Novel manufacturing method of optical fiber coupler

Abstract

Based on the coupling mode theory that the coupling ratio of fiber coupler changes periodically with center distance of two optical fibers, a novel manufacturing method of optical fiber couplers was developed with fused biconical taper experimental system. Its fabrication process is that the fiber is fused but not stretched when light begins to split, and the reduction of diameter of fiber is dependent on the rheological characteristic of the fused fiber-glass. The performance of the coupler was tested. The results show that the performance of the novel optical fiber coupler meets the performance expectations, and its diameter of coupling region (about 30 µm) is twice as long as that of classical fused biconical taper coupler (about 16 µm), so the default, that is, the device is easy to fracture, is restrained and the reliability is greatly improved.

Keywords

optical fiber coupler / coupling ratio / performance testing