Technique for realizing attenuators for optical fibers with attenuating fiber

• US 6,654,538 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2002
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Optotec SpA (Volcan Investments Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Optotec SpA (Volcan Investments Ltd.)
• Inventors: Manfredda, Giuseppe, Duca, Lucio
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wood, Kevin S
• Application Number:
  US10/083,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20020176686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 385/140, 385/126, 385/127
• US Class Current: 385/140
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/03627 arranged - +
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/266 the optical element being an attenuator

Abstract

The attenuator for optical fibers with attenuating fiber according to the present invention comprises an optical fiber having a profile of reflective index with partially depressed cladding, of a length equal to the one of the whole attenuator, drugged with chemical substances like ions of transition metals and elements of rare earth, for creating a uniform spectral attenuation in the field of wavelengths between 1260 nm to 1650 nm.

Claims

1. A compact optical attenuator, characterized in the use of an optical fibre of a length equal to the one of the whole attenuator, drugged with chemical substances like ions of transition metals and elements of rare earth, for creating a spectral attenuation sufficiently uniform in the field of wavelengths from 1260 nm to 1650 nm.

2. A compact optical attenuator according to claim 1, characterized in the use of said attenuated fibre with reflection index with a partially “

depressed”

cladding sufficiently great, such as to intrinsically attenuate the modes of higher level and to facilitate the elimination thereof in the most external cladding, as said fibre strongly reduces the modal interference and makes more uniform the spectral response of the attenuator in the field of the wavelengths according to claim 1.

3. An optical attenuator with a cord provided with connectors, characterized in that it contains an attenuated optical fibre according to claim 1, for the whole length thereof.

4. An optical attenuator according to claim 1, characterized in the presence of a controlled bending on the attenuated fibre for “

straightening”

the spectral feature of the attenuation towards the high wavelengths (between 1580 nm and 1650 nm), where the intrinsic attenuation of the attenuated fibre usually quickly dacays.

5. An optical attenuator according to claim 1, characterized in the presence of an attenuating cord provided with connectors.

6. An optical attenuator according to claim 1, characterized in the presence of an attenuating cord not provided with connectors.