Abstract: The invention is embodied in a distributed intelligence optical fiber communications system capable of fully automated and continuous monitoring and testing of the optical fibers and their connections within the optical fiber distribution frames therein. In particular, it is an optical communications system having an optical distribution frame including interconnection modules having actively intelligent microcontrollers thereon. Also, the distribution frame includes inventive electrical and optical interconnection fabrics between the distributed intelligence located on the interconnection modules and a host located outside of the distribution frame. The distributed intelligence interconnection modules allow monitoring, testing and/or related activities of the overall optical communications system to be performed locally at the interconnection modules.

Abstract: A coil support and a winding arranged thereon, especially one including a fiber-optic waveguide, whose turns are mutually fixed by a binding agent. The binding agent drys while a volatile solvent diffuses off. The coil support is permeable to solvent and is designed such that it has essentially the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the winding. This achieves the uniform, thorough drying of the binding agent over the entire winding and reduces the risk of damage to the fiber-optic waveguide during the transportation and the unwinding of the winding in a coil form.

Abstract: The present invention provides a connecting member for facilitating connecting of optical fibers, and a connecting method in which the loss due to connecting is small. An optical fiber connecting member is composed of: a retaining portion having through-holes each of which has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of optical fibers to be connected; and introduction portions which are integrally formed with and on the opposite end sides of the retaining portion and each of which has introduction grooves communicated with the through-holes to thereby make it easy to insert ends of the optical fibers into the through-holes. Further, the inner diameter of each of the through-holes is reduced by heating the connecting member to thereby make axis alignment of the optical fibers automatically to obtain connecting in which the connecting loss is reduced.

Abstract: A high power laser transmitting fluoride glass fiber of an enhanced 2.94- .mu.m laser damage threshold value is disclosed, in which either of the core with a high refractive index and the cladding with a low refractive index is formed of fluoride glass which contains fluorine (F) as a component but has it substituted with 0 to 4.1 mol % of bromine (Br), chlorine (Cl), or bromine and chlorine. The optical fiber of the present invention may have its core formed of fluoride glass and its cladding formed of fluorine-contained resin, and the core glass has a composition that 70 to 80% of fluorine (F) is substituted with 0 to 4.1 mol % of bromine (Br), or chlorine (Cl), or bromine and chlorine.

Abstract: A device for distributing an optical signal has an optical waveguide with a plurality of gratings disposed in series therein, the gratings having a predetermined reflectivity response within a specific wavelength range; an optical circulator having at least three ports, one of the ports serving as an input port for receiving the optical signal, and another port for removing at least a part of the optical signal reflected from one of the gratings; and control means for individually controlling at least some of the gratings to effect a change of the wavelength range of the reflectivity response of the gratings. The change may be a shift, an expansion or a compression of the range. The device can function as a signal distributor (router), an equalizer or a demultiplexer. The reflectivity response is preferably a sloped response.

Abstract: A wavelength routing device 500 includes a pair of dielectric slabs 10, 20 that are interconnected by an optical grating 30. The first dielectric slab 10 includes input ports for receiving optical signals that are routed to output ports of the second dielectric slab 20 according to their wavelengths. Y-branch splitters 70-1 are connected to the first dielectric slab. Splitters 70-1 each include a pair of adjacent waveguides, having widths (w.sub.1), that are separated from each other by a center-to-center distance (c.sub.1). Y-branch splitter 70-2 is connected to the second dielectric slab. Splitter 70-2 includes a pair of adjacent waveguides, having widths (w.sub.2), that are separated from each other by a center-to-center distance (c.sub.2). Preferably, 4w.sub.2 >w.sub.1 >1.5w.sub.2, and 4c.sub.2 >c.sub.1 >1.5c.sub.2. Associated with this routing device is a figure-of-merit (B.sub.1 /B.sub.2) that exceeds 0.5, which represents a substantial improvement over prior art designs.

Abstract: An optical filter comprising two ferrules containing a respective duct internally housing a respective portion of optical fibre; the two ferrules are inserted axially aligned within an alignment bush, between said two ferrules there being inserted a vitreous support on which a layer of optically active filtering material is deposited. A method for constructing said optical filter is also described.

Abstract: An optical isolator array is presented. The array has a substrate with parallel grooves and a groove perpendicular to the parallel grooves to separate them. First sleeves each holding an end section of a first optical fiber and a first collimating element are fixed in the parallel grooves on one side of the perpendicular groove. Second sleeves each holding an end section of a second optical fiber and a second collimating element are fixed in the parallel grooves on the other side of the perpendicular groove. An optical isolator core subassembly having first and second strips of birefringent polarizer material, and a strip of Faraday rotator material between the first and second strips of birefringent polarizer materials is fixed in the perpendicular groove.

Abstract: An improved cable assembly is provided which comprises covered, wrapped, or coated synthetic strength members to enhance the mechanical properties of the cable in a dynamic environment.

Abstract: A compact monolithic interferometric switch such as a Mach-Zehnder switch is formed such that one of the waveguide paths between the input and output couplers contains a material having exhibits a resonant nonlinearity, whereby its refractive index changes when pump power propagates through it. Each of the waveguide paths has a different propagation constant whereby signal light is subjected to a different delay in each path when no pump power is propagating through the rare nonlinear path. An input signal applied to the input of the switch appears at a first output terminal when the pump power does not propagate through the nonlinear path, and it appears at a second output terminal when the pump power is applied to the nonlinear path. Switching occurs at relatively low levels of pump power.

