Index matched grating inscription
AssigneeOFS Fitel, LLC
InventorsKenneth S. Feder, Paul S. Westbrook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosed embodiments provide systems and methods for mitigating lensing and scattering as an optical fiber is being inscribed with a grating. The disclosed systems and methods mitigate the lensing phenomenon by surrounding an optical fiber with an index-matching material that is held in a vessel with a sealed phase mask. The sealed phase mask allows it to be in contact with a liquid index-matching material without having the liquid index-matching material seep into the grooves of the sealed phase mask. Thus, for some embodiments, the sealed phase mask may be immersed in a liquid index-matching material without adversely affecting the function of the phase mask.
Claims19
A system, comprising:
- a liquid index-matching material having a refractive index that substantially matches a refractive index of an optical fiber;
- a vessel to hold the liquid index-matching material, the vessel comprising a passage for the optical fiber such that the optical fiber is surrounded by the liquid index-matching material;
- and
- a sealed phase mask optically coupled to the passage, the sealed phase mask to generate an interferogram from incoming actinic radiation, the interferogram to inscribe a grating on the optical fiber.
A mask, comprising:
- a substantially-transparent medium;
- and
- index modulations within the substantially-transparent medium, the index modulations to generate a pattern when irradiated by a radiation source, the pattern to inscribe a grating on an optical fiber.
A mask, comprising:
- a substantially transparent medium;
- grooves located on a surface of the substantially-transparent medium, the grooves to generate an interferogram when irradiated by a radiation source, the interferogram to inscribe a grating on an optical fiber;
- and
- a cover to seal the grooves, the cover being located on the surface of the substantially-transparent medium.
A mask, comprising:
- an index-matching material;
- and
- a substantially-transparent medium comprising a surface, the surface being in contact with the index-matching material, the substantially-transparent medium further comprising index modulations located below the surface, the index modulations to generate a pattern when irradiated by a radiation source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.