The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 06, 1976
Filed:
Nov. 11, 1974
Stewart Edward Miller, Locust, NJ (US);
Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
In an optical fiber power tap, signal power is coupled out of an optical fiber waveguide by a dielectric body disposed in a coupling relationship laterally offset from an intermediate length of the fiber, and is converted to a representative electrical signal suitable for utilization by a photodetector disposed adjacent to the dielectric body. In accordance with the disclosed invention, the operation of the fiber tap is improved by combining therewith means for coupling a portion of the signal power in the fiber from lower order modes to higher order modes. The mode coupling means illustratively comprises a pair of corrugated plates which is pressed against the fiber to periodically deform a region of the fiber just preceding the fiber tap. Provided the spatial periodicity of the corrugations in the plates is properly selected, and the pressure exerted on the plates is sufficiently large, the periodic deformation of the fiber causes the desired higher order mode coupling, and assures that there is sufficient power distributed in the higher order modes of the fiber for the dielectric coupling body of the fiber tap to couple out. The mode coupling means can be employed to provide an adjustable optical fiber tap, and can facilitate the tapping of clad fiber waveguides.