arcs of a circle, e.g. equal arcs of a circle. Between the arcs circular holes may be provided called capillaries, i.e. smaller holes. According to the present invention, any number of holes may surround the core, preferably three or more. The fiber has low loss at small bending radii.
A microstructured optical fiber having a doped solid core region and a cladding region, a plurality of holes being provided in the cladding region, being distanced from the core region and extending longitudinally along the length of fiber, wherein around at least one circle superimposed within the cladding region and centered on the core region, the holes comprise more than 70%, more than 80% or more than 90% or more than 95% of the total material along the circle.
A butt coupler for coupling light between ends of at least two optical fibers, the ends facing in substantially the same direction as each other, wherein the coupler comprises a length of light guide member curved around a radius of 5 mm or less, and holding means holding opposite ends of the light guide member at a distance from each other corresponding to the separation distance at which the respective ends of the said at least two optical fibers are to be coupled, wherein the said light guide member is a length of a microstructured optical fiber having a doped solid core region and a cladding region, a plurality of holes being provided in the cladding region, being distanced from the core region and extending longitudinally along the length of fiber, wherein around at least one circle superimposed within the cladding region and centered on the core region, the holes comprise more than 70%, more than 80% or more than 90% or more than 95% of the total material along the circle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.