OPTICAL FIBER COMPONENT WITH SHAPED OPTICAL ELEMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

摘要

A method of making an in situ shaped optical element (26) on the terminal en d (24) of an optical fiber (22), and the resultant optical fiber component for manipulating light entering or exiting the terminal end of an optical fiber. The in situ shaped optical element is preferably an inorganic-organic hybrid sol-gel material which is adhered to the terminal end of the optical fiber a nd shaped in place to define an optical element or surface (32).