Patent
1988-11-21
1990-01-30
Lee, John D.
350 9629, G02B 626
Patent
active
048969320
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
D-optical fibres are clad fibres in which the cladding on one side of the core is considerably reduced in thickness. This may be done by polishing away the cladding from the one side of the fibre to provide a fibre with D-shaped cross-section or it may be done by drawing the fibre from a substrate having a D-shaped cross-section. D-optical fibres are typically used where it is required to couple light from one fibre to another fibre. Thus, D-fibres are used in the production of optical couplers and optical switches and in such circumstances two D-optical fibres are placed with their flat faces towards one another and with their cores at a particular separation. Depending upon the separation of the cores and the refractive index of any material interposed between the cores the degree of optical coupling that occurs between the cores is controlled.
As a result of the cross-sectional shape of such fibres they have a different bending moment in the plane containing their flat faces and the axis of the fibre from that in the plane which is normal to the flat face and also contains the axis of the fibre. Thus, the fibre is more flexible when bending in the plane normal to its flat face and less flexible when bending in a plane containing its flat face. The present invention is based upon the use of this phenomenon to provide a method by which such pairs of fibres can be accurately positioned with respect to one another.
According to this invention a method of preparing a junction between the cores of two D-optical fibres comprises bending a first fibre around a curved surface and causing its flat face to face outwards, superposing a second D-fibre on the first fibre, bending the second fibre around the curved surface causing its flat face to face towards the curved surface, and controlling the lateral position of the superposed fibres on the curved surface to provide a predetermined separation between the cores of the fibres.
Preferably the curved surface is curved in only a single sense and thus is formed by the surface of a prism having a parabolic, eliptical, or circular cross-section. To facilitate the subsequent description of the present invention only a cylindrical surface will be described but corresponding arrangements can be made with surfaces generated by parabolas and elipses.
When the two superposed fibres are arranged in a plane normal to the axis of cylindrical curved surface the flat faces of both fibres lie strictly parallel to the cylindrical surface and thus the flat faces of both superposed fibres are substantially in contact with one another so that the cores of both fibres are close together. This condition can also be achieved if both superposed fibres follow a helical path around the cylindrical surface and both include the appropriate twist to ensure that their flat faces are again parallel to the cylindrical surface. With the flat faces of the two fibres superposed and together the cores of the two fibres are close together so that light is coupled between them. Thus, by arranging both fibres in a plane normal to the axis of the curved surface and superimposing them, it is possible precisely to align the flat faces of the two fibres ensuring that their flat faces are substantially in contact.
However, when a fibre is deflected from a normal plane or a helical path with appropriate twist or follows a helical path without the fibre having the appropriate twist the flat face of the fibre tilts with respect to the cylindrical surface. The degree of tilt of the fibre is proportional to its lateral deviation along the curved surface and the sense in which the fibre tilts is dependent upon the direction of its deviation. This effect is used to enable a precise and predetermined separation between the cores of the superposed fibres to be obtained. Thus, by deflecting one fibre or both of the fibres in opposite directions, along the curved surface, relative tilting occurs between the superposed fibres with the result that their cores are separated by a pr
REFERENCES:
patent: 4589725 (1986-01-01), Dyott
patent: 4601541 (1986-07-01), Shaw et al.
patent: 4673270 (1987-06-01), Gordon
Patents Abstracts of Japan, vol. 3, No. 124 (E-144), Oct. 17, 1979, p. 141 & JP, A, 54101334, (Nippon Denshin Denwa Kosha), Sep. 8, 1979.
Patents Abstracts of Japan, vol. 8, No. 109 (P275), (1546), May 22, 1984, & JP, A, 5918921 (Nippon Denshin Denwa Kosha), Jan. 31, 1984.
British Telecommunications public limited company
Heartney Phan T.
Lee John D.
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