Lucent Technologies Inc.

Gary T Wiand

Carl Edward Gaebe

Kimberly Ann Miller

Thomas Stanley Stakelon

Sun-Huan Huang

A system for providing efficient coupling between an elliptical mode laser source and a single mode transmission fiber is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system comprises a cruciform cylindrical lens formed as a pair of perpendicular cylindrical lenses to provide for separate magnification of the 'fast' diverging component (i.e., this component passes through a 'fast' cylindrical lens) and the 'slow' diverging component of the beam (i.e., this component passes through a 'slow' cylindrical lens). By decoupling the magnification requirements of the components of the elliptical beam, the beam may be transformed into an essentially circular beam, appropriate for coupling into a single mode fiber. In one arrangement of the present invention, a coupling efficiency of approximately 90% is possible (as compared with prior art coupling efficiency of about 44%). In an alternative embodiment, the pair of cylindrical lenses may be replaced by a monolithic lens, formed to comprise orthogonal front and rear cylindrical surfaces.

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East Conventry Township, Chester County, PA, United States of America

Gary T Wiand