| 摘要 |
<p>This invention is a highly efficient star coupler for use with single mode waveguides. In the inventive coupler, all of the input waveguides and all of the output waveguides are assembled to form two separate bundles. The two bundles are axially aligned with each other and the ends of the bundles are spaced apart. The ends of the waveguides of the bundle of output waveguides are polished to receive optical energy from the bundle of input waveguides. The end facet of the input waveguide bundle is shaped and polished to form a convex spherical surface. The diameter of each waveguide of the bundle is small relative to the diameter of the bundle of waveguides. Therefore, the end facet of each waveguide which makes up the convex spherical surface is angled very slightly relative to the waveguide axis. This slight angle on the end facet of the waveguide acts as a bevel to bend the optical energy coming out of the end of the waveguide. The shape of the end facets of the input waveguides and the spacing between the ends of the input and output waveguides are selected to enable the optical energy from each input waveguide to shine on all of the end facets of the output waveguides with substantially no spill-over of optical energy. To increase the efficiency of the device, the packing density of a bundle of waveguides can be improved by decreasing the size of the cladding of the waveguides and/or increasing the diameter of the core with an adiabatic taper. <IMAGE></p> |
