Abstract: A light emitting panel formed by a single layer of parallel and contiguously arranged clad optical fibers supplied with light from a source at one end of the panel. The fibers are cemented together and the cladding is removed from the light emitting surface of the panel. In one embodiment, each fiber is looped at the end of the panel remote from the source of light so that both ends of each fiber is connected to the source of light.

Abstract: A coated optical fibre assembly suitable for blowing through a microduct, said assembly comprising at least one optical fibre and having an external coating comprising a radiation-cured polymer containing particulate matter.

Abstract: An optical crosspoint switch module is provided for a matrix of optical sources and receivers. The switch module includes a thin film waveguide atop a substrate, an array of input optical fibers aligned along one edge of the thin film waveguide, and a similar array of output fibers aligned along a second edge of the waveguide. The waveguide and/or the substrate comprise nonlinear optical material. A film containing a grating pattern to be written into the nonlinear medium as persistent but erasable holograms is placed above the waveguide. A spatial light modulator (SLM) is positioned above the patterned film and illuminated from above by either coherent or incoherent light. The SLM functions as a selective mask so that the grating pattern of the film can be written as holograms in selected areas of the nonlinear medium. The holograms written into the nonlinear medium diffract beams from the input fibers along the first edge of the waveguide to the output fibers along the second edge of the waveguide.

Abstract: An optical fiber link card communication module, and process for fabricating the module, where the module provides a parallel electrical interface to the user, facilitates high speed serial transmission of data over an optical data link, and contains a plurality of converters for performing conversions between both electrical and optical signals. The module further includes edge mounted optical components having leads mounted on the surface of a card (as opposed to standard pin-in-hole type leads) to minimize lead capacitance and inductance from the optical components to the card electronics, on board card control means for the converters and safety shut down means on the same card as the electrical and optical components.

Abstract: This invention provides process embodiments for the production of second order nonlinear optical media and waveguiding devices. An important aspect of an invention waveguiding device is the use of a novel electrode design which permits the application of a high voltage electric field for molecular orientation of a dipolar organic waveguiding medium.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are shown for cladding grown single crystal optical fibers. Neodymium YAG fibers are clad with a high index glass, either melted around the fiber in a trough or extruded over the fiber surface. Lithium niobate fibers are clad through an impregnation process. The lithium niobate fiber is first coated with magnesium oxide and then heated to a temperature and for a time sufficient for the magnesium oxide dopant material to diffuse into the fiber. The dopant lowers the intrinsic refractive indices of the fiber material around its circumference, creating a cladding region around the fiber core. Single crystal fibers clad by these methods and combined with suitable pumping means or with deposited electrodes provide low-loss single mode optical components useful for amplification, electro-optical effects and acousto-optical effects.

Abstract: A joint assembly for an underwater optical fibre cable provides a limited-movement sliding clamp arrangement for the kingwire ends (9, 11). The sea casing provides the main tensile strength member of the joint and a split liner provides the main compressive strength of the joint. Tapered clamps (22, 12, 27) are incorporated into bulkheads of the joint assembly and coupled with ring nuts which screw into the sea casing and cause the bulkhead to abut the split liner. First and second parallel storage plates (1,5) store excess fibre and fibre splices.

Abstract: A surface of an optical fiber is coated by a method for coating a surface of an optical fiber with carbon comprising steps of introducing an optical fiber in a reaction chamber containing a coating raw material comprising carbon, hydrogen and halogen atoms and depositing on the surface of the optical fiber a carbon layer formed from the raw material by chemical vapor deposition, whereby the coated optical fiber has improved initial tensile strength and absorbs less hydrogen.

Abstract: Long distance soliton lightwave communications systems are considered for next generation application in terrestrial and transoceanic environments. These systems employ a chain of lumped fiber amplifiers interconnected by long spans of dispersion shifted optical fiber. In such systems, resultant pulse distortion and dispersive wave radiation are minimized when the soliton period is long relative to the perturbation length which is the longer of either the amplification period defined in terms of the length of the optical fiber span between consecutive amplifiers or the dispersion period defined in terms of the length over which the dispersion exhibits a periodic characteristic. Additional system parameters for optimized soliton transmission include the relationships of both the path-average soliton power to the normal soliton power and the path-average dispersion from one optical fiber span to the next. Single channel and wavelength division multiplexed systems are disclosed.

Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus comprises a heating device for heating a semiconductor laser in an optical transmission module package, a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the semiconductor laser, an optical power meter for measuring an optical output of the semiconductor laser, a manipulator for holding an optical fiber and positioning an end of the optical fiber to a desired position and a control unit for controlling the heating device and the manipulator. The control unit reads data measured by the temperature sensor and the optical power meter and stores the data as a temperature-optical output characteristic of the semiconductor laser while drives the heating device. The control unit also derives data of the optical output of the semiconductor laser produced through the optical fiber from time to time while solder is fused and solidified when the end of the optical fiber is soldered and fixed to the predetermined position in the package.

Abstract: An optical device has multilayer films formed by periodically laminating a number of layers each comprising at least two kinds of optical crystal thin films (f.sub.n, g.sub.n) having different refractive indices onto a substrate. The multilayer films include a semiconductor material having a large non-linear optical coefficient as a composing material and have artificial optical anisotropy. Since the multilayer films of the optical device have a large non-linear coefficient and optical anisotropy, a non-linear phenomenon such as second-harmonic generation or the like can be efficiently caused.

