Lensed optical fiber
AssigneeJDS Uniphase Corporation
InventorsEdmund L. Wolak, Lei Xu, Robert Lang, Tae J. Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microlens on the end of an optical fiber has reduced back reflections to a light source, such as a pump laser diode. In a particular embodiment, the microlens is lapped on two radii, at least one of which is offset from the center axis of the fiber, to form a point on the end of the fiber, thus reducing a surface for reflecting light back to the light source. In another embodiment, the microlens is formed with two different side surface angles to accommodate misalignment of the light source to the fiber mount. In another embodiment a Fresnel lens structure on the end of the fiber operates optically as an angled chisel lens.
Claims54
A lensed optical fiber comprising:
- a pointed microlens having
- a first surface with a first center of curvature offset from a center axis of the lensed optical fiber, and
- a second surface with a second center of curvature;
- the first surface intersecting the second surface to form a point.
A lensed optical fiber comprising:
- a pointed microlens having
- a first surface with a first center of curvature offset from a center axis of the lensed optical fiber, and
- a second surface with a second center of curvature offset from the center axis of the lensed optical fiber, the first surface intersecting the second surface to form a point so that a first tangent line from the first surface at the point and a second tangent line from the second surface at the point form an angle of between about 176-166 degrees.
A lensed optical fiber comprising:
- a fiber end
- a pointed doubly lensed microlens formed on the fiber end, the pointed doubly lensed microlens including
- a first lens structure formed on a first axis, and
- a second lens structure formed on a second axis, wherein at least one of the first lens structure and the second lens structure comes to a point.
A pointed doubly lensed optical fiber comprising:
- a first lens structure with a first lens edge having a first radius of curvature between about 12-22 microns;
- a second lens structure with a second lens edge having a second radius of curvature between about 5-11 microns, the first lens edge being essentially orthogonal to the second lens edge, wherein at least one of the first lens edge and the second lens edge is pointed.
A lensed optical fiber comprising:
- a pointed microlens having
- a chisel lens having an edge along an axis,
- a first side facet formed in a first plane essentially orthogonal to the edge of the chisel lens, and
- a second side facet formed in a second plane essentially orthogonal to the edge of the chisel lens, the first side facet intersecting the second side facet to form a point.
A lensed optical fiber comprising:
- a double-chisel lens having
- a first chisel structure formed on a first side of the double chisel lens, and
- a second chisel structure formed on a second side of the double chisel lens, the first chisel structure intersecting the second chisel structure to form
- a ridge separating the first side of the double chisel lens from the second side of the double chisel lens.
A lensed optical fiber comprising:
- a double-chisel lens having
- a first chisel structure with a first chisel edge forming a first angle between 2-12 degrees with a transverse plane orthogonal to a center axis of the lensed optical fiber, and
- a second chisel structure with a second chisel edge forming a second angle between 2-12 degrees with the transverse plane, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle by about 1-3 degrees.
A lensed optical fiber comprising:
- a double-chisel microlens having
- a first surface forming a first angle between about 2-12 degrees with a plane orthogonal to a center axis of the lensed optical fiber;
- and
- a second surface forming a second angle between about 2-12 degrees with the plane orthogonal to the center axis of the lensed optical fiber, the second angle being different from the first angle by between about 1-3 degrees.
A method of assembling an optical component, the method comprising:
- attaching a light source to a substrate;
- attaching a fiber mount to the substrate;
- placing an optical fiber with a microlens in the fiber mount in a first orientation;
- aligning the optical fiber in the first orientation to couple light from the light source to the microlens;
- measuring the light coupled to the optical fiber;
- then
- rotating the optical fiber essentially 180 degrees about a center axis of the optical fiber to a second orientation;
- aligning the optical fiber in the second orientation to couple light from the light source to the microlens;
- then
- measuring the light coupled to the optical fiber;
- then
- selecting a preferred orientation from the first orientation and the second orientation;
- and
- mounting the optical fiber in the preferred orientation in the fiber mount.
A lensed optical fiber comprising:
- an offset biconic lens having
- a center of curvature of a first axis of the offset biconic lens offset from a centerline of the lensed optical fiber.
A lensed optical fiber comprising:
- an angled biconic lens having
- a first lens axis angled to a centerline of the lensed optical fiber at an angle of between about 2-12 degrees.
A lensed optical fiber comprising:
- an angled chisel lens having
- a first radius of curvature at a first end of a chisel edge, and
- a second radius of curvature at a second end of the chisel edge, the first radius being different from the second radius.
A lensed optical fiber comprising:
- an angled chisel lens having
- a first radius of curvature at a first end of a chisel edge, the first end of the chisel edge being proximate to
- a cutaway portion of the lensed optical fiber, and
- a second radius of curvature at a second end of the chisel edge, the second radius of curvature being at least 1.1 times greater than the first radius of curvature.
A microlens integrally formed on an optical fiber, the microlens comprising:
- an angled chisel lens with
- a chisel edge having a major axis of a focusing structure forming an angle with a center axis of the optical fiber, the focusing structure having
- a first sectional profile at a first end of the chisel edge, and
- a second sectional profile at a second end of the chisel edge.
A microlens integrally formed on an optical fiber, the microlens comprising:
- a chisel-shaped end of the optical fiber having a chisel edge;
- and
- a Fresnel lens structure formed on the chisel edge.
A single-mode optical fiber comprising:
- a flat fiber end;
- a binary lens formed on the flat fiber end, the binary lens being optically equivalent to an angled chisel lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.