Optical fiber coupling method and apparatus

US4523810A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• Willis C. Goss · Altadena, US
• Mark D. Nelson · Satellite Beach, US
• John McLauchlan · Pasadena, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 26, 1982
• Grant date: Jun 18, 1985
• Expiry date: Jan 26, 2002

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S359/90
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Systems are described for coupling a pair of optical fibers to pass light between them, which enables a coupler to be easily made, and with simple equipment, while closely controlling the characteristics of the coupler. One method includes mounting a pair of optical fibers (12A, 14A) on a block (26) having a large hole (28) therein, so the fibers extend across the hole while lying adjacent and parallel to one another. The fibers are immersed in an etchant (40) to reduce the thickness of cladding (20) around the fiber core (18). The fibers are joined together by applying a liquid polymer (16, FIG. 6) so the polymer-air interface moves along the length of the fibers to bring the fibers together in a zipper-like manner, and to progressively lay a thin coating of the polymer on the fibers.