Abstract: A contact for an optical fiber has a ferrule onto one end of which a tip is releasably fitted. The end wall of the tip includes an opening of predetermined diameter within which a bare fiber of only very slightly less diameter is to located. The optical fiber with bare fiber end portion is received through the opposite end of the ferrule and the bare fiber end is located within the tip opening spaced inwardly from the tip end wall. The contact is received within a hollow tubular terminus body and extends out one end thereof, the remainder being retained within the terminus body by a flange on the ferrule. Additional parts terminate the fiber strength member externally of the contact and a spring provides axial resiliency to the contact. The tip outer end surface may have a concavity for receiving a spherical lens and a lens holder secures the lens against the tip end.

Abstract: A plastic-clad light-transmitting fiber having a high NA (numerical aperture) and low transmission loss, which consists essentially of a core of quartz glass or optical glass and a clad of organopolysiloxane, wherein the clad of organopolysiloxane is a cured body having 30% by weight or more of fluorine content, which is obtained by the curing reaction of a vinyl group-containing organofluoropolysiloxane and a hydrogen-containing fluorosilicone compound, and wherein the vinyl group-containing organofluorosiloxane is a copolymerized polysiloxane obtained from a hydrocarbon siloxane unit and a polyfluoroalkyl group-containing siloxane unit, with a ratio of copolymerization of hydrocarbon siloxane unit ranging from 20 to 75 mol %.

Abstract: An optical deflector for deflecting a light beam within a predetermined range of angle, including a substrate having an electro-optical effect, a three-dimensional waveguide formed on one of opposite surfaces of the substrate, to guide waves of the light beam therethrough, and plural pairs of deflector electrodes. The waveguide includes a main path, and a plurality of branch paths diverging from the main path at respective branching portions of the waveguide. The branch paths are angled with respect to the main path so as to cover the predetermined range of angle.

Abstract: A connector comprises a plug and a socket. The plug has a main plug body, a plurality of contact pins projecting from the main plug body and including a contact pin for grounding, and a shielding member surrounding the plurality of contact pins. The socket has a main socket body, a plug receiving part provided on the main socket body for receiving the shielding member, a plurality of contact portions provided within the plug receiving part for making contact with corresponding ones of the plurality of contact pins and including a first contact portion for making contact with the contact pin for grounding, and a second contact portion provided on the main socket body for making contact with the shielding member. The plug is detachably coupled to the socket by inserting the shielding member into the plug receiving part. The first and second contact portions are made of a single contact member.

Abstract: A semiconductor device which includes a semiconductor substrate, an active layer in a quantum well structure disposed on said semiconductor substrate, an optical waveguide formed by a disordering part of said active layer, and a clad layer disposed on said active layer and optical waveguide. As a result of this structure, the coupling efficiency of the active layer and optical waveguide is extremely enhanced, and a high performance semiconductor device is obtained.

Abstract: A 1.5 .mu.m zero dispersion single mode optical fiber comprising a center core, a side core disposed on an outer side of the center core and having a refractive index lower than that of the center core, and a cladding portion disposed on an outer side of the side core. Each of the refractive indices of the center core and the side core has a step-like profile in the direction of the radius of the optical fiber. The bending loss is low. The mode field diameter can be increased without deteriorating the bending loss, and the splice loss can be reduced. The chromatic dispersion varies only to a small extent with respect to changes in the core diameter, so that the zero dispersion wavelength can be well controlled.

Abstract: An integrated optical waveguide structure which provides for efficient, single-mode propagation of light across an interface between two contiguous waveguide layers of differing effective refractive index. The waveguides are formed by layers of increased index of refraction formed at the surface of a substrate and serve to support propagation of optical electromagnetic radiation along the surface of the substrate. A refractive interface is provided at the interface of two such surface layers supporting modes of differing effective indexes of refraction. By underlying one of the surface layers with an additional layer having a particular, but different, index of refraction, a single mode of propagation is supported throughout both of the surface waveguides. General applications in the formation of optical waveguide components as well as a more extensive treatment with the formation of a lens is also disclosed using proton exchange in crystalline LiNbO.sub.3.

