Fiber optic mode scrambler and a method of manufacturing thereof
AssigneeRofin-Sinar Laser GmbH
InventorsArto Salokatve, Jari Näppi
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Abstract
A fiber optic mode scrambler includes a multi-mode optical fiber formed with a core and a cladding around the core and a non-adiabatic cross-sectional shape change zone in the optical fiber. The fiber further has a bending region extending over a length of the optical fiber. The optical fiber has a non-zero curvature at the bending region and a device for maintaining the curvature of the optical fiber at the bending region. Mode scramblers can be provided that are accurately adjusted to match with different desired optical characteristics. A well-controlled manufacturing method for the mode scrambler is also described.
Claims20
1-16. (canceled)
A fiber optic mode scrambler, comprising:
- a multi-mode optical fiber formed of a core and a cladding around said core;
- a non-adiabatic cross-sectional shape change zone in said optical fiber;
- a bending region extending over a length of said optical fiber, said optical fiber having a non-zero curvature at said bending region;
- and
- a device for maintaining said curvature of said optical fiber at said bending region.
A method of manufacturing an optical mode scrambler, comprising:
- providing an optical fiber having a core and cladding around the core;
- providing at least one zone capable of causing non-adiabatic optical mode mixing of multi-mode light travelling in the optical fiber;
- bending the optical fiber on at least one bending region;
- simultaneously with the bending, injecting laser light into the optical fiber and measuring characteristics of the light passing the at least one bending region;
- and
- when a predefined light characteristic has been achieved, immobilizing the optical fiber at the bending region so as to form a tuned optical mode scrambler.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.