Chiral Photonics, Inc.

Victor Tchourikov

Victor Il'ich Kopp

Jonathan Singer

Daniel Neugroschl

Victor ll'ich Kopp

An optical fiber coupler capable of providing a low loss, high coupling coefficient interface between conventional optical fibers and optical waveguide devices is provided. The novel coupler, which may be polarization maintaining, if a polarization maintaining preform is used in its fabrication includes a core, a cladding, a first end for interfacing with an optical fiber and a second end for interfacing with an optical waveguide device. The sizes of the core and cladding are gradually reduced from the first end to the second end in accordance with a predetermined reduction profile. Various parameters, such as refractive indices and sizes of the core and cladding and the reduction profile are selected to produce a low numerical aperture at the first end and a high numerical aperture at the second end, while advantageously minimizing insertion loss and maximizing the coupling coefficient at each end. In another embodiment, the novel coupler includes a secondary cladding which is also reduced between the first and second ends to improve the strength of the coupler structure at the second end. In yet another embodiment, one or two novel couplers are formed along with a chiral fiber based optical waveguide device as a single continuous element. The optical fiber preform used to fabricate the novel optical fiber coupler can be etched prior to fabrication to facilitate application of the reduction profile.

Optical fiber coupler with low loss and high coupling coefficient and method of fabrication thereof

A chiral in-fiber polarizer implemented in a chiral fiber structure having a core and a cladding surrounding the core, is provided. The chiral polarizer includes an entry end for receiving incident light and an exit end for outputting polarized light, as well as a pitch variation along its length between the entry and exit ends in accordance with a predetermined desirable pitch profile, wherein in one embodiment of the inventive polarizer, the inverse value of the chiral structure's pitch at the exit end is less than at the entry end, and preferably substantially equal to zero. The pitch profile may be advantageously selected to correspond to one or more predetermined pitch configurations, may be determined in accordance with one or more mathematical functions, or may be random. In accordance with the present invention, at least one of various parameters of the chiral structure, including, but not limited to, the core and cladding refractive indices and sizes, and the pitch profile, may be configured and selected to substantially eliminate the undesirable polarization component of the incident light by achieving an optimized extinction ratio within a desired spectral range. In another embodiment of the inventive chiral polarizer, the pitch profile is selected and configured such that the inverse value of the chiral structure's pitch at the entry end of the chiral structure is also zero. This arrangement enables significant reduction of insertion loss of the incident light entering the entry end of the inventive polarizer.

Chiral in-fiber polarizer apparatus and method

A long period chiral fiber grating ('LPCFG') that has a number of advantageous properties that can be readily utilized in a number of different applications is provided. The inventive LPCFG is a fiber grating having a pitch that exceeds the wavelength of light propagating therethrough. The LPCFG includes a number of dips in its transmission spectrum, but does not reflect any portion of the signal passing therethrough. The LPCFG is sensitive to changes in the refractive index of its external environment (or in the refractive index of a coating covering the LPCFG cladding). In response to changes in the external refractive index, the transmission dips shift proportionally to changes in the index, thus enabling the use of LPCFG as a fiber sensor element. In addition, the LPCFG is polarization sensitive&#x2014;one circular polarized wave of one handedness is coupled to the cladding mode stronger than the wave of the other polarization handedness. This enables the LPCFG to be readily utilized in polarizers and for shaping the polarization spectra of signals passing therethrough (in one embodiment configured as multiple LPCFG elements having different pitches). The polarization sensitivity of the inventive LPCFG can also be used for verifying system integrity in chiral fiber sensor systems. In other embodiments of the present invention, the novel LPCFG can be used for modulating amplitude of the light signal propagating therethrough, or as a resonant active structure for add/drop filters.

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West Patterson, NJ, United States of America

Victor Tchourikov