Abstract: A method for forming a three gate optical coupler, operating on a beam splitting principle, or a five gate optical coupler characterized by providing a carrier block having a pair of marks to define a line of a parting plane, creating a continuous branching waveguide structure having a waveguide node located adjacent to the parting plane of the carrier block by a ion exchange method, parting the carrier block in the parting plane, polishing the parted surfaces and forming a light transmitting optical layer, such as a frequency selective filter layer on a polished surface, then rejoining the two parts with the waveguides aligned. The method is particularly useful in forming three gate and five gate frequency multiplexers/demultiplexers, which have a continuous light waveguide structure except in the location of the frequency selective filter layer.

Abstract: A coupling arrangement for coupling an optical fiber to a planar integrated optical component characterized by a V-shaped groove being formed in a surface of the substrate, at least one end of the groove being closed by a vertical substrate wall containing an optical window formed by an end of an integrated optical component in said substrate, and an end of an optical fiber being secured in said groove with an end face being positioned adjacent said optical window. The arrangement is preferably made by etching oblique channels into a substrate containing the optical component to form a bridge extending parallel with the optical component, the bridge is then removed to expose an optical window in a substantially vertically extending wall, and then the optical fiber is positioned and secured in the groove with the end face of the fiber being positioned adjacent the optical window.

Abstract: An integrated optical arrangement for bidirectional optical message and signal transmission characterized by a common substrate having integrated thereon, a semiconductor laser, an optical detector and a direction selective coupling arrangement which coupling arrangement has a first port coupled to the laser, a second port coupled to the detector and a third port arranged for coupling light in and out of the arrangement with a first wavelength from the laser passing from the first port to the third port and the third port passing a second wavelength to the second port for detection. The arrangement further includes a wavelength selective filter being disposed in a waveguide extending to the second port for blocking light of the first wavelength but being transmissive to light of the second wavelength. The coupling arrangement can either be an optical directional coupler or a y-shaped waveguide fork.

Abstract: A light branching element or diplexer comprising a first bi-directional light connection and a second and third unidirectional light connection. The unit is formed by a block having a straight surface groove with an embedded glass fiber which fiber is interrupted by a partially transmissive mirror lying on a slanting plane relative to the axis of the fiber. The light sensitive location of a light receiving semiconductor element is secured to the block adjacent to the mirror and the plane of the mirror is selected so that its normal extends out of the block at an angle of incidence smaller than 45.degree. to the axis of the fiber to reduce reflections from the semiconductor member back to the mirror and into the fiber.

Abstract: A twin wall coke quenching container having an upwardly slanting bottom, there being a first plurality of quenching water inlets in an upper portion of that bottom, the openings of the first plurality having axes transverse to the upwardly slanting bottom; a second plurality of water inlet openings are disposed in front and rear walls not much higher than a level of that edge and being arranged only in the bottom portion having the first plurality of openings; a third plurality of water inlet openings extend along the upper edge, and axial inclination similar to said slant of the bottom.

Abstract: A monolithically integrated WDM demultiplex module has a film wave guide of InGaAsP fashioned on a substrate, a photodiode of InGaAs being applied to the film wave guide. The photodiode is optically coupled to the film wave guide by a leakage coupling. A wavelength selection element in the form of a grating is provided in the surface of the film wave guide. The module can be manufactured with a single epitaxial step. Structures for increasing the crosstalk attenuation of the module and for a better coupling-in of radiation into the module are provided.

Abstract: A wavelength-division multiplex component for an optical broadband ISDN network with monomode transmission fibers is an uncomplicated component for bi-directional optical wavelength-divison multiplex transmission composed of a rod lens, a wavelength selective filter planarly applied to a front surface of the rod lens, and a plug member surrounding the rod lens and the filter. Monomode and multimode light waveguides are held in the plug member and are butt-coupled to a back surface of the rod lens. The monomode light waveguide fiber is preferably aligned to the optical axis of the rod lens and the front end face of the rod lens is preferably inclined slightly relative to the optical axis so that the multimode light waveguide, which extends parallel to the monomode light waveguide, can be offset laterally therefrom.

