Abstract: An optical interconnecting device and method are disclosed for selectively directing signals from an array of optical inputs to an array of optical outputs through an optical medium. The input signals are angularly multiplexed and redirected by dynamic gratings of the appropriate spatial, or grating, frequency. Spatially periodic optical index perturbations propragated in the medium are utilized to achieve the dynamic gratings. The angles at which light is input to the gratings (input angles) and angles at which light is collected from the gratings (output angles) are selected to allow each grating frequency to connect signals at only one input angle to one output angle and thus only one optical output. The number of resolvable gratings required is the product of the number of inputs and the number of output. For the interconnection of an equal number of inputs and outputs connected in a one to one permutation, only a number of gratings equal to the number of inputs need be present simultaneously.

Abstract: A species-specific metal clad segment on a waveguide, including a planar waveguide, allows controlled light leakage of light propagating through the waveguide by total internal reflection, to measure refractive index and identify chemical species. A waveguide sensor is designed for a particular chemical species by selecting a metal clad with an affinity for the species and by matching the refractive indices of the waveguide body, clad, metal clad segment and chemical species. Dual or multiple measurement methods use a pair or multiple metal clad segments of different specificity. The metal clad segment may include another material to provide a suitable refractive index while having the desired affinity for the chemical species or to provide a catalyst to react the species to form a reaction product which is more readily detected.

Abstract: A hermetically coated optical fiber comprising a core made of glass, a cladding made of quartz glass surrounding the core the outermost layer of which glass contains fluorine, and a carbon layer surrounding the fluorine-containing glass layer, which optical fiber has good initial strength and fatigue characteristics.

Abstract: An electronic scanner or printer using a fiber optic bundle and employing an initialization procedure is rendered more reliable, less expensive and provides a relatively easy path to gray scale and high resolution performance by using a unique fiber optic bundle. The bundle comprises ribbons of square fibers where the ribbons are set side by side at one end of the bundle and stacked at the other. Each square fiber of each ribbon comprises multiple rows and columns of (core) fibers each with a cladding to ensure total internal reflection of light. Gray scale is achieved by varying the exposure time and consequently the energy per pixel on a treated media or by statistically changing the amount of toner on an OPC drum creating limited apparent shades of black spots on a developed page.

Abstract: A signal processing system of an optical fiber gyro comprises a light emitting element for generating a monochromatic light, a fiber coil, a branching element for dividing the monochromatic light into clockwise and counterclockwise lights, for transmitting the clockwise and counterclockwise lights to opposite ends of the fiber coil, respectively, and for uniting again the clockwise and counterclockwise lights into a coherent light, a light receiving element for detecting an intensity of the coherent light, and an auxiliary light receiving element for monitoring an output of the light emitting element. When the light emitting element output is less than a predetermined value, a power for driving the light emitting element is controlled so that a direct current component or even times higher harmonics component of a sensor signal obtained from the light receiving element becomes constant.

Abstract: In a luminous display system incorporating optical fibers, through-holes are formed in a display screen so as to form an equispaced rectangular grid. Each optical fiber is provided with an input and an output terminal. The output terminals are embedded in the through-holes while the input terminals of the optical fbers are attached to an input section. The input section has a rear surface on which an image is projected. Arrangement of the input terminals on the input section is the same as that of the output terminals at the display screen an area of which is equal to or more than that of the input section. A liquid crystal display panel is interposed between the input section rear surface and a light source. The light source projects light through the liquid crystal display panel and a lens, the light then being reflected from a reflecting surface to the rear surface of the input section, so that an enlarged display pattern is formed on the display screen through the optical fibers.

Abstract: An integrated optic component comprises a substrate (10) carrying a layer (11) of polymeric material which has an aliphatic or aromatic polymer backbone with bonded sidegroups exhibiting hyperpolarizability. The layer (11) shows a refractive index pattern induced by irradiation with wavelengths within the electronic absorption bands of the sidegroups and within the range of about 230 to 650 nm. The component may be poled so as to be an active component and may be in the form of a ridge guide. Typical sidegroups comprise 4'-amino or 4'-oxy substituted 4-nitrostilbene moieties, or 4'-amino substituted 4-cyanostilbene moieties, or N-substituted 1-(4-aminophenyl)-4-(4-nitrophenyl) buta-1, 3-diene moieties.

