Single mode fiber combiners

摘要

Single mode fiber beam combiners are formed by extending single mode fibers through a glass ferrule, and tapering and fusing the fibers and the ferrule. Tapers can be selected so that optical power input to each of the single mode fibers remains partially guided by the single mode fiber cladding, or is guided by the multimode fiber formed by the glass ferrule and the fused fiber claddings. Such combiners can include double clad fibers or actively doped fibers for use in lasers or amplifiers.

主权项

1. A tapered coupler, comprising a plurality of tapered, fused single mode fibers enclosed in a glass ferrule, the fibers tapered by a factor of at least 2 from a tapered coupler larger end having a first cross-sectional area to a tapered coupler smaller end having a second cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area, wherein at least one of the tapered single mode fibers includes at least a first core and a second core surrounding the first core at the tapered coupler smaller end, the first core defining a single-mode waveguide mode at the tapered coupler larger end that expands to become guided by the second core at the smaller end of the tapered coupler and the second core defining a confined single-mode or few-mode waveguide mode at the smaller end of the tapered coupler.