Abstract: The luminaire for a prism light guide system consists of a longitudinal hollow structure made of transparent dielectric material. The structure has inner and outer surfaces which are in octature, and at least a portion of one outer surface that has a light release mechanism. The light release mechanisms include a non-planar surface, a rough outer surface, or round corners in a corrugated outer surface. The luminaire can further include a device positioned within the hollow structure for increasing the divergence angle .theta. of the light. It can consist of a diffusion screen or a mirror. Some of the walls may also be covered by a reflective material to redirect any escaping light back into them.

Abstract: Optical fibre couplers are formed by selectively etching the cladding layer of portions of the fibres forming the coupler to provide them with an undulating profile, converging a group of fibres so that the undulating profiles interlock, and fusing the interlocking portions without drawing the fibres, so as to form a fused coupling zone of blended core and cladding glass. The fused zone is inserted in a ferrule, or a cladding layer is applied having a numerical aperture selected to maintain a more or less constant numerical aperture through the coupler. Such couplers may be cut in half and the halves optically coupled to each other by applying lenses to the cut ends and inserting the halves from opposite directions into a housing containing refractive index matching fluid so that the focuses of the lenses coincide.

Abstract: A joint for coupling light transmissive media mounted in separate housings, at complementary mating surfaces comprising: a pusher including springs attached to an array of spaced pusher arms engageable with a pusher surface connected to one of the light transmissive media; a barrier for engaging the rear of the pusher wherein the pusher exerts a predetermined amount of compression mating force between the mating surfaces of the light transmissive media; and a mechanism for aligning the mating surfaces of the light transmissive media comprising a pilot strap surrounding one of the light transmissive media, the strap including spaced fingers for receiving and aligning the other of the light transmissive media.

Abstract: A fiber optic tap connector which is inexpensive and easy to use to tap off an optical signal from the fiber optic line between emitter and detector points without causing a significant loss in the original signal. The fiber optic tap connector includes a shear having an outwardly extending cutting surface below a window through which the signal is emitted after the tapping procedure has been performed.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing an optical fibre having a synthetic resin coating and optical fibre having a synthetic resin coating manufactured according to the method. The invention provides a method of rapidly coating an optical fibre with two layers of a synthetic resin, the first layer being formed from a reactive molten synthetic resin material. This molten synthetic resin material is solidified by cooling after which the second layer, which can be any customary curable synthetic resin composition, is applied. Next, both layers are cured together, for example, by exposure to UV-light. The reactive molten synthetic resin material comprises at least two acrylate ester groups per molecule.

Abstract: A light beam scanning system comprises a wave guide formed of a material allowing propagation of surface acoustic waves therethrough, and a means for generating the surface acoustic waves in the wave guide so that they advance along an optical path of light incident upon the wave guide, and a drive circuit for periodically applying a pulsewise voltage to the surface acoustic wave generating means. The wave guided inside of the wave guide is emitted out of the wave guide at the section where the surface acoustic waves are present by a coupling action of a grating generated by the surface acoustic waves with the guided wave.

Abstract: An optical fiber is disclosed which comprises (a) a central core section of constant thickness which terminates in an outwardly gradually expanded end section, and (b) a cladding layer enveloping the core. Both the core and the cladding layer are of constant compositions throughout the fiber's length and width. Additionally, the difference between the refractive indices of the core and the cladding layer remains constant throughout the length of the fiber. Where the core gradually increases in width in the outwardly expanded end section of the fiber, the V number increases in like manner. In such optical fiber, propagation of a predetermined mode or modes is maintained throughout the entire length of the fiber, so long as the expansion of the end section occurs gradually over the order of many wavelengths.

