Methods of forming a TIR optical fiber lens
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorKlaus Hartkorn
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Abstract
Methods of forming a total-internal-reflection (TIR) optical fiber lens are disclosed. The methods include heating an end of an optical fiber with a defocused infrared laser beam to form a bulbous tip having a curved outer surface that defines a lens surface. The bulbous tip is laser cleaved to define a TIR facet. Light traveling in the fiber diverges at an effective fiber end and is reflected by the TIR facet through the lens surface to form an image at an image plane.
Claims19
A method of forming a faceted total-internal-reflection (TIR) optical fiber lens on an end of an optical fiber having a first axis and a core and a cladding, comprising:
- heating the fiber end to form a bulbous tip and an effective fiber end at a first location adjacent the bulbous tip;
- allowing the bulbous tip to cool, the bulbous tip having a refractive index, a center and a curved outer surface;
- laser cleaving the cooled bulbous tip to form a facet that intersects the first axis at a facet angle θ that defines the facet as a TIR surface;
- and
- heating a portion of the optical fiber immediately adjacent the first location to blend the core and cladding to move the effective fiber end to a second location that is farther away from the bulbous tip than the first location.
A method of forming a faceted total-internal-reflection (TIR) optical fiber lens on an end of an optical fiber having a first axis, a core and a cladding, comprising:
- heating the fiber end with a defocused infrared laser beam to form a bulbous tip and an effective fiber end at a first location adjacent the bulbous tip, the bulbous tip having a refractive index, a center and a curved outer surface having a radius of curvature R, wherein 70 μm≦R≦500 μm;
- allowing the bulbous tip to cool;
- and
- laser cleaving the bulbous tip to define a TIR facet for light traveling along the first axis, wherein the curved outer surface and the refractive index define a focal length f of the TIR lens, wherein 100 μm≦f≦200 μm;
- and
- heating a portion of the optical fiber immediately adjacent the first location to blend the core and cladding to move the effective fiber end to a second location that is farther away from the bulbous tip than the first location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.