Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A 1 X N splitter for single-mode optical fiber includes an individual single-mode optical fiber having its junction end juxtaposed, through a focusing lens/junction element, to the end of a bundle of arbitrarily arranged single-mode fibers which are fused together along a portion of their lengths and which have a total diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the first single-mode fiber. The 1 X N splitter is formed by trimming a limited portion of the cladding from and fusing together in a bundle a plurality of parallel but randomly arranged optical fibers at a fuse region with substantially uniform heat while controllably drawing all the fibers in the bundle at the same time monitoring crosstalk from a single input fiber to all output fibers to draw down the bundle size and to promote uniform crosstalk, then cleaving the fiber bundle at the fused region, abutting and aligning a single-mode optical fiber having cladding of substantially the same diameter as the fused bundle with the cleaved fused bundle and joining the single-mode optical fiber to the cleaved fused bundle with a spot weld which forms a focusing junction. The matched sizing and focusing junction minimizes return losses due to back reflection.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim