Bell Telephone Laboratories

Raymond B Kummer

Calvin M Miller

Stephen Clement Mettler

Michael J Buckler

A method of forming optical fibers with improved mode dispersion characteristics is disclosed. The technique involves differential mode-group delay measurement to optimize dispersion by means of appropriate index of refraction configurations. The differential delay measurement technique involves selectively launching light into the multimode fiber using a single mode fiber which is spliced to the multimode fiber using an adjustable splice including an index matching fluid.

Fabrication of optical fibers using differential mode-group delay

A device (70) for switching optical signal paths of the type utilizing a plurality of light-transmitting optical fibers (40, 50) comprises a flexible elongated sleeve (20) having a longitudinally continuous interior cross section (24) with a plurality of corners (30) forming fiber-aligning grooves. The sleeve loosely receives a first fiber (40) from a first sleeve end (26) and a plurality of second fibers (50) from a second sleeve end (28). Each second fiber has its coupling end biased against an assigned corner. Also, the ends of all the second fibers are contained in one transverse plane (23). The coupling end (46) of the first fiber adjacent the transverse plane and a portion (42) of the first fiber, remote from its end, is fixedly secured to the sleeve. Coupling of the first fiber with any of the second fibers is achieved by flexing the sleeve to move the first fiber end to the corner containing the selected second fiber.

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Norcross, GA, United States of America

Raymond B Kummer