Arrangement for detecting a branched off signal

• US 4,307,932 A
• Filed: 09/11/1978
• Issued: 12/29/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Winzer, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Application Number:
  US05/941,328
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 350/96.15, 350/96.16, 350/96.17, 350/96.29, 350/96.30, 350/96.20, 250/227, 357/30
• US Class Current: 385/48
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12104 Mirror; Reflectors or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2552 reshaping or reforming of light guides for coupling using thermal heating, e.g. tapering, forming of a lens on light guide ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/262 Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/264 with optical elements between opposed fibre ends which perform a function other than beam splitting having lens focusing means G02B6/32; utilising prism or grating G02B6/34
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2817 using reflective elements to split or combine optical signals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4206 Optical features G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/423 using guiding surfaces for the alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4286 Optical modules with optical power monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4289 by inducing bending, microbending or macrobending, to the light guide

Abstract

An arrangement for branching off a signal from an optical waveguide and detecting the signal with a detector characterized by the waveguide in the area of the detector being free of bends and having means, such as a notch or an entire separation, for forming a signal dispersing point located in the area of a window of the detector.

Claims

1. In an arrangement for branching off a signal from a fiber optical waveguide and detecting a signal with a detector having a detector window disposed adjacent one side of the waveguide, a portion of said waveguide having a portion in the area of said detector being free of bends and having means for forming a signal dispersing point located in the area of the detector window to scatter a part of the signal guided in the waveguide out of the waveguide and into the detector window, the improvements comprising said detector consisting of a semiconductor photo diode having a planar construction with a detector window lying in a two dimensional plane;

a photo sensitive layer contacting said window; and

a substrate for supporting said layer and diode, said photo sensitive layer in the vicinity of the detector window having a groove shaped aperture for receiving and engaging said portion of the waveguide having said means for forming the signal dispersing point, said means for forming the signal dispersing point comprising a separation extending through the waveguide to divide the waveguide into two sections with their ends aligned in abutting relationship with a gap between the ends and extending substantially cross-wise to the longitudinal axis of the waveguide, said photo sensitive layer having a bridge extending across said groove-shaped aperture and being received in the gap between the ends of the waveguide so that light scattered from the waveguide is received by said window.

2. In an arrangement according to claim 1, which includes the waveguide on a surface opposite the detector window having a reflective layer.

3. In an arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the planar photo diode is formed in the substrate, said photo sensitive layer being supported on said diode and substrate.

4. In an arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the photo sensitive layer is supported directly on the photo diode.

5. In an arrangement according to claim 3, which includes the waveguide on a surface opposite the photo diode having a reflective layer.

6. In an arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the photo sensitive layer is supported directly on said substrate, and said photo diode is supported on said photo sensitive layer opposite said substrate.

7. In an arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has a reflective layer, said photo sensitive layer being disposed directly on the reflective layer, and said photo diode being supported on the photo sensitive layer opposite to the substrate.

8. In an arrangement for branching off a signal from a fiber optical waveguide and detecting a signal with a detector having a detector window disposed adjacent one side of the waveguide, a portion of said waveguide having a portion in the area of said detector being free of bends and having means for forming a signal dispersing point located in the area of the detector window to scatter a part of the signal guided in the waveguide out of the waveguide and into the detector window, the improvements comprising said detector consisting of a semiconductor photo diode having a planar construction with a detector window lying in a two dimensional plane, a photo sensitive layer contacting said window and being directly supported on a substrate, and a spacing layer having an aperture being interposed between the photo sensitive layer and the photo diode with said aperture of the spacing layer being in the area of the detector window, said photo diode being supported by the spacing layer on a side of the photo sensitive layer opposite said substrate, said photo sensitive layer in the vicinity of the detector window having a groove-shaped aperture for receiving and engaging said portion of the waveguide having the means for forming the signal dispersing point so that light scattered from the waveguide is received by said window.

9. In an arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the means for forming a signal dispersing point consists of a notch extending in the surface of the waveguide adjacent said substrate and opposite said detector window.

10. In an arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the means forming a signal dispersing point consists of a separation extending through said waveguide to divide the waveguide into two sections with their ends being aligned in abutting relationship with a gap therebetween.

11. In an arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the gap extends substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the waveguide, and said photo sensitive layer has a bridge extending across said groove-shaped aperture in the area of the detector window, said bridge being received in the gap between the ends of said waveguide.

12. In an arrangement according to claim 8, which includes a reflective layer being disposed on the substrate and the photo sensitive layer being disposed directly on the reflective layer.

13. In an arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the means forming the signal dispersing point comprises a notch disposed on the circumference of the waveguide adjacent said reflective layer and opposite said detector window.

14. In an arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the means for forming a signal dispersing point comprises a separation extending through said waveguides to divide the waveguides into two sections with their ends aligned in abutting relationship with a gap therebetween.

15. In an arrangement according to claim 14, wherein said gap extends substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the waveguide, said photo sensitive layer having a bridge extending across the groove-shaped aperture in the photo sensitive layer in the area of the detector window, said bridge of material being received in said gap.