Quasi pm fused coupler devices and methods for forming the same

Abstract

A quasi-PM fused optical coupler device and method for forming the same. The optical coupler device includes a first polarization maintaining (PM) input section providing a first PM input for the fused optical coupler device for receiving a linearly polarized signal and a first PM input section output. A non-PM fiber including fusion region has an input optically coupled to the first PM input section output, the fusion region including a fusion region output. A first intermediate non-PM output and a second intermediate non-PM output are both optically coupled to the fusion region output. A first support structure is provided for securing the fusion region thereto, wherein the first intermediate non-PM output includes a cleaved output near an outer edge of the first support structure to provide a shortened first intermediate non-PM output. A first PM pigtail section has a first PM input optically coupled to the shortened first intermediate non-PM output and an output that provides a first device output for the fused optical coupler device. The first PM pigtail is rotationally aligned to said shortened first intermediate non-PM output to provide a polarization extinction ratio (PER) measured at the first device output of ≧20 dB.