USE OF A LASER TO FUSION-SPLICE OPTICAL COMPONENTS OF SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT CROSS-SECTIONAL AREAS

摘要

A method is provided for fusion-splicing with a laser beam (10) at least two optical components (14a, 14b) to a different optical component (16), the different optical component (e.g., an optical element (16) such as a lens) having a surface that has a comparatively larger cross-sectional area than a surface of the other optical components (e.g., at least two optical fibers (14a, 14b)). The method comprises: a) aligning the optical components (14a, 14b, 16) along an axis; b) turning on a directional laser heat source to form the laser beam (10); c) directing the laser beam (10) to be collinear with those optical components (14a, 14b) having a smaller cross-sectional area; d) ensuring that the laser beam (10) strikes the surface of the optical compone nt (16) having the larger cross-sectional area at normal or near normal incidence so that absorption of the laser beam (10) is much more efficient on the surface; e) adjusting the power level of the laser beam (10) to reach a temperature equal to or higher than the softening temperature of the surface of the optical component (16) having the larger cross-sectional area to form a softening region thereon, thereby achieving the fusion-splicing; and f) turning off the laser.