Lensed fiber optic coupler
AssigneeMultiplex Company, Inc.
InventorNai Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one aspect, the invention is an optical fiber having a modified geometry. The optical fiber includes an optical fiber portion. The optical fiber portion can have a first fiber end face and a cylindrical fiber surface encircling the first fiber end face. The optical fiber having a modified geometry also includes a contoured surface formed from the first fiber end face. The contoured surface does not extend beyond the cylindrical fiber surface. A reflective coating disposed on the contoured surface and an optical transmission region formed from a portion of the cylindrical fiber surface are also included in the optical fiber having a modified geometry.
Claims20
An optical fiber having a modified geometry, the optical fiber comprising:
- an optical fiber portion, having a first fiber end face and a cylindrical fiber surface encircling the first fiber end face, wherein a circular cross-section of the optical fiber portion has a radius r;
- a contoured surface formed from the first fiber end face, the contoured surface and the optical fiber portion forming a first substantially cylindrical lens;
- a reflective coating disposed on the contoured surface;
- and
- an optical transmission region formed from a portion of the cylindrical fiber surface, wherein the optical transmission region is a portion of a cylindrical solid,
- the optical transmission region and the optical fiber portion forming a second substantially cylindrical lens.
A lensed optical fiber coupler comprising:
- an optical fiber, having at least one fiber end face and a cylindrical fiber surface encircling the at least one fiber end face;
- an optical transmission region formed from a portion of the cylindrical fiber surface, wherein the optical transmission region is a portion of a cylinder, the optical transmission region adapted to form a first substantially cylindrical lens;
- and
- a curved reflective surface formed from the at least one fiber end face, wherein the curved reflective surface focuses light towards a point along a transmission axis intersecting the curved reflective surface, the curved reflective surface adapted to form a second substantially cylindrical lens.
A fiber system comprising:
- a transmission fiber, wherein the transmission fiber comprises a transmission fiber core;
- a coupling fiber, wherein the coupling fiber comprises an optical fiber, having at least one fiber end face and a cylindrical fiber surface encircling the at least one fiber end face;
- an optical transmission region formed from a portion of the cylindrical fiber surface, wherein the optical transmission region is a portion of a cylinder, the optical transmission region forming a first substantially cylindrical lens;
- and
- a curved reflective surface formed from the at least one fiber end face, wherein the curved reflective surface focuses light towards a point along a transmission axis intersecting the curved reflective surface, the curved reflective surface forming a second substantially cylindrical lens.
A lensed optical fiber coupler comprising:
- a cylindrical optical fiber having a constant index of refraction, having a circular cross-section, a longitudinal z-axis, and
- a cylindrical fiber surface, wherein the circular cross-section is orthogonal to the longitudinal z-axis thereby defining a portion of a y-x plane;
- a substantially convex contoured surface, wherein a cross-section of the contoured surface observed in a z-x plane is a substantially cylindrical portion, a portion of the substantially convex contoured surface forms a first substantially cylindrical lens;
- a reflective coating disposed upon the contoured surface;
- and
- an optical transmission region formed from a portion of the cylindrical fiber surface, a portion of the optical transmission region forms a second substantially cylindrical lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.