Optical fiber apparatus including subtstrate ruggedized optical fibers

摘要

Optical devices having one or more rigidly supported optical fibers and a method of making thereof are provided in which one or more optical fibers are interfaced with a rigid support material by molecular restructuring of interfacing surface areas of the fibers and the support material. The rigidly supported optical fiber may be fabricated by assembling a longitudinal outer surface portion of the fiber in juxtaposition with a rigid support material having a lower melting point than the fiber. This assembly may be heated to allow partial softening of the support material along the outer surface of the fiber to allow fusing therebetween. The assembly may then be cooled below the melting point of the support material to provide a ruggedized fiber-optic assembly comprising an optical fiber fused to a rigid support material. Various optical devices may be formed from combinations of such rigidly supported optical fibers.