Fibre optic couplers
AssigneeAOFR Pty. Limited
InventorsMartin C. Elias, Scott A. Johnston, Mark R. Hesling
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fused fiber optic 1×4 or 2×4 coupler in which four optical fiber segments (A, B, C, D) extend longitudinally beside each other in a coupling region in which the fiber segments are at least partially fused together to form an assembly exhibiting a close packed cross section in which the fiber cores (11) are centered substantially at the corners of a four sided polygon having a pair or opposite internal acute angles substantially less than 90°.
Claims50
A fused fiber optic 1×4 or 2×4 coupler in which four optical fibre segments extend longitudinally beside each other in a coupling region in which the fibre segments are at least partially fused together to form an assembly exhibiting a close packed cross-section in which the fibre cores are centered substantially at the corners of a four-sided polygon having a pair of opposite internal acute angles substantially less than 90°.
A fused fibre optic 1×4 or 2×4 coupler in which four optical fibre segments extend longitudinally beside each other in a coupling region in which the fibre segments are at least partially fused together to form an assembly exhibiting a close packed cross-section in which the centre-to-centre spacings of each of the cores of two of the fibre segments from the other three cores are similar.
A fused fibre optic 1×4 or 2×4 coupler in which four optical fibre segments extend longitudinally beside each other in a coupling region in which the fibre segments are at least partially fused together to form an assembly exhibiting a close packed cross-section in which two of the fibre segments are mutually adjacent and lie between the other two.
A method of forming a 1×4 or 2×4 fused fibre optic coupler comprising:
- disposing four optical fibre segments so that they extend longitudinally beside each other in a cross-sectional array in which the fibre cores are centered substantially at the corners of a four-sided polygon having a pair of opposite internal acute angles substantially less than 90°;
- while maintaining the fibre segments under tension, and with those segments on the shorter diagonal of the polygon preferably under greater tension than the other two segments, applying twist to the fibre segments to form a twisted assembly of the fibre segments;
- heating at least a portion of the twisted assembly and at least partly fusing the fibre segments together while drawing the fibre segments longitudinally, whereby to form a coupling region in which the assembly is twisted.
A fused fibre optic 1×4 or 2×4 coupler comprising
- four optical fibre segments that extend longitudinally beside each other in a coupling region, the fibre segments being at least partially fused together to form an assembly in which the fibre cores are centered at the corners of a four-sided polygon, wherein coupling ratios for each of the fibres fall within 0.19 to 0.30 for wavelength bands of 1260 to 1360 nm and 1430 to 1580 nm.
A method of forming a 1×4 or 2×4 fused fibre optic coupler, comprising steps of:
- disposing four optical fibre segments so that they extend longitudinally beside each other in an assembly in which the fiber cores are centered at the corners of a four-sided polygon;
- and
- at least partially fusing the four optical fibre segments in a coupling region;
- wherein, upon completion of the formation of the fibre optic coupler, the four optical fibre segments have coupling ratios for each of the fibres that fall within 0.19 to 0.30 for wavelength bands of 1260 to 1360 nm and 1430 to 1580 nm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.