At&t Bell Laboratories

Dan L Bisbee

Tingye Li

Automatic apparatus for precisely aligning first and second optical fibers (11, 13) end to end. The first optical fiber is coupled to an optical source (12). An end face (15) of the second fiber abuts an end face (14) of the first fiber. Detector apparatus (16-19 or 51) affixed to the circumference of the second fiber monitors the light transmitted in the cladding of the second fiber and generates a corresponding electrical signal therefrom. This signal is fed to electronic circuitry (27, 28, 7, 8, 31, 32 or 52, 61, 63, 64, 66, 67) which selectively activates fiber moving transducers (41, 42 or 69, 70 or 81, 82) to move the fiber end faces until the cladding light monitored is a minimum. This will maximize the transmitted light between the fiber cores. Once this optimum alignment is achieved, this position is maintained by the transducers.

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Oakhurst, NJ, United States of America

Dan L Bisbee