Abstract: Fiber optic cable containing a core of S-Z stranded strands comprising optical fibers having first and second alternatively repeating first and second sections, a sheath circumscribing the core, and a plurality of indicators located beneath the sheath and in a medial position between a corresponding plurality of pairs of junctures of first and second strand sections along at least a portion of the length of the cable.

Abstract: Integrated optical mode converter provided with a channel-shaped waveguide comprising a periodic concatenation of two wave-guiding subsections (P) and (Q) defined by a strip-shaped structure supported by a substrate. The waveguide profiles of the subsections (P) and (Q) are defined by two different partial strips, of which at least one is, but preferably both are, provided with a slot (S.sub.P, S.sub.Q) running in a longitudinal direction of the partial strip in question. The slots have been applied in such a manner that only the field distribution of one of the two guided modes involved in the mode conversion is affected. The resulting structure has increased conversion per interface; and lower attenuation in specific embodiments.

Abstract: Disclosed is a modular fiber optic cable management system which includes a tray module housing, a plurality of tray modules in slidable relation to the tray module housing and which isolates the fiber optic cables for maintenance and access such that the displacement and disturbance to surrounding fiber cables is minimized. Each tray module including an entrance and an exit through which fiber optic cable may be routed and one to four adapters for connection to fiber optic cables.

Abstract: A waveguide type semiconductor photodetecting device has a semiconductor substrate, a photodetecting element, and a waveguide optically coupled with the photodetecting element which can avoid occurrence of light loss in the tapered waveguide even when a width of a light inciding side of the tapered waveguide is widened. The waveguide has a waveguide layer gradually narrowing a width and gradually increasing a layer thickness and a refraction index from light incident side to the photodetecting element. The waveguide is integrated with the photodetecting element on the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: An optical structure having two optical guidance paths between which coupling occurs in a band about one predetermined wavelength is manufactured by providing an optical structure having two optical guidance paths with respective propagation constants 12', 14' which vary differently with wavelength and coincide at one given wavelength .lambda.' arranged such that coupling occurs between said optical guidance paths in a band about said one given wavelength and subjecting the or at least one of the guidance paths which includes a radiation responsive refractive index changing dopant to radiation to change the propagation constant thereof until said one given wavelength equals said one predetermined wavelength .lambda.".

Abstract: An optical fiber attenuator includes an optical fiber section having an end at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the section. The end has on it a first layer of substantially transparent anti-reflective material, a second layer of light attenuating material on the first layer and a third layer of substantially transparent anti-reflective material over the second layer. A fourth layer of substantially transparent, relatively hard scratch-resistant material may be added on the third layer.

Abstract: In a support arrangement for a probe tip of a scanning force microscope or a SNOM wherein the movement of the probe tip while scanning a sample surface is interferometrically determined and wherein a ferrule mounted on a ferrule holder includes an optical light conductor with an end projecting from the ferrule and having an end face, the probe tip is supported by a mounting means which can be slipped onto the ferrule into a predetermined position in which the probe tip is disposed in front of the light conductor end face with a given gap therebetween.

Abstract: The optical fiber connector is characterized by a cylindrical and ceramic ferrule having a center-axial bore of inner diameter allowing for concentrical insertion of an optical fiber depending upon outer diameter of said optical fiber deprived of its covering layer, and having outer surface coaxial with said center-axial bore, said ferrule being fixed in the connector body of said connector so as to project from said connector body by a predetermined length. Positioning between optical fiber coaxially held in ferrule and corresponding lens unit becomes easier, thereby to have high-power laser beams positively focused on the end surface of the optical fiber and to prevent burning damages of components of the optical fiber connector. Further, once the positioning between lens units and optical fiber has been carried out, any later positioning can be omitted.

Abstract: A fiber optics sensor (10) and method for attaining accurate measurement are provided. A polarization maintaining optic fiber (22) forms a linear optical path. An optical element (24) is used to convert linearly polarized light waves to circularly polarized light waves which propagate along the optical path and pass through a sensing medium (24). Because of external stresses and disturbances, the optical element (24) introduces light of the wrong state of polarization into the optical path. The result is a scale factor error in the measurement and an extra incoherent D.C. light detected at the detector (36). The presence and magnitude of the extra incoherent D.C. light is used to provide a normalizing factor to compensate for the scale factor error.

Abstract: A fiber optic sensor comprises a first optical signal source that produces an optical signal of wavelength .lambda..sub.1 and a second optical signal source that produces an optical signal of wavelength .lambda..sub.2. A first WDM coupler is connected to the first and second optical signal sources to combine signals output therefrom. An optical fiber is connected to the WDM coupler to guide the combined optical signals therefrom. A second WDM coupler is connected to the optical fiber to separate the optical signals of wavelength .lambda..sub.1 and .lambda..sub.2. A fiber optic sensor array containing a plurality of fiber optic sensors is connected to the second WDM coupler and arranged such that optical signals of the wavelengths .lambda..sub.1 and .lambda..sub.2 are directed to different fiber optic sensors in the fiber optic sensor array. A third WDM coupler is arranged for combining signals of wavelength .lambda..sub.1 and .lambda..sub.2 output from the fiber optic sensor array.