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US 6,674,943 B2Granted
Modified PM tap couplers
AssigneeJDS Uniphase Corporation
InventorsAndrew Richard Rider, Andrew Robertson
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Abstract
A fused optical coupler has a PM and a non-PM fiber with equal clad diameters. The fibers are plaited together without applying torsional force on either fiber, fused and stretched to a degree resulting in a tap ratio not more than 10% and PER higher than about 20 dB.
Claims11
A method for producing a fused coupler, the method comprising:
- providing a PM fiber and a non-PM fiber, the two fibers having a substantially equal clad diameter,
- plaiting the two fibers together substantially without applying torsional force on either fiber, with random orientation of the principal polarization axes of the PM fiber relative to the non-PM fiber, and then
- tapering and fusing the fibers together to a degree such that the tap ratio of the coupler is not more than about 10% and the PER of the coupler is at least about 20 dB.
A fused optical coupler comprising:
- a PM fiber having a core and two principal polarization axes, and
- a non-PM fiber having a core,
- the PM and non-PM fibers having substantially equal clad diameters, the principal axes of the PM fiber arranged randomly relative to the non-PM fiber,
- the fibers elongated to a degree such that the coupler exhibits a tap ratio less than about 10% and polarization extinction ratio (PER) higher than about 20 dB.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.