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:
Mar. 06, 1990
Filed:
Sep. 01, 1988
Grieg A Olson, St. Paul, MN (US);
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
Polarization-maintaining coupler is made by a biconically-tapered-fused process from two short lengths of an optical fiber, each having a small, oval stress-applying region that substantially contacts the core. The area of the stress-applying region of the optical fiber is less than 10 percent, preferably less than 2 percent, that of the optical fiber and preferably is contiguous with the core. Couplers of highest quality are made from quartz glass fibers having a birefringence between 1 and 3.times.10.sup.-4. It is believed that the principal axes of the oval stress-applying regions of those couplers of highest quality have been collinear or parallel. To permit a coupler to be handled, it can be mounted on a quartz glass substrate with the coupler suspended in air and then potted in a cured elastomer.