Optical fibers
AssigneePoint Source Limited
InventorsIan Peter Alcock, David James Pointer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The end face of an optical fiber 11 is polished at an angle to alter the cross-sectional dimensions of a light beam exiting the fiber through that end face to alter the cross-sectional circularity of the light beam after it has exited the fiber as compared to its cross-sectional circularity when it is in the fiber. For example, to increase the circularity of an exiting light beam, the angled fiber end face can be aligned such that the major axis of the sloping fiber end face is aligned with the major cross-sectional axis of the light beam in the fiber (i.e. perpendicular to the minor cross-sectional axis of the light beam in the fiber). This has the effect of reducing the length of the major cross-sectional axis of the light beam once it has exited the fiber.
Claims28
A method of processing an optical fibre, comprising:
- determining the circularity of a light beam exiting the optical fibre;
- and
- processing an end face of the optical fibre core to cause it to lie at an angle to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fibre on the basis of the determined circularity of a light beam exiting the fibre such that the circularity of a light beam exiting the fibre through that end face is altered.
A method of processing an optical fibre, comprising:
- processing one end face of the optical fibre core such that it lies at a first angle to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fibre to alter the circularity of a light beam exiting the optical fibre via the one end face;
- and
- processing the other end face of the optical fibre core such that it lies at a second angle to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fibre.
A method of processing an optical fibre, comprising:
- processing the generally planar ends of the fibre core to cause them to lie at angles such that the optical fibre can provide a substantially circular cross-sectioned light beam output from one end of the fibre and a non-circular cross-sectioned light beam output from the other end of the fibre.
A method of processing an optical fibre, comprising:
- determining the circularity of a light beam intended to be input to the optical fibre;
- determining the circularity the light beam will have when it is in the optical fibre;
- and
- processing an end face of the optical fibre core to cause it to lie at an angle to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fibre on the basis of the determined circularity of the light beam intended to be input to the optical fibre and on the basis of the determined circularity that the light beam will have when it is in the optical fibre.
A method of processing an optical fibre having a fibre core which will carry a non-circular cross-sectioned light beam, comprising:
- processing a generally planar end face of the optical fibre core to cause it to lie at an angle greater than 15 degrees relative to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fibre to alter the circularity of a light beam exiting the fibre.
A method of adjusting the circularity of a light beam emitted from an optical fibre, comprising:
- determining the natural degree of cross-sectional circularity of a light beam carried by the optical fibre;
- determining the degree of slope of the an face of the fibre core required to obtain a desired degree of cross-sectional circularity in a light beam emitted from the optical fibre through that end face;
- and
- processing the end face of the optical fibre core to obtain the determined degree of slope of the end face and the desired degree of cross-sectional circularity in a light beam emitted from the fibre through that end face.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.