Abstract: An optical waveguide junction which can be used as a wavelength demultiplexer, having two aligned fibers separated from each other by a wavelength-selective filter and a fiber branching off laterally from these fibers at the level of the filter. At the same time, a greater degree of coupling efficiency, applicability in monomode fiber lines, and greater adjusting tolerances in production of the junction are achieved. It is recommended that each of the two aligned fibers have different core diameters, while the fiber feeding the filter has a smaller core diameter than the fiber continuing from the filter. In one embodiment of the invention the feed fiber includes a monomode fiber and the continuing fiber of a multimode. The junction can be used as a demultiplexer for optical-fiber transmission lines for unidirectional operation for demultiplexing.

Abstract: A method for integrating a DFB laser and a passive strip waveguide on a substrate. A layer stack is produced in a first epitaxy step, the layer stack having a laser-active layer and a surface-wide grating on the uppermost layer, and eroding the stack area-wise, but only down to a layer under the laser-active layer, not down to the substrate, by means of etching to create a step separating the laser region from the passive strip waveguide region. By employing an etching stop layer, the etching can ensue self-adjustingly, and the coupling between the laser-active layer and the passive strip waveguide region occurs not by end coupling, but by surface coupling. Only two epitaxy steps are required for the complete manufacture of the structure, and a strip required for the definition of the laser and of the waveguide can be produced in the same single method step.

Abstract: A branch connector for light waveguides which utilizes a beam divider mirror characterized by a carrier member aligning a pair of light waveguides on a common axis, a beam divider which is arranged on a plane slanted to the common axis on an angle which is larger than 45 degrees and is positioned between the ends of the waveguides and flush therewith and a second carrier plate mounting an additional waveguide adjacent one of the pair of aligned waveguides on a second axis extending at an angle to the common axis and intersecting the common axis at the beam divider mirror with the second axis being oriented to receive light reflected along the given direction.

Abstract: A star coupler for an optical data bus system in a star configuration or other local networks comprises a passive optical star coupler in the form of a transit mixer which distributes the optical signals, transmitted by subscriber transmitters and supplied to the passive optical star coupler by incoming optical waveguides and output via outgoing optical waveguides. The star coupler exhibits an additional optical transmitter whose optical signals are likewise capable of being input coupled in the passive optical star coupler, as well as a listening device for listening to the optical signals supplied to the passive optical star coupler in the incoming optical waveguides. The listening device emits signals which are related to the detected signals. Embodiments of a star coupler with a passive optical reflection star coupler are also described.

Abstract: A multiple branching means for distributing light from light wave guides for a plurality of horizontally extending light wave guide channels and a plurality of transversely extending light wave channels coupled to said horizontally extending channels and wherein a mirror layer is formed on an angle .phi..gtoreq.45.degree. at the junction point between the horizontal and vertically extending channels with light wave guides mounted in the channels and wherein the mirror layer is designed as an edge variable filter so that the wavelength of the filter is varied from one filter end perpendicular to the light wave guides in the guiding channels as a function of the distance X from said one end.

Abstract: A transmission and reception device for a fiber-optical sensor system functioning with two wavelengths is disclosed wherein light of a first wavelength and light of a second wavelength are supplied over in-coupling fibers of a fiber-optical brancher to a fiber path of the sensor system and wherein light returning over the fiber path is supplied over an out-coupling fiber of the brancher to an evaluation means. The brancher is designed such that the greatest part of the returning light is coupled out over the out-coupling fiber. Two advantageous embodiments of such a brancher are disclosed, the one being designed in the form of a non-frequency-selective, asymmetrical quad-gate brancher and the other being designed in the form of a frequency-selective, five-gate brancher.

