Optical fiber, having on at least one of its frontal extremities a plano-convex microlens joined with its plane face to said frontal extremity
US4380365A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 23, 1980 |
| Grant date | Apr 19, 1983 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 23, 2000 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S359/90
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical fiber has an end face adjoining the flat side of a plano-convex microlens of spherical curvature made from thermoplastic material. The microlens, overlying at least the entire cross-sectional area of the fiber core at that end face, is produced by juxtaposing a substantially spherical microball with that end face, heating the microball--preferably by a pulsed laser beam--to a temperature at which it deforms and spreads over the fiber face, and letting it cool. Also disclosed is an optimum numerical relationship between the radius of curvature of the convex surface of the microlens and the distance of its apex from a virtual point source, such as a laser, illuminating that microlens with a divergent beam.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.