Abstract: An optical waveguide is disclosed with a substantially planar substrate and a waveguide layer applied to the substrate. The invention resides in that the substrate consists of a synthetic resin or of a material having a high organic proportion. This has the advantage that the high index of refraction of the inorganic waveguide layer is combined with the material properties of the synthetic resin substrate, such as, for example, breaking resistance, plastic and thermoplastic moldability, photochemical structuring ability, and others.

Abstract: An optical waveguide is disclosed with a substantially planar substrate and a waveguide layer applied to the substrate. The invention resides in that the substrate consists of a synthetic resin or of a material having a high organic proportion. This has the advantage that the high index of refraction of the inorganic waveguide layer is combined with the material properties of the synthetic resin substrate, such as, for example, breaking resistance, plastic and thermoplastic moldability, photochemical structuring ability, and others.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a light wave guide providing a cladding and a light conducting core, from a glass tube, showing a material on or below its inner surface which forms the core of the finished light wave guide comprising at least one substance which is diffused out selectively of this material, forming the core subsequently, into the interior space of the glass tube, whereby during the diffusing-out process the partial pressure of the diffusing-out substance in the interior space of the glass tube is maintained as small as possible, whereby a premature collapsing of the glass tube during the diffusion process is prevented by adjusting an overpressure in the glass tube, that the glass tube after the diffusing out process is largely collapsed by rinsing with a rinsing gas and in a last collapsing step is completely collapsed to a rod (perform) without rinsing with a rinsing gas and that the rod is subsequently drawn out to a fiber.

Abstract: Planar single-mode optical waveguides which can conduct light with defined polarisation have so far been embedded in, for example, a cladding made from crystalline LiNbO.sub.3. The crystalline structure of the cladding produces disadvantageous properties such as the fact that the birefringence depends on the geometric profile of the guide, relatively high optical loss, poor fibre coupling, birefringence rigidly fixed by material constants, and a costly manufacturing process. The new process results in an optical waveguide in which both the cladding and the actual guide itself are made of glass with a certain composition, thereby avoiding the disadvantages stated. With the help of a non-isothermal plasma CVD process a light-guiding core region (1) is surrounded on a substrate (4) by cladding layers (2, 2') and a cladding region (3, 3'), the thermal coefficient of longitudinal expansion of the cladding region (3, 3') differing markedly from that of the two homogeneous cladding layers (2, 2').

Abstract: A device for forming a connection between a first and second group of glass fibers with each fiber of the first group being held in alignment with a given fiber of the second group characterized by an elongated carrier member having longitudinally extending grooves and a shrinkable tube telescopically received on the elongated member. In forming the connection, the glass fibers of one group are inserted individually in separate grooves from one end of the carrier member and the fibers of the second group are inserted from an opposite end until their end faces abut and engage the end faces of the respective fiber of the first group. After insertion, the tube is shrunk such as by a heat shrinking step so that the fibers are tightly and firmly held in their respective grooves by the shrinkable tube.

Abstract: A distributor for optical signals characterized by a waveguide structure disposed on the substrate. The waveguide structure has an input and a plurality of output ends with a tree-like branching structure having at least one branching point with two curved branching sections extending therefrom. Each of the curved branching sections has a radius of curvature great enough so that the guiding of optical signals in the branching section is not impaired.

Abstract: A method for the production of optical directional couplers has a substrate with optical waveguides formed in a surface thereof which are longitudinally coupled by having the guides extend parallel to each other for a predetermined distance. The waveguides have a higher index of refraction than the substrate. By ion implantation step, the area of the substrate adjacent the surface which is covered has its index of refraction raised, while at the same time, the exposed areas which will form the waveguides is also subjected to the ion bombardment. Thereafter, by a second ion implantation step, the ions penetrate further into the region of the substrate where the waveguides are being formed to raise the index of refraction thereof. By this technique, narrow low-light-loss bends are produced.

Abstract: An output/input coupler for multi-mode glass fibers characterized by a substrate and a main line having a square cross section disposed on the substrate and having at least one branch line extending on said substrate therefrom with the branch line having a rectangular cross section smaller than the cross section of the main line and having one surface coplanar with the surface of the main line. The branch line may have the same thickness as the main line with a reduced width or may have both a reduced thickness and width. In one embodiment, the branch line extends as an arc and may terminate in an end line which has a square cross section equal to the cross section of the main line and extends at an angle to the main line. In another embodiment, the branch line extends rectilinearly and may terminate in an end line which extends parallel to the main line and has a square cross section equal to the square cross section of the main line.

