Fused biconical taper fiber optic coupler station and fabrication techniques

US5339374A · kind A · utility

Assignees

• Center for Innovative Technology · US
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · US
• VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC. · US

Inventors

• Kent A. Murphy · Roanoke, US
• Michael Günther · Koblenzer Straße, DE
• Richard O. Claus · Blacksburg, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 26, 1993
• Grant date: Aug 16, 1994
• Expiry date: May 26, 2013

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/2856
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The fibers are bound together about 1 cm apart. An oxy-propane torch is used to heat the fibers so that they fuse together. At the same time, the two relatively movable translational stages to which the fibers are clamped are pulled apart to form a biconical tapered region in the fibers. The fibers are tapered until a desired coupling ratio is achieved. After the insertion loss is measured, the torch is reintroduced into the taper region and one side (e.g., the right side) of the taper region is rotated with a minimal increase in the taper length, i.e., the distance between the two stations is increased only enough to keep an even tension in the taper region.