Abstract: A method for ribbonizing a plurality of loose optical fibers includes aligning the plurality of loose optical fibers in a co-planer array. The method further includes securing the aligned plurality of loose optical fibers in a predetermined pitch spacing, wherein each of the plurality of optical fibers is free from others of the plurality of optical fibers. The method further includes loading the loose optical fibers into a fiber holder.

Abstract: An apparatus for splicing, tapering and heat processing optical fibers is disclosed. The apparatus may include a laser configured to irradiate a portion of one or more optical fibers by at least two laser beams. The beams may be configured to irradiate different areas of the exterior surface of the fiber portion such as to increase the uniformity of heating distribution over the exterior surface of a portion of the optical fiber. In a configuration using two beams to irradiate the fiber portion the angle between the beams may be the closest angle to 180 degrees for which coupling between the first beam and the second beam is avoided. The apparatus may include three or more beams distributed around the optical fiber such as to irradiate the fiber portion uniformly and provide uniform heating of the fiber.

Abstract: A method of aligning a non-circular fiber with another component is provided. A method of aligning a first D-fiber with a second D-fiber includes rotating the first D-fiber; obtaining a first image profile of an end of the first D-fiber; using the first image profile to measure a diameter of a cladding of the first D-fiber along a first direction; and repeating these operations until a minimum diameter of the cladding of the first D-fiber is aligned along the first direction. The method also includes rotating the second D-fiber; obtaining a second image profile of an end of the second D-fiber; using the second image profile to measure a diameter of a cladding of the second D-fiber along the first direction; and repeating these operations until a minimum diameter of the cladding of the second D-fiber is aligned along the first direction.

Abstract: A method of thermally rounding a section of a non-circular optical fiber is provided. The method includes heating the section of the optical fiber with a sweeping motion along a direction substantially parallel to an optical axis of the optical fiber by at least one of moving the optical fiber with respect to a heat source and moving the heat source with respect to the optical fiber, such that a cross-section of an inner cladding of the section of the optical fiber becomes substantially circular.

Abstract: A method of aligning a polarization-maintaining optical fiber by image profile analysis is provided. The method of aligning a polarization-maintaining optical fiber may include analyzing the polarization-maintaining optical fiber by illuminating a side of the optical fiber; rotating the optical fiber at incremental rotation angles; obtaining an image profile of the optical fiber at each rotation angle such that a focal plane of the image profile is positioned within the optical fiber; measuring an image parameter at each rotation angle based on the respective image profile; and constructing a measured image parameter profile of the optical fiber as a function of rotation angle based on the measured image parameters. The method may also include constructing an approximated image parameter profile of the optical fiber as a function of rotation angle by curve-fitting a mathematical function to the measured image parameter profile.