Concentric core optical fiber coupler

• US 4,465,335 A
• Filed: 10/12/1982
• Issued: 08/14/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Eppes, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FONT, FRANK G
• Application Number:
  US06/433,756
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 350/96.15, 350/96.21, 350/96.33
• US Class Current: 385/51
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2804 forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods

Abstract

A method for constructing and the resulting structural configuration of annput coupler for a concentric core optical fiber comprises removing the outer protective material of a concentric core optical fiber to expose the outer core back a predetermined distance from the end which includes the intermediate protective material or cladding and the inner core. A plurality of single core optical fibers are stripped so that their respective cores are exposed whereupon they are bonded to the exposed outer core by a transparent index matching epoxy, which bonding is located at the transition region where the exposed outer core begins and the outer cladding ends. The outer end of the concentric core fiber element including the intermediate protective material and the inner core is cleaved and at least one other single core optical element is cleaved and bonded in end to end abutting relationship with the inner core by transparent index matching epoxy. Additionally, opaque material is located on either side of the bonds to attenuate any optical energy not coupled between the cores.

Claims

1. A fiber optical coupler, comprising in combination:

a concentric core optical fiber element having coaxial inner and outer light conducting cores separated by intermediate cladding material and having external cladding material over said outer core;

a region of said concentric core optical element where said external cladding material is removed exposing a predetermined length of said outer core;

at least one single core optical fiber element having a light conducting core and external cladding covering said core;

a region of said at least one single core element where said respective external cladding is removed exposing a predetermined length of said single core, said length of said single core thus exposed being bonded to and optically matched to the length of said exposed outer core of said concentric core element; and

at least one other single core optical fiber element having a single light conducting core and external cladding and wherein the end of said respective single core has a numerical aperture substantially equal to and bonded to said inner core of said concentric core element.

2. The optical coupler as defined by claim 1 wherein the end of said single core of said at least one other optical fiber element is bonded in end to end abutting relationship with the end of said inner core of said concentric core element.

3. The coupler as defined by claim 2 wherein said at least one other single core optical fiber element and said inner core and intermediate cladding material of said concentric core element are respectively cleaved to provide substantially flat end surfaces which are bonded together by an optically matched bonding compound.

4. The fiber optical coupler as defined by claim 1 wherein said exposed length of said outer core is located at one end of said concentric core optical fiber element and additionally including a transition region between the exposed outer core and the external cladding material and wherein the single core of said at least one single core optical fiber element is bonded to said outer core in relatively close proximity to said transition region.

5. The fiber optical coupler as defined by claim 4 wherein said at least one single core optical fiber element comprises a plurality of single core optical fiber elements each having a single light conducting core and external cladding covering said each respective core, and wherein each of said plurality of single core optical fiber elements have respective regions where the respective external cladding is removed exposing a respective predetermined length of each single core, and wherein each core is bonded and optically matched to the length of said outer core of said concentric core element adjacent said transition region.

6. The optical fiber coupler as defined by claim 5 wherein said plurality of single cores are bonded to said outer core of said concentric core element by means of a substantially transparent epoxy compound which is optically matched to the cores bonded to said outer core thereby.

7. The fiber optical coupler as defined by claim 6 and additionally including an opaque material on said external cladding material adjacent the bonded cores for absorbing extraneous optical energy not coupled between the outer core and the respective cores of said plurality of single core fiber elements.

8. The fiber optical coupler as defined by claim 7 wherein said at least one other single core optical fiber element is bonded in end to end abutting relationship with said inner core at the end of said inner core, said end of said inner core being spaced apart from transition region where the plurality of single cores are bonded to said outer core.

9. The optical coupler as defined by claim 8 and additionally including opaque material located on said intermediate cladding material intermediate the bond between said outer core and said plurality of single cores of said plurality of single core elements bonded thereto and the bond between said at least one other single core optical fiber element and said inner core.

10. The optical coupler as defined by claim 9 and wherein said concentric core optical fiber element additionally includes a plastic outer coating over said external cladding and wherein said plastic coating is removed for exposing a predetermined length of said external cladding which is greater than said predetermined length of said exposed outer core.

11. The optical coupler as defined by claim 10 wherein said at least one other single core optical fiber bonded in end to end abutting relationship with said inner core comprises a plurality of single core optical fiber elements cleaved and bonded in end to end relationship with said inner core.

12. A method for coupling at least one single core optical fiber to each core of a dual concentric core optical fiber having coaxial inner and outer cores separated by intermediate cladding and including external cladding and a plastic coating over the outer core, comprising the steps of:

removing the plastic coating for a first length at one end of the concentric core optical fiber and exposing the external cladding;

removing the external cladding for a second and smaller length relative to said first length to expose the outer core of said concentric core optical fiber;

exposing the core of at least one single core fiber;

positioning and bonding said core of said single core fiber against the exposed outer core with an index matching bonding agent at a predetermined point back from said end of said concentric core fiber;

applying opaque material adjacent the location of bonding for absorbing extraneous optical power not coupled between the outer core and said core of at least one single core fiber;

exposing the core of at least one other single core fiber having a numerical aperture substantially matching that of the inner core of said concentric core optical fiber;

positioning and bonding the core of said at least one other single core fiber in end to end relationship with the inner core and wherein said bonding is effected with an index matching agent; and

applying opaque material between the location of the inner core bond and the outer core bond for absorbing extraneous optical power not coupled between the core of said at least one other single core fiber and the inner core.

13. The method as defined by claim 12 wherein said steps of bonding with an index matching bonding agent comprises bonding with an epoxy compound which is substantially optically clear.

14. The method as defined by claim 12 wherein said steps of applying an opaque material comprises applying a substantially black stripping compound.

15. The method as defined by claim 12 and additionally including the step of encapsulating the cores thus bonded together in a predetermined type of encapsulating material for providing a structure having physical durability and which prevents breakage of the exposed fibers.

16. The method as defined by claim 12 wherein said step of exposing the core of at least one single core fiber comprises the step of exposing the respective cores of a plurality of single core fibers, and

wherein said step of positioning and bonding against the exposed outer core comprises the step of positioning and bonding the cores of said plurality of single core fibers around the outer surface of said exposed outer core.

17. The method as defined by claim 16 wherein said plurality of single core fibers are comprised of single core fibers having outer cladding material and additionally including the step of removing said outer cladding material of said plurality of fibers for exposing predetermined lengths of the respective cores prior to positioning and bonding said cores against the exposed outer surface of the outer core of said concentric core fiber.

18. The method as defined by claim 12 wherein said step of positioning and bonding the core of at least one other single core fiber to the inner core comprises cleaving said at least one other single core fiber and the inner core to provide a substantially flat cleaved surface whereby said surfaces are abutted together and bonded.

19. The method as defined by claim 12 wherein said step of positioning and bonding the core of at least one other single core fiber in end to end relationship with said inner core comprises the additional step of precisely aligning the core ends in mutually abutting relationship.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of positioning and bonding the core of at least one other single core fiber in end to end relationship with said inner core comprises the step of cleaving a plurality of other single core fibers and said inner core and bonding the cleaved ends of said plurality of other single core fibers to the cleaved end of said inner core.

21. The method as defined by claim 12 wherein said step of positioning and bonding the core of at least one other single core fiber and said inner core comprises the additional step of aligning and abutting the ends of said cores followed by bonding their mutual ends together with a transparent epoxy compound.