LOW COST MASS PRODUCED ENVIRONMENTALLY STABLE SINGLE MODE COUPLER

FIBER OPTIC COUPLERS ARE FOUND IN MOST CURRENT APPLICATIONS OF FIBER OPTICS, FROM INSTRUMENTATION THROUGH TELECOMMUNICAIONS SYSTEMS AND FIBER OPTIC SENSORS. IN SPITE OF THEIR IMPORTANCE, FIBER OPTIC COUPLERS ARE STILL MADE BY HIGHLY LABOR INTENSIVE PROCESSES THAT ARE NOT PARTICULARLY AMENABLE TO AUTOMATION. COUPLING BETWEEN FIBERS IS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE OVERLAP OF THE EVANESCENT ELECTRIC FIELDS OF TWO (OR MORE) WAVEGUIDES. TYPICALLY FIBERS ARE EITHER POLISHED OR ETCHED,FUSED AND DRAWN TO ALLOW EVANESCENT COUPLING TO OCCUR. ASTER PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A MANUFACTURING PROCESS IN WHICH EACH KEY TASK IS EITHER AUTOMATED OR SEMIAUTOMATED AND ENABLES BATCH PROCESSING WHEREVER APPROPRIATE. THE PROCESS WILL PROVIDE CONSISTENTLY HIGHPERFORMANCE RELIABLE ENVIRONMENTATLLY STABLE COUPLERS WITH A SUBSTANTIAL COST REDUCTION.