US4097117A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical coupler having improved efficiency
Assignee: RCA Corp
•
Filing: 1975-10-30
•
Granted: 1978-06-27
•
Expires: 1995-10-30
Abstract
Abstract The optical efficiency, with which a coupling portion of a fiber-optic can be coupled by evanescent fields to a planar optical waveguide through a phase-matching diffraction grating on the surface of the planar optical waveguide, is increased by deforming the coupling portion so that it is a negative replica of the undulating surface of the diffraction grating.
Inventors
- 👤 Clyde Carl Neil
- 👤 Jacob Meyer Hammer
- 👤 Robert Alfred Bartolini
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 08:10
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/26; G02B6/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for improving the optical efficiency with which a fiber-optic core can be optionally coupled by evanescent fields to a planar optical waveguide through a field phase-matching diffraction grating on the surface of said waveguide; said method comprising the steps of: permanently deforming a coupling portion of said core to mold a contacting surface thereof which is a conforming negative replica of the undulating surface of said diffraction grating, and situating said contacting surface of said coupling portion of said core substantially in intimate conforming contact with said undulating surface of said diffraction grating.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
95 words
A method for improving the optical efficiency with which a fiber-optic core can be optionally coupled by evanescent fields to a planar optical waveguide through a field phase-matching diffraction grating on the surface of said waveguide; said method comprising the steps of: permanently deforming a coupling portion of said core to mold a contacting surface thereof which is a conforming negative replica of the undulating surface of said diffraction grating, and situating said contacting surface of said coupling portion of said core substantially in intimate conforming contact with said undulating surface of said diffraction grating.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
71 words
The method defined in claim 1, wherein said step of deforming includes the steps of: disposing said coupling portion of said core prior to deformation against said undulating surface of said diffraction grating, and applying heat and pressure to said coupling portion of said core sufficient to cause the material from which said core is composed to soften and flow into the crevices of said undulating surface of said diffraction grating.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
106 words
The method defined in claim 1, wherein said step of deforming includes the steps of: placing said coupling portion of said core prior to deformation in the immediate vicinity of said diffracting grating, and adding to said coupling portion of said core a casting compound which flows into the crevices of the undulating surface of said diffraction grating before hardening, said casting compound having an index of refraction at least as high as the lower of the indices of refraction of said core and said planar optical waveguide but lower than the higher of the indices of refraction of said core and said planar optical waveguide.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
94 words
In apparatus comprising a planar optical waveguide having a diffraction grating disposed on its surfacae and a fiber-optic core having a coupling portion thereof optically coupled by phase-matched evanescent fields to said planar optical waveguide through said diffraction grating; the improvement therein: wherein said coupling portion of said core has a contacting surface which is substantially a negative replica of the undulating surface of said diffraction grating, and wherein said contacting surface of said coupling portion of said core is positioned to substantially fill the crevices of said undulating surface of said diffraction grating.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
94 words
In apparatus comprising a planar optical waveguide having a diffraction grating disposed on its surfacae and a fiber-optic core having a coupling portion thereof optically coupled by phase-matched evanescent fields to said planar optical waveguide through said diffraction grating; the improvement therein: wherein said coupling portion of said core has a contacting surface which is substantially a negative replica of the undulating surface of said diffraction grating, and wherein said contacting surface of said coupling portion of said core is positioned to substantially fill the crevices of said undulating surface of said diffraction grating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
70 words
The apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein said core is a multimode waveguide, and wherein the coupling portion of said core is flattened in a direction substantially perpendicular to said planar optical waveguide and is fanned out in a direction substantially parallel to said planar optical waveguide, whereby said coupling portion of said core has a spatulated shape capable of multimode coupling between said core and said planar optical waveguide.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2186143A
Cited
US3565978A
Cited
US3819249A
Cited
US3871743A
Cited
US4007978A
Cited
US3912363A
Cited
US3931518A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-06-26 | 1981-12-26 | 1982-06-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-06-26 | 1985-12-26 | 1986-06-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-06-26 | 1989-12-26 | 1990-06-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |