Abstract: There is provided a method of processing an optical fiber having a core and a clad. The optical fiber has a first facet and a second facet. The method includes fixing the optical fiber in a state in which at least a portion thereof is bent in a predetermined curvature radius, applying a resist to a region on the first facet at least including an entirety of the core, irradiating the second facet with light of a predetermined wavelength so that only the resist applied to the core in the first facet is exposed to the light through an inside of the optical fiber, developing the resist, and forming a level gap at a boundary between the core and the clad in the first facet utilizing the resist remaining after the irradiating and the developing.

Abstract: An optical fiber includes an entrance face that is optically coupleable with a device for transmitting a light beam through the optical fiber. The entrance face includes a core region and a cladding region surrounding the core region. The cladding region is at least partially covered with a coating, which is made of metal, for example. That is, the coating is formed over a whole area of the cladding region or the coating is formed on an area of the cladding region defined in a vicinity of the core region. The coating has a mirror surface to increase the reflectivity thereof and enhances the reflectivity of the entrance face.

Abstract: There is provided a method of processing an optical fiber having a core and a clad. The optical fiber has a first facet and a second facet. The method includes fixing the optical fiber in a state in which at least a portion thereof is bent in a predetermined curvature radius, applying a resist to a region on the first facet at least including an entirety of the core, irradiating the second facet with light of a predetermined wavelength so that only the resist applied to the core in the first facet is exposed to the light through an inside of the optical fiber, developing the resist, and forming a level gap at a boundary between the core and the clad in the first facet utilizing the resist remaining after the irradiating and the developing.

Abstract: An optical communication device includes a light source that emits a light beam and an optical fiber having a core and a cladding. The optical fiber has a light entrance face having a core region and a cladding region. The light beam emitted by the light source is converged by a converging lens on the core region and is transmitted through the optical fiber. The entrance face is configured to generate a light intensity distribution in light reflected by the light entrance face depending on a position where the light beam is incident on the entrance face, a converging lens arranged between the light source and the optical fiber.

Abstract: An optical communication device includes a light source that emits a light beam and an optical fiber having a core and a cladding. The optical fiber has a light entrance face having a core region and a cladding region. The light beam emitted by the light source is converged by a converging lens on the core region and is transmitted through the optical fiber. The entrance face is configured to generate a light intensity distribution in light reflected by the light entrance face depending on a position where the light beam is incident on the entrance face, a converging lens arranged between the light source and the optical fiber.

Abstract: A multi-beam scanning device includes a light source for emitting a plurality of laser beams, a polygon mirror for deflecting the laser beams so that the laser beams scan across an object surface in a main scanning direction, an f? lens disposed between the polygon mirror and the object surface, and a cylindrical lens that converges each laser beam in a vicinity of the polygon mirror in the auxiliary direction. A mirror is disposed between the light source and the cylindrical lens which deflects the laser beams in the auxiliary scanning direction. The mirror is rotatably supported by a mirror holder such that the traveling direction of the laser beams deflected by the mirror can be adjusted.

Abstract: An optical fiber includes an entrance face that is optically coupleable with a device for transmitting a light beam through the optical fiber. The entrance face includes a core region and a cladding region surrounding the core region. The cladding region is at least partially covered with a coating, which is made of metal, for example. That is, the coating is formed over a whole area of the cladding region or the coating is formed on an area of the cladding region defined in a vicinity of the core region. The coating has a mirror surface to increase the reflectivity thereof and enhances the reflectivity of the entrance face.

Abstract: A multi-beam scanning device includes a light source for emitting a plurality of laser beams, a polygon mirror for deflecting the laser beams so that the laser beams scan across an object surface in a main scanning direction, an f&thgr; lens disposed between the polygon mirror and the object surface, and a cylindrical lens that converges each laser beam in a vicinity of the polygon mirror in the auxiliary direction. A mirror is disposed between the light source and the cylindrical lens which deflects the laser beams in the auxiliary scanning direction. The mirror is rotatably supported by a mirror holder such that the traveling direction of the laser beams deflected by the mirror can be adjusted.

Abstract: A position sensor is provided for a transmission deflector which has a wedge-shaped transmission prism that is rotatably supported by a yoke member through a prism holder and an elastic member, and rotates in the forward and reverse directions via electromagnetic operation. A coated reflection layer is provided on a surface of the wedge-shaped transmission prism other than the transmission portion thereof through which the light can pass. A light emitter for emitting collimated light onto the reflection layer and an incident position detector for receiving the light reflected by the reflection layer and detecting the incident position of the light thereon are provided on the yoke member or a member integral therewith.

