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