High efficiency pump signal combiner for high power fiber amplifier and laser applications
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G02B-006/255
G02B-006/40
G02B-006/04
G02B-006/245
H01S-003/094
C03C-025/68
C03C-025/00
출원번호
US-0937104
(2015-11-10)
등록번호
US-9696493
(2017-07-04)
발명자
/ 주소
Bansal, Lalitkumar
Headley, Clifford E
출원인 / 주소
OFS FITEL, LLC
대리인 / 주소
Jacobs & Kim LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
11
초록▼
A high efficiency optical combiner minimizes core region distortions in the area where fusion splicing between an input tapered fiber bundle (or any other type of “cladding-less” input fiber) and output fiber are joined. The thickness of the output fiber's glass cladding layer in the splice region i
A high efficiency optical combiner minimizes core region distortions in the area where fusion splicing between an input tapered fiber bundle (or any other type of “cladding-less” input fiber) and output fiber are joined. The thickness of the output fiber's glass cladding layer in the splice region is reduced (if not removed altogether) so that a core-to-core splice is formed and any necked-down region where the glass flows to join the core regions (while also joining the outer diameters) is essentially eliminated. The reduction of distortions in the core region of the splice improves the transmission efficiency between an input tapered fiber bundle and output fiber, reaching a level of about 99%. This high efficiency optical combiner is particularly well-suited for applications where a number of pump sources are combined and applied as an input to a fiber laser or amplifier.
대표청구항▼
1. An optical combiner comprising an optical input arrangement comprising a plurality of optical fibers configured as a tapered fiber bundle, formed to exhibit an endface having a diameter Din; andan optical output fiber defined as including a terminal portion for coupling to the endface of the opti
1. An optical combiner comprising an optical input arrangement comprising a plurality of optical fibers configured as a tapered fiber bundle, formed to exhibit an endface having a diameter Din; andan optical output fiber defined as including a terminal portion for coupling to the endface of the optical input arrangement, the output fiber including a core region and at least one glass cladding layer surrounding the core region, wherein the core region exhibits a diameter Dout substantially equal to the endface diameter Din of the tapered fiber bundle, with at least a defined thickness of the glass cladding material removed along a longitudinal extent L of the output fiber, beginning at the terminal portion, so as to enable core-to-core fusion splicing between the optical input arrangement and the optical output fiber, reducing core distortion at the splice point and creating a high efficiency fusion splice combiner, the thickness of the glass cladding material gradually reduced along the defined longitudinal extent L while extending to the endface of the output fiber. 2. The optical combiner as defined in claim 1 wherein the optical input arrangement comprises a tapered fiber bundle of multimode fibers. 3. The optical combiner as defined in claim 2 wherein the tapered fiber bundle supports the propagation of a plurality of separate pump inputs to the optical combiner and the output fiber directs a combined pump output signal to another optical component. 4. The optical combiner as defined in claim 3 wherein a transmission efficiency between the endface of the optical input arrangement and the core region of the optical output fiber is about 99%. 5. The optical combiner as defined in claim 1 wherein the optical input arrangement comprises a tapered fiber bundle supporting the propagation of a plurality of single mode input optical signals. 6. The optical combiner as defined in claim 1 wherein the optical input arrangement comprises at least one single mode fiber and a plurality of multimode fibers. 7. The optical combiner as defined in claim 1 wherein the glass cladding material is removed from the defined longitudinal extent L using a chemical etching process. 8. The optical combiner as defined in claim 1 wherein the glass cladding material is removed from the defined longitudinal extent L using a mechanical polishing process. 9. The optical combiner as defined in claim 1 wherein the glass cladding material is removed from the defined longitudinal extent L using a plasma vaporization process. 10. The optical combiner as defined in claim 1 wherein an additional portion of the glass cladding material is removed from a separate, spaced-apart region of the output fiber so as to disrupt the propagation of light along the cladding layer. 11. The optical combiner as defined in claim 1 wherein the output fiber further comprises a low index jacket region surrounding the glass cladding layer. 12. A method of creating a high efficiency optical combiner, including providing an optical input arrangement comprising a plurality of optical fibers configured as a tapered fiber bundle formed to exhibit an endface having a diameter Din; providing an optical output fiber having a core region and at least one surrounding glass cladding layer, where the core region exhibits a diameter Dout substantially equal to the endface Din of the optical input arrangement;gradually reducing the thickness of the glass cladding layer along a defined longitudinal extent L of the output fiber while extending to the endface thereof;joining the endface of the optical input arrangement to the endface of the optical output fiber; andheating the joined portions of the optical input arrangement and the optical output fiber so as induce glass flow and create core-to-core fusion splicing between the optical input arrangement and the optical output fiber, reducing core distortion at the splice point and forming a high efficiency optical combiner. 13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the step of gradually reducing the thickness of the glass cladding layer uses an etching process. 14. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein HF or KOH is used as the etchant. 15. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the step of gradually reducing the thickness of the glass cladding layer uses a polishing process to mechanically remove the glass cladding material. 16. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the step of gradually reducing the thickness of the glass cladding layer uses a vaporization process to thermally remove the glass cladding material. 17. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein the method further includes the step of removing a selected portion of the glass cladding material at a separate, spaced apart location along the output fiber, creating a disruption along the cladding layer for scattering unwanted light propagating along the cladding layer. 18. A cascaded optical combiner arrangement comprising an input stage having a set of high efficiency optical combiners, each high efficiency optical combiner including an optical input arrangement comprising a plurality of optical fibers configured as a tapered fiber bundle, formed to exhibit an endface having a diameter Din; andan optical output fiber defined as including a terminal portion for coupling to the endface of the optical input arrangement, the output fiber including a core region and at least one glass cladding layer surrounding the core region, wherein the core region exhibits a diameter Dout substantially equal to the endface diameter Din of the tapered fiber bundle, with at least a defined thickness of the glass cladding material removed along a longitudinal extent L of the output fiber, beginning at the terminal portion, so as to enable core-to-core fusion splicing between the optical input arrangement and the optical output fiber, reducing core distortion at the splice point and creating a high efficiency fusion splice combiner, the thickness of the glass cladding material is gradually reduced along the defined longitudinal extent L while extending to the endface of the output fiber; andan output optical combiner, the set of optical output fibers from the input stage applied as inputs to the output optical combiner and configured as a trunk tapered fiber bundle, the output optical combiner further comprising a system output fiber including a core region and a polymer cladding layer surrounding the core region, with the endface of the trunk tapered fiber bundle fusion spliced to the system output fiber. 19. A high efficiency optical combiner comprising a cladding-less optical input fiber including a core region a diameter Din; and an optical output fiber defined as including a terminal portion for coupling to an endface of the cladding-less optical input fiber, the output fiber including a core region and at least one glass cladding layer surrounding the core region, wherein the core region exhibits a diameter Dout substantially equal to the diameter Din of the cladding-less optical input fiber, with at least a defined thickness of the glass cladding material removed along a longitudinal extent L of the output fiber, beginning at the terminal portion, so as to enable core-to-core fusion splicing between the cladding-less optical input fiber and the optical output fiber, reducing core distortion at the splice point and creating a high efficiency fusion splice optical combiner, the thickness of the glass cladding material is gradually reduced along the defined longitudinal extent L while extending to the endface of the optical output fiber.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (11)
Zheng Wenxin (Solna SEX), Controlled splicing of optical fibers.
Sykora, Craig R.; Onstott, James R.; Anderson, Mark T.; Schardt, Craig R.; Donalds, Lawrence J.; Chiareli, Alessandra O., Optical fiber fusion splice having a controlled mode field diameter expansion match.
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