Abstract: Fusion splicing apparatus for fusion splicing pairs of single mode optical fibers has a fusion head having two spaced guiding and locating members mounted on hinge members. One hinge member moves a guiding and locating member up and down, the other hinge member moves the other guiding and locating member forward and back. Actuation of the hinge member is by stepping motors and micrometers. The fibers are held in the guiding and locating members by clamping members, one of which can be pivotted to move a holding member at its upper end laterally. The fiber cores can be aligned axially by actuation of the hinge members and the fiber ends can be separated and pushed together by pivotting the pivot clamping member. Light signal input and detecting modules can be positioned either side of the fusion head. Detected light signals can be used to operate the stepping motor to give automatic alignment. Arc electrodes are provided for giving a preclean arc, a softening arc and a fusion arc.

Abstract: A housing for an optoelectronic circuit module useful in a glass fiber communications system including a luminous flux suspended into the housing. The flux is conducted in a vacuum or a gas, between first and second mutually positioned optical components. The first optical component is attached to the housing via a first support, and a second optical component is attached to the housing via a second support. The first support is installed in one of the housing walls or inside the housing and the second support is rigidly attached to an interior section of the housing. In operation, at least the second support is subjected to large temperature variations of e.g., between -40.degree. C. and +130.degree. C. At least the interior section of the housing which is adjacent to the second support is comprised of a first weldable material and has a first linear thermal expansion coefficient.

Abstract: A closed, hollow connector housing mounts a pair of laser fibers in end facing position internally within the hollow connector housing for immersion in a light-transmissible liquid. A pump drives the light-transmissible liquid within a circulation loop through pipes opening to opposite sides of the connector housing such that the liquid flows across the interface between the end to end facing optical fibers. Heat generated by scattered light reflections is dissipated by circulation of the liquid and the occurrence of scattered reflections is minimized by the presence of the liquid. A flow rate sensor responsive to the rate of flow of the light-transmissible liquid feeds an electrical signal through a drive circuit to a shutter mechanism for preventing light-transmission from the power laser light source to one of the laser fibers absent a sufficient of circulation flow rate of the light-transmissible liquid through the connector housing.

Abstract: An optical directional coupler with amplification having first, second and third waveguides respectively intended for incoming light for bar coupling of light from the first waveguide and for cross coupling of light from the first waveguide. The waveguides are transparent to the wave length of the incoming light and have a characteristic refractive index in the coupling area. The coupler also includes waveguide sections constituting coupling elements for the first, second and third waveguides as well as electrodes. An arrangement is provided for achieving optical amplification of light passing through the first and the second waveguide in the bar coupling state of the directional coupler and amplification of the light passing through the first and the third waveguides in the cross coupling state of the directional coupler by feeding a current to the electrodes according to which coupling state is desired.

Abstract: Adjacent lying plug-connector halves, the front ends of which exhibit pin or sleeve shaped plug elements, are provided with first and second supporting bodies, of which the first supporting body, with a sleeve shaped plug element, may be connected by means of a joinable groove-tenon-interconnect lying crosswise to the plug insertion direction, and exhibits an entrance channel for a plug connector half with a pin shaped plug element. The second supporting body with a concentric guiding tube for the insertion of pin shaped plug elements from both directions exhibits a tenon-groove-interlock contour at both ends that matches that of a sleeve shaped plug element. The first supporting body can therefore be interlocked with second supporting bodies or sleeve shaped plug elements at choice, whereby light wave guides single or double plugs may be connected to transmit- and/or receive modules and light wave guides single or double plugs may be inter-connected.

Abstract: A junction block for end-to-end interconnection of two optical fibers, said block comprising two identical parts (1) assembled face-to-face and forming a block having a fiber-receiving duct (13) passing therethrough, said duct being built up from two half ducts each running along a corresponding one of said parts, said duct being suitable for receiving two fibers inserted into respective ends thereof, and for positioning the cores of said two fibers in end-to-end alignment inside a mid guide portion thereof (13E), and for holding said fibers in place by clamping their respective coatings inside two retaining members (13B1, 13B2) of the duct which are located adjacent to respective ends thereof and each of which is constituted by two half-members which are resiliently separable to enable a fiber to be connected to pass therethrough in order to properly position the core of said fiber for interconnection with the core of the other fiber.