Abstract: An optical waveguide device for polarization rotation comprises a substrate, a waveguide path arranged on the substrate, a mode converting element arranged at an intermediate region of the waveguide path, and a polarization rotating element arranged at a location in the waveguide path between a place where light is incident and the mode converting element. The mode converting element includes a phase shifter for relatively shifting a phase between TE and TM components of light transmitted through the waveguide path, in response to an applied voltage, and also includes a mode converter for converting modes between the TE and TM components. The polarization rotating element rotates a polarization plane of the light transmitted through the waveguide path by (90+180 .times.n) degrees, where n is zero or an integer.

Abstract: An optical waveguide fiber with a fatigue resistant TiO.sub.2 -SiO.sub.2 outer cladding including a cylindrical outermost layer with TiO.sub.2 concentration greater than 10.5 wt. % and thickness less than 3 .mu.m. The fiber may include a two layer outer cladding with higher TiO.sub.2 concentration in the outer layer. The outer cladding may include a plurality of inhomogeneities dispersed in a TiO.sub.2 -SiO.sub.2 matrix.

Abstract: A terminus for an optical fiber cable (10) has a ferrule (22) with an endwall portion (24) including an axial opening (26) for receiving a glass fiber core. A ferrule central portion (28) is larger in cross-section than endwall portion (24) and the opposite end portion (32) is still larger. In assembly, the fiber jacket (16) or strain relief is peeled back over an underlying sleeve (34) and crimped within the opposite end portion (32). The central ferrule portion (28) has an internal sleeve (40) fitted over a section of the optical fiber with buffer tubing (14) and the ferrule is crimped in place. The fiber outer end portion consists of just the bare glass core (12) received within endwall opening (26).

Abstract: Bends in optical fibers can be miniaturized by reducing the diameter of a section of the fiber in the region where bending is desired to a condition in which the optical properties of the fiber have reduced bend-loss sensitivity. In one aspect of the invention, radii of curvature less than 100 microns (.mu.) and very low optical power loss are achieved. A fiber with such specially reduced diameter may also be twisted about its longitudinal axis to a greater degree than a comparable length of larger diameter fiber. Any optical fiber can be processed by redrawing and/or chemical means to allow such bending or twisting. Bend or twist tolerant regions thus formed may be packaged separately or built integrally into a wide range of fiber optic components, networks, or systems with significant space savings, added performance features and mechanical flexibility.

Abstract: A fiber optic connector (1) for an optical fiber cable (2), comprising; a strain relief (3) encircling the cable (2), a housing (4), and a fixture (5) attached to the strain relief (3), the fixture (5) interlocking with the housing (4) at a stationary position angularly pointing the strain relief (3) and the cable (2) relative to the housing (4).

Abstract: Light from a light source is linearly polarized by a polarizer and is then split by an optical splitter/coupler into two parts which are simultaneously coupled, as right-handed light and left-handed light, into both ends of an optical fiber coil. The right-handed light and left-handed light emitted from the ends of the optical fiber coil are combined by the optical splitter/coupler into interference light, which is extracted after passing through the polarizer and is converted into an electric signal corresponding to its intensity. The phase difference between the right-handed light and the left-handed light, corresponding to an angular rate applied to the optical fiber coil, is detected from the electric signal. A depolarizer is inserted in series at an arbitrary position in a loop from one end of the optical splitter/coupler to the other end thereof via the optical fiber coil.

Abstract: The photorefractive effect results in a change in the refractive index of bulk chalcogenide glass when it is exposed to certain wavelengths of light, in particular, sub-band-gap light. The effect results in a variety of device structures including a fiber optic faceplate; an optical waveguide; a fiber tap; a lens and a Bragg grating. Methods for fabricating the various devices are described.

