Abstract: The present invention discloses an OIC fabrication system which includes a tapered angle computing means for computing a tapered angle for aching a required coupling efficiency. The fabrication system also includes a fabrication control means which includes a tabulated fabricating parameter database for determining and controlling a plurality of fabricating parameters. The fabrication system also includes an etching system which receives a plurality of control signals from the fabrication controlling means to carry out the etching process to form a tapered etching angle such that the optical coupling efficiency can be achieved.

Abstract: Uniformity of optical coupling of optical elements such as star couplers and splitters is improved by heat treatment which causes dopants in the core of an optical fiber to diffuse into material from the cladding layer of the optical fibers from which the optical element is formed, resulting in a substantially homogeneous interior region of the star coupler or splitter. Increased lossiness of the optical element thus formed may be limited by termination of the heat treatment before dopant diffusion reaches equilibrium throughout the fibers so that a portion of the cladding layer of the fibers remains surrounding the substantially homogeneous region where the fibers have been fused together.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a mode field diameter conversion optical fiber which can be processed in a short period of time to have a reduced mode field diameter at a desired portion thereof. The optical fiber according to this invention comprises a core of silica glass having a residual tensile stress, and a cladding surrounding the core and having a lower refractive index than that of the core. The desired portion is heated to relax the residual tensile stress in the core, whereby the optical fiber has a reduced mode field diameter at the desired portion.

Abstract: An optical switch wherein mirrors move between two positions in order to transmit optical signals between input fibers and output fibers. In a first position, the optical signal is transmitted by input fibers through a one-quarter pitch of Grade Index Refractive (GRIN) lens. The light signal is then reflected by a first mirror and second mirror such that its path carries it to a focusing one-quarter GRIN lens, and to output fibers. With the mirrors in its second position, the optical signal is transmitted directly from input fibers, through one-quarter pitch of Grade Index Refractive (GRIN) lens, to a focusing one-quarter GRIN lens, and to output fibers, thereby resulting in an unreflected light signal path.

Abstract: An improved optical fiber for laterally directing a laser beam having a waveguide including a tip for communicating electromagnetic radiation in a propagation direction to the tip of the waveguide, a transmitting surface on the tip of the waveguide, a reflecting surface on the tip of the waveguide for internally reflecting electromagnetic radiation communicated by the waveguide in a direction lateral to the propagation direction toward a particular area on the transmitting surface, and wherein the particular area and the reflecting surface are disposed so that substantially all electromagnetic radiation reflected by the reflecting surface is incident on the particular area at below a critical angle for transmission through the transmitting surface in the lateral direction.

Abstract: A strain relief boot (10) in combination with a connector (15). The strain relief boot (10) has a body (11) having a rigid portion (12) and a flexible portion (13). A center bore (14) extends through the body (11) and the connector (15) is slidingly disposed in the center bore (14). The body (11) has an inner wall (20) surrounding the center bore (14). A plurality of spaced-apart ribs (21) are formed on the inner wall (20) of the rigid portion (12). Each rib (21) has a top surface (22) and a pair of adjoining sidewalls (23). The ribs (21) extend inwardly into the center bore (14) and grip the connector (15) with a friction fit, retaining the strain relief boot (10) on the connector (15).

Abstract: An optical component mounting substrate which comprises grooves for holding optical fibers, other grooves for optical components being inserted and optical waveguides is produced with a press molding process. A mold having convex and/or concave surface profiles which are corresponding to the grooves and the optical waveguides to be formed on a surface of the optical component mounting substrate is used as a die in the press molding process. The surface profiles of the mold are precisely transferred onto the surface of a transparent glass base substrate, thereby forming the optical component mounting substrate having a desired surface configuration including the grooves and the optical waveguides. Optical fibers are aligned along the grooves and fixed by a light-curing adhesive.

Abstract: An optical coupling device for coupling light into a selected output fiber. The input fiber is optically aligned with one of a plurality of output fibers via a reflector. By rotating a reflector about an axis, the input light beam can be reflected to a selected output fiber. The input fiber and all the output fibers are in fixed position relative to each other.

Abstract: A light waveguide is guided in the longitudinal direction over a defined length together with a filling compound, which are to be introduced into an outer envelope. The velocity of the light waveguide is subsequently decelerated to a lower value due to the reduction of velocity of the filling compound as it enters into the tubular envelope and, thus, the change in velocity converts the excess length of the waveguide into a non-straightline course or a serpentine configuration within the filling compound in the envelope.

Abstract: A fiber optic connector with an epoxy preform is described that facilitates integration of an optical fiber with a connector body and a ferrule. In an illustrated embodiment, the epoxy preform is a cylindrical thermosetting epoxy element having a passage therethrough adapted to receive an optical fiber of a predetermined diameter. The passage through the preform is positively secured within a cavity within the connector body to precisely align the passage with an opening in an abutting ferrule.