Abstract: A light distributor which is connected to an incoming light guide and a plurality of outgoing light guides for distributing a light arriving from the incoming light guide into the plurality of outgoing light guides characterized by the distributor comprising a disk member, which may be circular, of a material which has properties of a low absorption and low scattering, and the member has an abutting surface for both the incoming and outgoing light guides with the abutting surface of the incoming light guide being opposite to the abutting surface of the outgoing light guides. The disk member of the light distributor will have a thickness equivalent to the diameter of the cores of the light guides. The disk member may be of a material which is birefringent or which has a controllable index of refraction.

Abstract: A method for producing a light conductor structure having a pair of light conductors embedded in a substrate of an electro-optical material and having an electrode arranged between the light conductors, which structure is particularly adapted to be used as an electrically controllable coupler, characterized by providing a substrate, applying electrodes to the desired surface area of the substrate, and then producing the light conductors by doping the substrate utilizing the electrodes as a doping mask.

Abstract: An output/input coupler for multi-mode glass fibers characterized by a substrate, a main line having at least one flat surface, and at least one branch line having one flat surface. The main line and branch line are arranged on the substrate with the flat surfaces being in spaced parallel facing relationship. Preferably, the main line has the square cross section and the flat surface of each branch line extends at an angle to the axis of the branch line so that the branch line has a wedge-shaped configuration in the plan view. A transparent material may be imposed in the space between the spaced parallel facing surfaces of the main and branch lines. This transparent material may be a liquid crystal material whose optical properties are changed by the application of an electric field created by a pair of electrodes which overlie the space between the parallel facing surfaces.

Abstract: A device for forming a connection between a first and second group of glass fibers with each fiber of the first group being held in alignment with a given fiber of the second group characterized by an elongated carrier member having longitudinally extending grooves and a shrinkable tube telescopically received on the elongated member. In forming the connection, the glass fibers of one group are inserted individually in separate grooves from one end of the carrier member and the fibers of the second group are inserted from an opposite end until their end faces abut and engage the end faces of the respective fiber of the first group. After insertion, the tube is shrunk such as by a heat shrinking step so that the fibers are tightly and firmly held in their respective grooves by the shrinkable tube.

Abstract: An output/input coupler for multi-mode glass fibers characterized by a substrate and a main line having a square cross section disposed on the substrate and having at least one branch line extending on said substrate therefrom with the branch line having a rectangular cross section smaller than the cross section of the main line and having one surface coplanar with the surface of the main line. The branch line may have the same thickness as the main line with a reduced width or may have both a reduced thickness and width. In one embodiment, the branch line extends as an arc and may terminate in an end line which has a square cross section equal to the cross section of the main line and extends at an angle to the main line. In another embodiment, the branch line extends rectilinearly and may terminate in an end line which extends parallel to the main line and has a square cross section equal to the square cross section of the main line.

Abstract: A method of producing a light conductor structure having a pair of light conductors embedded in a substrate and electrodes arranged between the light conductors which structure is particularly adapted to be used as an electrically controllable coupler, characterized by providing a substrate, applying a strip of diffusion material on the substrate at the location of each of the light conductors, covering each of the strips of diffusion material with a protective layer of material, applying a metal layer to the substrate and the layer of protective material, removing the protective layer and the metal layer supported thereon, and then diffusing the diffusion material into the substrate by heating to a desired temperature.

Abstract: A wave-guide structure for use in optical communications and a method of producing the wave-guide structure characterized by a substrate of a given index of refraction, a wave-guide layer having lateral edges and a different index of refraction disposed on a surface of the substrate and a multi-layer system extending through the wave-guide layer between the lateral edges to separate the wave-guide layer into two wave-guide portions which are integral with the multi-layer system and in planar alignment with each other, the multi-layer system comprises a plurality of layers with different indexes of refraction which layers extend at either a right angle or oblique angle to the surface of the wave-guide layer and at either a right angle or an oblique angle to the lateral edges so that radiation transmitted in one of the wave-guide portions has an angle of incident with the multi-layer system. The multi-layer system may extend partially ito the substrate or completely therethrough.

Abstract: The invention relates to a coupling assembly between sheathed light conductive fibers. The invention also relates to a coupling assembly between light conductive fibers and the requisite terminal equipment. The invention further provides for such manipulative coupling without the necessity of making precise adjustments for the attainment of a high efficiency coupling.