Abstract: A fiber optic connector in which first and second optical fibers are aligned at a fiber interface of the connector. The first optical fiber has a beveled angle end face, and the second optical fiber has a complementary beveled angle end face. Abutting connector members are joined in a connector enclosure which enables the respective fiber end faces to abut at an angle at the fiber interface. The respective fiber end faces are joined at a vertical aligned position for the connector, also at a horizontal aligned position for the connector. Suitable alignment means provided on the connector members enable alignment of the fiber end faces at the fiber interface. In a fixed aligned position of the assembled connector, the respective fiber end faces are held in abutting and full engagement at the fiber interface, in which the vertical aligned position of the optical fibers in the connector is coincident with the horizontal aligned position thereof.

Abstract: Fiber optic splice case for retaining at least one primary cable and a plurality of service cables in spliced connection. The case includes removably interconnectable members including a base member and a top or cover member. The case is divided into at least two chambers to retain carrier and service fibers in an orderly and sufficiently radiied arrangement. Sealing members are provided and include one seal around the primary cable projecting into the case which seals the case without employing tapes or sealants. Mounting portions retain the case and permit convenient projection of the case from a protective housing for access to the splice connections.

Abstract: A switch for controlling the transmission of light from a first optical fiber to at least a second optical fiber or from a single bidirectional optical fiber back to itself includes a housing having a spherical concave reflector mounted therewithin. Fiber mounting means is provided for mounting optical fiber(s) at a predetermined location within the housing such that at least a portion of a beam of light emanating from the end face of one fiber propagates along an incidence path toward the reflector from which it is reflected by the curved concave reflector along a predetermined reflectance path. A light interrupter is mounted within the housing for switchable movement between a light transmissive state and a light interruptive state. A light absorbing member is positioned such that residual light reflected from the light interrupter is directed toward and absorbed by the light absorbing member.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fiber amplifier system including a gain fiber having a single-mode core containing dopant ions capable of producing stimulated emission of light at wavelength .lambda..sub.s when pumped with light of wavelength .lambda..sub.p. Absorbing ion filtering means is operatively associated with the gain fiber to alter the gain curve. If the absorbing ions are the same as the gain ions of the gain fiber, the system further includes means for preventing pump light from exciting the gain ions of the filtering means. The excitation prevention means may take the form of means for attenuating pump light. If the absorbing ions are different from the dopant ions of the gain fiber, such absorbing ions can be subjected to light at wavelength .alpha..sub.p, but they will remain unexcited. Such absorbing ions can be used to co-dope the gain fiber, or they can be incorporated into the core of a fiber that is in series with the gain fiber.

Abstract: A fiber optic phosphor screen is made of an optical fiber bundle having individual fibers arranged in parallel with opposite ends thereof extending between internal and external surfaces of the screen. The ends of the individual fibers at the internal surface of the screen have phosphor islands bonded only to the core portions in order to provide a pseudo-intagliated phosphor layer. A reflective layer is coated over the phosphor islands in between on the cladding portions of the fibers. A method for producing the fiber optic phosphor screen includes the steps of applying a phosphor-photoresist layer to the ends of the fibers at the internal surface of the screen, illuminating the opposite ends of the fibers such that only the portions of the phosphor-photoresist layer on the core portions of the fibers are developed and bonded thereto, and removing the undeveloped portions of the phosphor-photoresist layer to leave behind phosphor islands bonded to the core portions.

Abstract: An overconnector assembly 10 converts a pair of simplex optical fiber connectors 1, each having a defined exterior profile, into a unitary structure that operates as a duplex connector. The overconnector assembly 10 comprises a bipartite structure of complementary parts 76, 77. Each part has a double compartment interior 78, 79. The interior of each compartment 78, 79 has a precisely shaped profile conforming to the shape of the defined exterior profile of each of the pairs of simplex optical fiber connectors 1.