Abstract: The presence of (typically unintended) birefringence in single mode optical fiber can severely limit the usefulness of the fiber for, e.g., high bit rate or analog optical fiber communication systems, due to the resulting polarization mode dispersion (PMD). It has now been discovered that PMD can be substantially reduced if, during drawing of the fiber, a torque is applied to the fiber such that a "spin" is impressed on the fiber. Desirably the torque is applied such that the spin impressed on the fiber does not have constant spatial frequency, e.g., has alternately clockwise and counterclockwise helicity. At least a portion of optical fiber according to the invention has spin alternately clockwise and counterclockwise.

Abstract: An apparatus enables an optical fiber mounted through a hole in one side of a substrate to couple optical signals to and from an optoelectronic component mounted on the other side of the substrate. A connector is formed using the above apparatus by adding electrical terminals which connect to wiring paths on the substrate and to the optoelectronic component mounted thereon. In one connector arrangement, the electrical terminals are mounted orthogonal to the optical fiber. In another connector arrangement, the electrical terminals are mounted essentially in-line with the optical fiber. Both connector arrangements can accommodate one or more optical fibers and connect to one or more electrical terminals.

Abstract: The capacity of a multi-mode optical fiber system, such as a local area network, is increased by selectively propagating only higher-order modes through the multi-mode fiber. Because only a small number of higher-order modes are propagated, pulse spreading induced by modal dispersion is minimized, and the bandwidth of the multi-mode fiber is increased. Because of the reduced modal dispersion, higher-order modes are recovered from the multi-mode fiber in accordance with the invention without filtering the output of the fiber. This renders the system less vulnerable to mechanical perturbations that are known to reduce the bit error rate of systems requiring filtering. Thus, by propagating only higher-order modes in this manner, the "bandwidth-distance" product of the multi-mode fiber is significantly increased.

Abstract: Efficient conversion between the LP.sub.01 and the LP.sub.11 modes in a two-mode optical fiber is realized in a fiber grating fabricated by forming a series of longitudinally-spaced cuts in the fiber cladding, and then annealing the fiber in the region of the cuts. The latter step uses the surface tension of the molten glass to transform the corrugation on the cladding into a sinusoidal deformation of the fiber core.

Abstract: A fiber optic patch panel for use with fiber optic or other cables is presented. The patch panel includes a fiber management tray, a front connector panel having a plurality of laterally spaced rectangular ports and a pair of mounting slots extending laterally therefrom, a pair of sides extending perpendicularly from the tray along a portion of each lateral edge of the tray, and a back also extending perpendicularly from the tray and along a portion of the back edge. Disposed within the rectangular ports of the front connector panel are modular connector assemblies. A cover may be employed to protect fibers and prevent dust and the like from being deposited and collecting within the tray. A splice tray, which is releasably fastened to the management tray, may also be employed for splicing fiber optic strands.

Abstract: An optical article exhibits effects attributable to the nonlinear second order polarizability of electromagnetic radiation and comprises a polymer containing within its repeating units polar aligned noncentrosymmetric molecular dipoles having an electron donor moiety linked through a conjugated .pi. bonding system to an electron acceptor moiety to permit oscillation of the molecular dipoles between a ground state exhibiting a first dipole moment and an excited state exhibiting a different dipole moment, characterized in that the molecular dipoles include as an acceptor moiety a vinyl group geminally substituted by two strong electron withdrawing groups, at least one of which is a sulfonyl moiety.

Abstract: An optical integrated circuit is disclosed. The optical integrated circuit includes: a dielectric waveguide having at least a waveguide layer for transmitting light in a first direction; a first reflector for reflecting the light in a substantially opposite direction to the first direction, the first reflector being formed on an end face of the waveguide layer; a grating coupler having a grating for diffracting at least a part of the light in a second direction which is different from the first direction, the grating coupler being formed at a surface of the waveguide layer; and a light detector for detecting the diffracted light, the light detector being optically connected with the dielectric waveguide.

Abstract: In the manufacture of a wavelength multiplexing 2.times.2 tapered fused fiber coupler by progressive stretching, the birefringence of the coupler resulting from the progressive stretching is subsequently nulled-out by elastic twisting of the coupler. The progressive stretching is performed, under temperature conditions providing a profile in the coupling region of the coupler having the property that the coupling strength for one of the principal polarization planes of the coupler remains substantially constant during said elastic twisting.

Abstract: An optical guided-wave device with an electro optic effect is comprised of first and second substrates having first and second refractive indices wherein the second refractive index is larger than the first one. These substrates are made of a single crystal dielectric material such as lithium tantalate or lithium niobate and, if they are made of the same material, they have different crystal orientations resulting in different refractive indices. These substrates are physically bonded directly or via a thin film such as glass, silicon, silicon oxide or silicon nitride and then, the second substrate is thinned and worked to form a wave guide therein.

Abstract: An optical fiber distribution frame is disclosed which includes a plurality of modular cabinets. The plurality of cabinets includes a connector cabinet having a front panel with sleeve adaptors for mounting a plurality of connector sleeves on said panel at an angle to said panel.