Abstract: An optical coupling circuit element providing one transparent substrate, a first micro Fresnel lens formed on one side surface of said substrate, and a second micro Fresnel lens formed on the other side surface of said substrate, so that coherent light incident into said first micro Fresnel lens is projected, through said transparent substrate, on said second micro Fresnel lens to be left therefrom as a collimating beams, which is useful for directing light emitted from coherent source such as semi-conductor laser to optical communication means such as optical fiber for condensation.

Abstract: A pair of reflector "skins" which are typically thin metal sheets of the order of five feet by eight feet are placed side by side on the bed of a fixture, this bed having a predetermined size and a contour which is typically parabolic. Longitudinal rib members having a "Z" cross section and the same contour as the bed are placed in the fixture on top of the sheets in spaced relationship to each other and running along the longitudinal extent of the sheets. These ribs are secured in position by means of clamps which press the ribs securely against the sheets so that the entire surfaces thereof are held in mating engagement with the fixture bed so that they assume the contour thereof. The ends of the "Z" cross section ribs are secured to each other by means of gussets and clips. The runners of the ribs which abut against the sheets have a series of small holes spaced therealong.

Abstract: An image intensifier retrofit system for a Generation II based driver's viewer assembly, identified as AN/VVS-2. The system includes a housing which is dimensionally the same as the Generation II tube housing. Positioned at one end of the housing is a Generation III image intensifier tube and at the other end of the housing is a fiber optic element. Positioned between the tube and the fiber optic element is a relay lens assembly. The Generation III tube receives the light from a viewed scene from an objective lens assembly of the dirver's viewer. The intensified image output from the tube is received by the relay lens system which inverts and magnifies the image and transfers the image to the input surface of the fiber optic element. The fiber optic element in turn transfers the image to its output surface from which surface the image is viewed by the user of the driver's viewer through a biocular eyepiece.

Abstract: An optical fiber mounting device and method of installation and monitoring of a structure using the device. The device includes an optical fiber connected to a support sheet. The support sheet is readily adapted to be connected to a structure. The method of installation of the device includes affixing the support sheet to a structure. The fabricated structure is monitored by propagating light through the installed optical fiber and continuously monitoring the light to detect changes in temperature, pressure, stress and/or strain in the structure.

Abstract: A laser beam combining unit combines the output beams of a plurality of high power lasers after the beams have been transmitted along, for example, three optical fibres. The beam combining unit includes a holder arrangement for receiving the ends of the optical fibres, three collimating lenses, and a single focusing lens. The ends of the three optical fibres are located substantially in a common plane and circularly spaced at 120.degree. intervals. The three collimating lenses are also located substantially in a common plane and their axes are circularly spaced at 120.degree. intervals. Each of the collimating lenses is aligned with one of the optical fibres. The laser beams are directed by the collimating lenses, as collimated beams, onto the focusing lens with axes of the individual beams parallel to each other. The beams are focused by the focusing lens to a common point for performing a material processing operation.

Abstract: An optical fiber cable capable of withstanding a jump in temperature to 350.degree. C. for a short period of time, the cable comprising:(a) at least one carrier element of a composite of glass fiber and thermosetting resin;(b) an optical fiber support constituted by a grooved rod surrounding the carrier element, or a tube preferably provided with carrier elements in its thickness, or by compact structure fibers, the rod or tube being made of a thermoplastic polymer;(c) optical fibers disposed in the grooves of the rod or inside the tube;(d) a viscous material filling the grooves or the tube around the optical fibers;(e) an envelope constituted by a tape of thermoplastic polymer;wherein the grooved rod or the tube, or the secondary coating of compact structure fibers, is made of cross-linked polyethylene, wherein the viscous material filling the grooves is a silicon resin, and wherein the thermoplastic polymer of the envelope is a polyimide resin.

Abstract: A cable which may be used in buildings in concealed areas such as in plenums or in riser shafts includes a core (22) which includes at least one transmission medium which is enclosed with a non-halogenated plastic material. The core is enclosed with a jacket (28) which also is made of a non-halogenated plastic material. The non-halogenated plastic material of the insulation is selected from the group consisting of a polyetherimide and a silicone-polyimide copolymer, or a blend comprising the polyetherimide and the silicone-polyimide copolymer. For the jacket, the plastic material includes a silicone-polyimide copolymer.

Abstract: An array splice for ribbon-like multi-core optical fibers comprises capillary tubes of ultraviolet-transmitting glass each having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the clad of an optical fiber, each glass capillary tube including tapered portions on the opposite ends thereof for insertion of optical fiber bodies, and a groove formed in the middle upper surface region thereof for discharging bubbles and adhesive agent, and a base including recesses formed in the middle upper surface region thereof for receiving and supporting the lower portions of the tube walls of the glass capillary tubes, and a plurality of front-edged separators each disposed at the opposite ends of the associated receiving and supporting recess. The separators are disposed with approximately the same pitch as that for the capillary tubes. Defined between adjacent separators are optical fiber insertion paths having a width which increases with increasing distances from the opposite ends of each capillary tube.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a manufacturing method for polarization maintaining optical fiber couplers which are used for joining light signals and at optical fiber branch points. The disclosed manufacturing method employs polarization maintaining optical fibers, and describes a method for mutually aligning the stress applying parts of such optical fibers so that polarized optical signals are maintained in the polarized state when transiting such couplers.