OPTICAL FIBER STRUCTURE WITH FILTERING THIN FILM

• US 20110026892A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Huang, Chien-Ming, Jhang, Yao-Wun, Lin, Shih-Ting, Su, Hsin-Chia, Hu, Chieh
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/131
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2726 in or on light guides, e.g. polarisation means assembled in a light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/276 Removing selected polarisation component of light, i.e. polarizers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29368 Light guide comprising the filter, e.g. filter deposited on a fibre end G02B6/29359 takes precedence

Abstract

An optical fiber with filtering thin film includes a first ferrule having a first through hole and a first contact surface. A first fiber is disposed into the first through hole, extending to the first contact surface. A first interface coupling material is between the first ferrule and the first fiber. A second ferrule has a second through hole and a second contact surface. A second fiber is disposed into the second through hole, extending to the second contact surface. A second interface coupling material is between the second ferrule and the second fiber. The first contact surface and the second contact surface are parallel and have an included tilt angle from a perpendicular transverse plane of first fiber. An optical filtering film is disposed between the first contact surface and the second contact surface. The first fiber and the second fiber are aligned.

Claims

1. An optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film, comprising:

a first fiber-solder-ferrule, having a first through hole and a first contact surface;

a first fiber segment, disposed into the first through hole and extending to the first contact surface, wherein a first interface coupling material is located in the first through hole between the first fiber-solder-ferrule and the first fiber segment;

a second fiber-solder-ferrule, having a second through hole and a second contact surface;

a second fiber segment, disposed into the second through hole and extending to the second contact surface, wherein a second interface coupling material is located in the second through hole between the second fiber-solder-ferrule and the second fiber segment, wherein the first contact surface and the second contact surface are parallel to each other and have a tilt angle towards a perpendicular cross-section of the first fiber segment; and

a filtering thin film, disposed between the first contact surface and the second contact surface, wherein the first fiber segment and the second fiber segment are aligned with each other.

2. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the materials of the first interface coupling material and the second interface coupling material are silicate or sol-gel.

3. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filtering thin film comprises:

an optical thin film, plated on the first contact surface; and

an adhesion layer, disposed on the second contact surface and adhering to the

filtering thin film.

4. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 3, wherein a total thickness of the filtering thin film and the adhesion layer has an upper limit value:

L_core*θ

_NA*5%3,

wherein L_core represents the diameter of a core fiber of the first fiber segment and θ

_NA represents an angle of numerical aperture of the core fiber relative to a cladding fiber of the first fiber segment.

5. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filtering thin film comprises a silicon oxide film layer and an adhesion layer in contact, and the adhesion layer is for coupling the first fiber-solder-ferrule with the second fiber-solder-ferrule.

6. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 5, wherein the material of the adhesion layer is silicate or sol-gel.

7. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 1, wherein an incident angle of the first fiber segment is not greater than θ

_NA, wherein θ

_NA is an angle of numerical aperture of a core fiber of the first fiber segment relative to a cladding fiber.

8. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tilt angle of the first contact surface is to make the light incident from the first fiber segment substantially reflected.

9. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 8, wherein the tilt angle of the first contact surface is about 0°

-8°

.

10. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tilt angle of the first contact surface is to make the light incident from the first fiber segment go through the second fiber segment and polarized.

11. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 10, wherein the tilt angle of the first contact surface is about 30°

-78°

.

12. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tilt angle of the first contact surface is to make the light incident from the first fiber segment substantially allowed to partially go through the first contact surface and enter the second fiber segment, wherein the going through light occupies only a waveband of the incident light.

13. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 12, wherein the tilt angle of the first contact surface is about 8°

-70°

.

14. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first contact surface and the second contact surface are respectively a lapped surface.

15. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 14, wherein the filtering thin film comprises at least an optical thin film contacting the first contact surface, and the thickness of the optical thin film is about less than 120 nm.

16. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filtering thin film comprises:

a plurality of layers of optical thin films having a front optical thin film contacting the first contact surface and a rear optical thin film; and

an adhesion layer, located between the rear optical thin film and the second contact surface and functioning to make the first fiber-solder-ferrule and the second fiber-solder-ferrule fixed by each other.

17. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 16, wherein the material of the adhesion layer is silicate or sol-gel.

18. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 16, wherein the thickness of the optical thin film is about greater than 120 nm.

19. An optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film, comprising:

a fiber-solder-ferrule, having a through hole and an end-face;

a fiber, disposed into the through hole and extending to the end-face, wherein there is an interface coupling material located in the through hole between the fiber-solder-ferrule and the fiber; and

a filtering thin film, disposed on the end-face,

wherein the end-face has an angle towards a perpendicular cross-section of the fiber-solder-ferrule.

20. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 19, wherein the included angle between the end-face and the perpendicular cross-section is specified within a range so that the most part of the incident light from the fiber is reflected by the filtering thin film.

21. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 20, wherein the angle range is about 0°

-8°

.

22. The optical fiber structure with a filtering thin film as claimed in claim 20, wherein the outermost layer of the filtering thin film is silicon oxide film.