Fiber optic corporate power divider/combiner and method

• US 5,377,287 A
• Filed: 12/19/1991
• Issued: 12/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jar J., Tsuda, George I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOVERNICK, RODNEY B
• Application Number:
  US07/811,591
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 385/35, 385/31, 359/741, 359/619
• US Class Current: 385/35
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2848 having refractive means, e.g. imaging elements between light guides as splitting, branching and/or combining devices, e.g. lenses, holograms

Abstract

A fiber optic corporate power divider/combiner for use in fiber optic systems is provided. When functioning as an optical divider, the invention includes a dielectric lens for converting incoming optical energy from a divergent spherical wave to a plane wave. A micro-lens array in optical alignment with the dielectric lens functions to partition and focus the plane wave to provide a coherent phase optical dot pattern. A fiber bundle is provided to receive and uniformly distribute the coherent phase optical dot pattern. When functioning as an optical combiner, the invention includes the micro-lens array to convert an incoming coherent phase optical dot pattern from a plurality of divergent spherical waves to a plane wave. The dielectric lens optically aligned with the micro-lens array receives and converts the plane wave to a convergent spherical wave and a single optical fiber receives and transforms the convergent spherical wave into parallel rays for transmission. In a preferred embodiment, the dielectric lens comprises a single hyperbolic lens which is in juxtaposition to a plurality of hyperbolic lenses forming the micro-lens array. The number of lenses in the micro-lens array is equal to the number of optical fibers in the bundle for permitting optimum transmission of optical energy.

Claims

1. An optical divider comprising:

dielectric lens means for converting incoming optical energy from a divergent spherical wave to a plane wave;

micro-lens means in optical alignment with said dielectric lens means for partitioning and focusing said plane wave to provide a coherent phase optical dot pattern; and

means for receiving and uniformly distributing said coherent phase optical dot pattern;

wherein said micro-lens means comprises a plurality of concentrically positioned micro-lenses with the outer concentric lenses being larger than the inner concentric lenses to compensate for non-uniform optical power density.

2. The optical divider of claim 1 wherein said dielectric lens means comprises a hyperbolic lens.

3. The optical divider of claim 2 wherein said hyperbolic lens includes a hyperbolic surface on a first side and a flat surface on a second side.

4. The optical divider of claim 1 wherein said micro-lens means comprises a micro-lens array.

5. The optical divider of claim 4 wherein said micro-lens array comprises a plurality of equally sized hyperbolic lenses each having a hyperbolic surface on a first side and a flat surface on a second side.

6. The optical divider of claim 1 wherein said optical fiber means includes a concave spherical end to diverge said optical energy.

7. The optical divider of claim 1 wherein said receiving and distributing means comprises a bundle of optical fibers.

8. An optical combiner comprising:

micro-lens means for converting an incoming coherent phase optical dot pattern from a plurality of divergent spherical waves to a plane wave;

dielectric lens means in optical alignment with said micro-lens means to receive and convert said plane wave to a convergent spherical wave; and

means for receiving and transmitting said convergent spherical wave;

wherein said micro-lens means comprises a plurality of concentrically positioned micro-lenses with the outer concentric lenses being larger than the inner concentric lenses to compensate for non-uniform optical power density.

9. The optical combiner of claim 8 wherein said micro-lens means comprises a micro-lens array.

10. The optical combiner of claim 9 wherein said micro-lens array comprises a plurality of equally sized hyperbolic lenses each having a hyperbolic surface on a first side and a flat surface on a second side.

11. The optical combiner of claim 8 wherein said dielectric lens means comprises a hyperbolic lens.

12. The optical combiner of claim 11 wherein said hyperbolic lens includes a hyperbolic surface on a first side and a flat surface on a second side.

13. The optical combiner of claim 8 wherein each fiber of said bundle of optical fibers includes a concave spherical end to diverge the optical energy of said coherent phase optical dot pattern.

14. The optical combiner of claim 8 wherein said receiving and transmitting means comprises an optical fiber.