Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho

Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.

Shizuoka University

Masatoshi Yonemura

Manabu Kagami

Tatsuya Yamashita

Yukitoshi Inui

Akari Kawasaki

Akari Nakao

Naomichi Okamoto

Masahiro Tomiki

A taper angle of a self-written optical waveguide to be formed is increased or decreased at a desired position. A range of light (aperture number) condensed by a focusing lensis adjusted by an iris diaphragmin which the hole diameter can be changed from 1 mm to 12 mm. An image of the self-written optical waveguidebeing fabricated is taken with a CCD camera, and image processing of the image is executed in real time by an image processing device. The taper angle of the self-written optical waveguideis measured, and the taper angle of the self-written optical waveguidecan be desirably increased or decreased by changing the diameter of iris diaphragm

Fabrication method of self-written optical waveguide

A self-written branched optical waveguide is formed. A laser beamfrom a laser source (not shown) is focused with a lensonto the face of incidenceof an optical fiber. The laser beam of an LPmode was emitted from the face of emergence, and 'bimodal' light intensity peaks were arranged in the horizontal direction (.A). A slide glasscoated with a photocurable resin gelwas placed horizontally (.B). A single linear cured materialwas formed as the LP-mode laser beam was emitted from the face of emergenceof the optical fiber(.C). A branch portionwas then formed at a distance L from the face of emergenceof the optical fiber, which was followed by the growth of two cylindrical cured materialsand. The two cylindrical cured materialsandwere linear branches, and formed an angle of about four degrees. An optical waveguidethus formed was composed of cured materials, and(.D).

Optical waveguide and method for manufacturing the same

In the condition that an acrylic transparent vessel is filled with a curable resin solution capable of being cured by a light, a plastic optical fiber is immersed in the curable resin solution. A laser beam is applied on the curable resin solution through the plastic optical fiber. The curable resin solution is cured gradually by the laser beam applied on the curable resin solution, so that an axial core is formed. Then, the transparent vessel is left at rest for predetermined time, or uncured part of the curable resin solution is removed from the transparent vessel and the transparent vessel is then filled with another curable resin solution. Then, ultraviolet rays are applied on the transparent vessel from the outside of the transparent vessel to cure the residual uncured part of the curable resin solution.

Optical waveguide and method for producing the same

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Nagoya, Japan

Masatoshi Yonemura