Optical fiber with variable absorption
AssigneeLumentum Operations LLC
InventorsVincent PETIT, Martin H. MUENDEL
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical fiber may comprise a core doped with one or more active ions to guide signal light from an input end of the optical fiber to an output end of the optical fiber, a cladding surrounding the core to guide pump light from the input end of the optical fiber to the output end of the optical fiber, and one or more inserts formed in the cladding surrounding the core. The core may have a geometry (e.g., a cross-sectional size, a helical pitch, and/or the like) that varies along a longitudinal length of the optical fiber, which may cause an absorption of the pump light to be modulated along the longitudinal length of the optical fiber.
Claims22
An optical fiber, comprising:
- a core doped with one or more active ions to guide signal light from an input end of the optical fiber to an output end of the optical fiber;
- a cladding surrounding the core to guide pump light from the input end of the optical fiber to the output end of the optical fiber;
- and
- one or more inserts formed in the cladding surrounding the core,
- wherein the core has a geometry that varies along a longitudinal length of the optical fiber, and
- wherein the geometry of the core is varied along the longitudinal length of the optical fiber to cause an absorption of the pump light to be modulated along the longitudinal length of the optical fiber.
A method, comprising:
- forming, in a preform comprising a core region and a cladding region surrounding the core region, one or more holes in the cladding region;
- and
- drawing the preform to form an optical fiber comprising a core formed in the core region, a cladding formed in the cladding region, and one or more inserts formed in the one or more holes,
- wherein drawing the preform comprises varying a geometry of the one or more inserts along a longitudinal length of the optical fiber while drawing the preform.
A method, comprising:
- forming, in a preform comprising a core region and a cladding region surrounding the core region, one or more holes in the cladding region;
- and
- drawing the preform to form an optical fiber comprising a core formed in the core region, a cladding formed in the cladding region, and one or more inserts formed in the one or more holes,
- wherein drawing the preform comprises varying a geometry of the core along a longitudinal length of the optical fiber while drawing the preform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.