Abstract: An optical branching unit and method for producing the unit which comprises an optical branching element having a body portion with at least one surface having the waveguides extending thereto, said surface and the waveguides being polished optically flat to extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the waveguides, each of the units being secured in a housing, which has a port associated with each optical waveguide and a device for receiving and holding an external waveguide being axially aligned with the axis of each optical waveguide so that an external waveguide can be held in an abutting and aligned contact with the polished optical waveguide of the polished optical flat surface to form an optical waveguide communication with the waveguide of the branch element.

Abstract: A coupling element is composed of a thick core fiber having an end formed by a first and second end surface with the first end surface extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of the fiber and the second end surface, which has a highly reflective mirror layer being inclined to the first end surface and to the axis. A second fiber, which is thinner than the first fiber, is coupled by a butt-joint to the first end surface and a third fiber which is also a thick core fiber branches off obliquely from the side of the first fiber adjacent the end.

Abstract: An optical device such as a branch element comprising a body having at least one port with each port being formed by an integral cylindrical guide plug extend from an outer surface of the body and coaxially receiving an optical waveguide such as a fiber with the end surface of the waveguide and the plug being coplanar. The optical device is made by assembling a plurality of parts having planar surfaces with the planar surfaces engaged with each other and with the parts having semi-cylindrical projections having a flat surface lying in the plane of the planar surfaces to aid in aligning the projections to form the guide plugs, the planar surfaces are provided with coacting adjustment portions comprising recesses receiving projections or posts.

Abstract: A fiber optical bypass switch or relay for selectively connecting incoming and outgoing line fibers to a pair of subscriber fibers extending to a subscriber station and bypassing the subscriber station by interconnecting the line fibers together characterized by a housing having a pair of stops, an arrangement for holding at least two fibers including at least one line fiber on a plane in a movable part which is mounted for movement in the housing between the pair of stops in a contact-free manner, an arrangement for holding the remaining fibers in the housing in the desired position relative to the pair of stops and a mechanism for moving the part between the pair of stops including a biasing arrangement for urging the part in one direction between the stops so that while the part is engaged on the first of the pair of stops, the line fibers are interconnected with the subscriber fibers being bypassed and when the part is in contact with the other stop, the incoming and outgoing line fibers are connected to

Abstract: An optical wavelength division multiplex system having a multiplexer unit, a demultiplexer unit and means for forming a transmission path between the two units characterized by each of the multiplexer and demultiplexer units being composed of at least two reflecting grating modules interconnected by at least one interference module which reflection and interference modules of each unit are matched to one another. The system enables increasing the number of transmission channels with different carrier wavelengths while the insertion losses are maintained in an acceptable range.

Abstract: A branching device for branching a light component out of an optical waveguide characterized by a pair of carriers each supporting a waveguide, a supporting arrangement for supporting the carriers with the end surfaces of the waveguide spaced apart by a reflective layer of a beam divider sandwiched between the end surfaces and a detector arranged to receive the light coupled by the reflective layer from the waveguides. A method of forming the device preferably provides a common member having a waveguide, severing the member along a plane extending obliquely to the axis of the waveguide to form the two halves or carrier members, optically polishing the cut surfaces of the halves, applying a reflective layer of the beam divider on a polished cut surface of one of the carrier members. Then the carriers are formed into a waveguide unit with the polished, cut surfaces separated by the layer of the beam divider.

Abstract: An optical device coupling light between a first light waveguide and either a second light waveguide or a radiation source characterized by the first light waveguide having a core of a predetermined cross-sectional area, a reflective layer or mirror of a high reflectance being disposed on an angle to the axis of the waveguide and occupying only a small portion of the total cross-sectional area of the core so that only a small portion of the light traveling in the core of the first waveguide will be blocked by the presence of the mirror. The second waveguide will have a core diameter substantially smaller than that of the first waveguide and the mirror is mounted in the first core adjacent to the connection with the second core. The radiation source may be either a laser diode, semi-conductor laser or a light emitting diode.