Method for manufacture of branch element

摘要

A branch element and method of making the element which distributes light signals from an incoming waveguide to outgoing waveguides characterized by a member having a pair of aligned waveguides received in channels with their end faces separated by a partially reflective layer and at least one branch waveguide engaging a portion of the surface of one of the aligned waveguides adjacent the reflective layer so that a light signal reflected by the layer is received in the branch waveguide. The method involves providing a single member having grooves for receiving each of the waveguides, cutting the member into two parts, polishing the cut edges to form polished surfaces with one of the surfaces being provided with the partially reflecting layer and joining the waveguide together. The position for the cutting is selected to be in a plane removed from the groove for the branch waveguide so that after polishing, the reflector is positioned in the desired relationship to the branch waveguide.