PRODUCTION OF OPTICAL FIBER TERMINAL WITH MICROLENS

摘要

PURPOSE:To provide a process for producing an optical fiber terminal with a microlens at a mass-production scale. CONSTITUTION:A non-doped silica fiber 14 is fused to a substantially single mode fiber (SMF) 13 by strictly setting its length in order to control the length L of the part where a ray magnifying part 16 and a spherical lens part 15 are joined and the ray propagating from the SMF 13 to the lens part 15 is magnified according to a Gaussian rule and the radius R of curvature of the spherical lens 15 at the time of joining a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber which is approximately equiv. in the refractive index of the core part and has the same outside diameter. The spherical volume forming the spherical lens part 15 in the fused fiber 14 is calculated by using the designed radius R of curvature, by which the silica fiber length M for approximately the equiv. volume-component is calculated. Next, the entire part of the optical fiber is perpendicularly fixed by directing its fusion side downward and thereafter, the optical fiber is lowered toward a heating source 11 for generating the temp. at which the silica fiber 14 is fusible by the distance of M from the front end of the optical fiber. As a result, the spherical lens part 15 is automatically formed.