Abstract: A light intensity control apparatus includes an optical beam splitter which splits light into monitor light and principal light; a polarization beam splitter which splits the monitor light into two polarized light components; a monitor light detector which detects the polarized light components; a polarization correction device which corrects the output of the monitor light detector so that the intensity of the output signal of the monitor light detector and the light intensity of the principal light on an object surface have a predetermined correlation, regardless of the polarization state of the light incident upon the optical beam splitter; and a humidity dependency correction device which corrects the output of the monitor light detector via the polarization correction device by detecting a variation in polarization dependency characteristics of the optical beam splitter, caused by a change in humidity, and feeding the variation back to the polarization correction device, so that the output signal intensi

Abstract: A scanning optical device includes a light source that emits a light beam; a deflector for deflecting and scanning the light beam from the light source; a scanning lens for converging the deflected light beam onto an image surface; and a mechanism for adjusting the relative position of at least one lens element of the scanning lens with respect to other lens elements of the scanning lens in an auxiliary scanning direction. Preferably, the adjustable lens element of the scanning lens be provided with an anamorphic surface having relatively larger power in the auxiliary scanning direction than in the main scanning direction. Alternatively, the above-mentioned at least one lens element may have the largest absolute value of refractive power of the lenses in the scanning lens. Further alternatively, the above-mentioned at least one lens element may be provided with a surface having the smallest absolute value of radius of curvature of all surfaces in the scanning lens.

Abstract: A position sensor is provided for a transmission deflector which has a wedge-shaped transmission prism that is rotatably supported by a yoke member through a prism holder and an elastic member, and rotates in the forward and reverse directions via electromagnetic operation. A coated reflection layer is provided on a surface of the wedge-shaped transmission prism other than the transmission portion thereof through which the light can pass. A light emitter for emitting collimated light onto the reflection layer and an incident position detector for receiving the light reflected by the reflection layer and detecting the incident position of the light thereon are provided on the yoke member or a member integral therewith.

Abstract: A cascade scanning optical system which includes: a first laser scanning optical system having a first polygon mirror, provided with a plurality of first reflecting surfaces, for deflecting a first scanning laser beam to scan a part of a scanning surface to generate a first scanning line; a second laser scanning optical system having a second polygon mirror, provided with a plurality of second reflecting surfaces, for deflecting a second scanning laser beam to scan another part of the scanning surface to generate a second scanning line, wherein the first and second laser scanning optical systems are arranged so as to align the first scanning line with the second scanning line at a point of contact therebetween in a main scanning direction to form a single scanning line; means for measuring a degree of tilt of each of the plurality of first reflecting surfaces and the plurality of second reflecting surfaces; and means for determining combinations of the plurality of first reflecting surfaces with the plurality

Abstract: Disclosed is a scanning apparatus having a cascade scanning optical system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a scanning apparatus having a cascade scanning optical system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a scanning apparatus having a cascade scanning optical system.

Abstract: A light transmission device includes a semiconductor laser for emitting a laser flux, an optical fiber for transmitting the laser flux emitted from the semiconductor laser, and a device that prevents the laser flux, reflected at an incident end surface of the optical fiber, from returning to the semiconductor laser. In particular, the preventing device may be a slanted incident end surface of the optical fiber, such that the reflected laser flux at the incident end surface is directed away from the semiconductor laser. The preventing device may also be an optical isolator that is disposed between the semiconductor laser and the incident end surface of the optical fiber.

Abstract: A light intensity controlling device has a beam splitter which splits light fluxes emitted from a plurality of independently controlled semiconductor lasers, guided by optical fibers, into monitor light fluxes and main light fluxes. A gain adjusting circuit corrects the changes of output of light receiving elements depending on the polarization states of the light fluxes incident into the beam splitter. The changes result from the polarization characteristics of the optical fibers and/or the beam splitter. Alternatively, a filter is provided at one of the light receiving elements to compensate for the changes, thus providing a corrected output signal. Laser control circuits control the light emitting intensity of each semiconductor laser based on corrected output signals. The light receiving elements are set at an angle to the incoming light as so to avoid directing reflected light back toward an imaging system or the lasers.

Abstract: A cascade scanning optical system which includes a plurality of laser scanning optical systems each emitting a laser beam to scan a surface of a member, and a beam splitter positioned in an optical path between the plurality of laser scanning optical systems and the member such that a first laser beam which has passed through the beam splitter and a second laser beam which has been reflected by the beam splitter proceed to the surface on a common line thereon in respective ranges of the common line. Each of the plurality of laser scanning optical systems is desinged as a telecentric system.

Abstract: A scanning optical device that includes a laser source that emits a laser beam; a deflector for deflecting a laser beam to form a scanning beam spot on an image surface; a beam splitter, between the laser source and the deflector, and a sensor positioned in a predetermined position relative to the beam splitter. In particular, the beam splitter includes a reflective area in which the laser beam from the laser source is reflected and a transmitting area that is distinct from the reflective area through which the laser beam is transmitted. One of the reflected laser beam or transmitted laser beam is a main beam to be deflected by the deflector and the other is a monitor beam to be detected by the sensor.