ROTARY JOINT FOR SINGLE-MODE OPTICAL FIBER

FIBER OPTIC TECHNOLOGY IS DISPLACING ELECTRICAL WIRING IN MANY APPLICATIONS. THE TREND IN FIBER OPTICS IS CLEARLY TOWARDS THE SINGLE-MODE TYPE VERSUS THE MULTIMODE TYPE. THIS PRESENTS A PROBLEM IN BUILDING COUPLINGS FOR SINGLE MODE FIBERS, SIMPLY BECAUSE THE CORESARE MUCH SMALLER IN DIAMETER NECESSITATING TIGHTER ALIGNMENT AND STABILITY REQUIREMENTS. A ROTARY JOINT FOR 50 MICRON CORE MULTIMODE FIBERS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED. THIS MULTIMODE DESIGN CONSISTS OF A PAIR OF GRADIENT INDEX ROD LENSES MOUNTED SO THAT THE PLANE OF ROTATION OCCURS BETWEEN THE LENSES. THE MAJOR PROBLEM THAT ARISES IN ADAPTING THIS DESIGN FOR SINGLE-MODE FIBERS IS THE ALIGNMENT AND FIXING IN PLACE OF THE FIBER WITH RESPECT TO THE LENS. OPTOMEC SEES AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO APPLY ITS EXPERIENCE IN THE DESIGN OF FIBER OPTIC FUSION SPLICERS, TO DEVELOP HARDWARE AND TECHNOLOGY THAT COULD BE USED TO FUSE THE SINGLE-MODE FIBER ONTO THE LENS, WHICH WOULD ASSURE THAT THE ALIGNED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FIBER AND THE LENS IS RETAINED. THE PHASE I TECHNICAL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A TECHNIQUE FOR FUSION BONDING SINGLEMODE OPTICAL FIBERS TO ROD LENSES.