Temperature stabilization of tapered fiber optic components
First Claim
1. A temperature stabilized tapered fiber optic component formed by fusion and/or tapering of optical fibers creating a taper profile with a mechanical phase dependence and a predetermined wavelength response, which component is strongly bonded at its extremities to a rigid substrate made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient greater than quartz and producing a mechanical stress adapted to compensate for any modal phase shift of the component due to temperature variation by matching substrate elongation response to the component wavelength response, and/or wherein the mechanical phase dependence of the component is adjusted in relation to the substrate to provide a desired temperature compensating effect.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A temperature stabilized tapered fiber optic component is produced, such as a fiber optic coupler or a fiber optic filter. In the case of the component such as a coupler, at least two fibers are fused and tapered to achieve a desired taper profile with suitable mechanical and wavelength properties. In the case of a component such as a fiber filter, only one fiber is tapered. Once the component is formed, it is solidly secured to a rigid substrate that produces a mechanical stress such as to compensate for any modal phase shift of the component due to temperature variation. Also, the mechanical phase dependence of the component may be adjusted in relation to the substrate to provide the desired temperature compensating effect. Preferably, both these features are used to achieve the best possible temperature stabilization.
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Citations
16 Claims
- 1. A temperature stabilized tapered fiber optic component formed by fusion and/or tapering of optical fibers creating a taper profile with a mechanical phase dependence and a predetermined wavelength response, which component is strongly bonded at its extremities to a rigid substrate made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient greater than quartz and producing a mechanical stress adapted to compensate for any modal phase shift of the component due to temperature variation by matching substrate elongation response to the component wavelength response, and/or wherein the mechanical phase dependence of the component is adjusted in relation to the substrate to provide a desired temperature compensating effect.
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9. Method of temperature stabilization of tapered fiber optic components, which comprises:
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(a) fusing and/or tapering optical fibers to form a tapered fiber optic component having a taper profile with a mechanical phase dependence and a predetermined wavelength response;
(b) firmly securing said component to a rigid substrate by strongly bonding it to the substrate at each end of the component;
(c) selecting a material for said substrate that has a thermal expansion coefficient greater than quartz and produces a predetermined mechanical stress such as to compensate for any modal phase shift of the component due to temperature variation; and
/or(d) adjusting the mechanical phase dependence of the component in relation to the substrate to provide a desired temperature compensating effect without significantly affecting the wavelength response of the component. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification