Title :
A passive mechanical splice for polarization-maintaining fibers
Author :
Sears, Frederick M.
Author_Institution :
AT&T Bell Labs., Norcross, GA, USA
fDate :
10/1/1989 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
The author reports that at least one cladding surface of the fiber can be used as an external reference in the splice to locate the polarization eigenaxis. This splice is versatile enough to allow active alignment of the polarization eigenaxis. A hybrid rectangular-shaped polarization-maintaining fiber with an external reference is used in the passive mechanical splice. Mean splice extinction ratios were measured at -28.6 and -33.4 with splice losses of 1.6 and 1.7 dB for passive and active alignment, respectively. Splice performance is more than adequate for most practical applications of polarization-maintaining fibers such as coherent communications, fiber devices and sensors, integrated optics, and photonic switching
Keywords :
claddings; fibre optic sensors; light coherence; light polarisation; optical communication equipment; optical fibres; optical logic; optical losses; optical switches; optical workshop techniques; 1.6 dB; 1.7 dB; active alignment; cladding surface; coherent communications; fiber devices; fibre sensors; integrated optics; passive alignment; passive mechanical splice; photonic switching; polarisation eigenaxis locating; polarization eigenaxis; polarization-maintaining fibers; rectangular-shaped polarization-maintaining fiber; splice extinction ratios; splice losses; Extinction ratio; Integrated optics; Loss measurement; Mechanical sensors; Optical fiber communication; Optical fiber devices; Optical fiber polarization; Optical fiber sensors; Optical losses; Optoelectronic and photonic sensors;
Journal_Title :
Lightwave Technology, Journal of
