| US 7,587,110 B2 | ||
| Multicore optical fiber with integral diffractive elements machined by ultrafast laser direct writing | ||
| Rajminder Singh, Shrewsbury, Mass. (US); Satoshi Yamauchi, Shrewsbury, Mass. (US); Ming Li, Chelmsford, Mass. (US); Jimmy Yi-Jie Jia, Cambridge, Mass. (US); Tetsuo Ohara, Sutton, Mass. (US); and Xinbing Liu, Acton, Mass. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Panasonic Corporation, Osaka (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Mar. 22, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/86,890. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0215976 A1, Sep. 28, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. G02B 6/26 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 385—126 [385/39] | 31 Claims |
| 1. A multicore optical fiber with an integral diffractive element, comprising:
a first optical fiber core formed of a non-photosensitive material having an initial index of refraction, the first optical
fiber core including;
a first longitudinal core axis;
a plurality of index-altered portions along the first optical fiber core in a longitudinal direction and having an altered
index of refraction different from the initial index of refraction; and
a second optical fiber core including a second longitudinal core axis substantially parallel to the first longitudinal axis;
wherein:
the second optical fiber core has a circular cylindrical shape, a core radius, and another index of refraction which is greater
than the initial index of refraction of the first optical fiber core;
the first longitudinal axis of the first optical fiber core and the second longitudinal axis of the second optical fiber core
are collinear; and
the first optical fiber core has an annular cylindrical shape, an inner core radius equal to the core radius of the second
optical fiber core, and an outer core radius; and
the plurality of index-altered portions are arranged within the non-photosensitive material of the first optical fiber core
to form a diffractive structure.
|