Abstract: An optical fiber coupling system is described including a laser for generating a laser beam through a lens having spherical aberration. The spherical aberration in the lens blurs the focal spot, thereby reducing incident fluence levels over the prior art configurations. To further reduce peak fluence levels, a small obscuration is placed between the laser beam and the lens near the center of the lens. The incident end of the optical fiber is then placed at the point where the cross sectional area of the laser beam is smallest, which is closer to the lens than both the location of peak fluence and the paraxial focal point.

Abstract: This invention provides a light coupling device capable of selectively dividing a light signal and controlling its transmission from an emitter to receiving elements. The device includes a light-transmissive member with two pairs of opposite lens cavities for receiving light emitting and receiving devices such as optical fibers. A partial mirror is positioned between the cavities so that extensions of the axes of the cavities intersect at the partial mirror and make equal acute angles with the partial mirror. Part of the light from an emitting device in one cavity will be transmitted through the partial mirror to the opposite lens cavity while the remainder will be reflected to a third lens cavity. The fourth cavity receives none of the light. Light from each of the lens cavities will be reflected to a different lens cavity from that of any of the others, which enables various light coupling combinations to be selected. Three lens cavities may be provided in lieu of four lens cavities.

Abstract: This invention provides an optical fiber connector in which axially aligned, inwardly tapering openings are provided in opposite sides of a member and interconnected at their inner ends, a quantity of matching optical fluid is positioned within the openings and cylindrical optical fibers are pressed axially into the openings so that their end corners engage the tapered walls of the openings to align the fibers and position their end faces in close adjacency. The fibers displace some of the optical fluid as they enter the openings so that the fluid occupies the space between their end faces. The fiber alignment principle may be used as well in connecting a fiber to a light source or a fiber to a detector.

Abstract: This invention provides an arrangement for optical coupling, including interconnecting optical fibers, coupling a source to the fiber and coupling a fiber to a detector. The connector may comprise an objective lens and an immersion lens provided by opposed cavities in a transparent medium, each containing an index of refraction material, with the optical fibers to be connected inserted into the opposed cavities. Cavities also are used in source-to-fiber and fiber-to-detector coupling, being defined by surfaces of revolution and providing an aligning and positioning means. By appropriate selection of the indices of refraction of the index of refraction material and the transparent medium, the light from the emitting device is refracted and transmitted to the receiving device, resulting in low-loss light transmission. Means may be provided for changing the emittance angle so as to cause the light to be within the acceptance angle of the receiving device.