Precision fabrication of D-shaped single-mode optical fibers by in situ monitoring

Author

Cordaro, M.H. ; Rode, D.L. ; Barry, T.S. ; Krchnavek, R.R.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO, USA

Volume

12

Issue

9

fYear

1994

fDate

9/1/1994 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1524

Lastpage

1531

Abstract

A technique has been developed to locally remove, over a distance of several millimeters of fiber length, the cladding layer of single-mode (at the 1300 nm wavelength) optical fibers with 1 μm depth precision by use of mechanical lapping and in situ optical transmission monitoring. A cylinder lap dressed with diamond is used to perform high-pressure mechanical lapping. The in situ monitoring technique is based on the specific different attenuations exhibited by higher order propagating modes (for 633 nm light) as the cylinder penetrates into the fiber. Advantages include relatively rapid overall processing, high lapping rate, good optical surface quality, and 1 μm precision. Experimental results are presented and analyzed by an approximate geometrical-optics model

Keywords

optical fibre fabrication; optical fibre testing; optical fibres; 1 μm depth precision; 1300 nm; 633 nm; D-shaped single-mode optical fibers; cladding layer; cylinder lap; cylinder penetrates; fiber length; geometrical-optics model; good optical surface quality; high lapping rate; high-pressure mechanical lapping; higher order propagating modes; in situ monitoring; in situ monitoring technique; in situ optical transmission monitoring; mechanical lapping; optical fibers; precision fabrication; rapid overall processing; single-mode; Lapping; Monitoring; Optical attenuators; Optical device fabrication; Optical fiber communication; Optical fiber devices; Optical fibers; Optical modulation; Optical surface waves; Optical waveguides;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Lightwave Technology, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0733-8724

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/50.320933

Filename

320933