Polarization preserving optical fiber and method of manufacturing
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorsStephen C. Rand, Joseph A. Wysocki
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Abstract
An improved polarization preserving birefringent fiber optic member is provided having cross-sectional circular cladding and core members of soft glasses. A metallic coating of an approximately circular configuration, that is offset from the axis of the core and cladding members, is provided with sufficient thickness to provide an anisotropic variation in compressional strain on the core member to create the anisotropy of the refracted index of the core member for preserving polarization characteristics. The optical fiber can be formed by heating a mechanical composite of a core rod and cladding tube, drawing the core and cladding to form a fused fiber and transporting the drawn fiber through a coating bath to provide the variation in thickness.
Claims12
An improved polarization preserving elongated birefringent fiber optic member comprising:
- a cross-sectional circular core member formed of soft glass and having an anisotropic index of refraction;
- a cross-sectional circular cladding surrounding the core member, and
- a metallic coating on the cladding with a variation in thickness about the cladding to provide an anisotropic compressional strain on the core member to create the anisotropy of the refractive index of the core member.
An improved polarization preserving birefringent fiber optic member comprising:
- a cross-sectional circular core member formed of a soft glass having an anisotropic index of refraction;
- a cross-sectional circular cladding, concentric to the core member and formed of a soft glass;
- an outer cross-sectional circular jacket coating with a variation in thickness about the cladding is positioned, non-concentric to the core member, to provide an anisotropic compressional strain on the core member to create the anisotropy of the refractive index of the core member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.