Optical fiber composite, devices, and methods of making same
View Patent ↗This invention relates to an optical fiber composite comprising an asymmetric optical fiber comprising a first end with a substantially non-circular cross-section, and a substantially circular clad optical fiber comprising a tapered end section which has a substantially non-circular cross section and where the asymmetric optical fiber and the substantially circular clad optical fiber are spliced together at the first and second ends. The invention also relates to methods of making such optical fiber composites and devices that include such optical fiber composites.
1. An optical fiber composite comprising:
a) an asymmetric optical fiber comprising an elliptical core and a first end with a substantially non-circular cross-section; and
b) a substantially circular clad optical fiber comprising a tapered end section, wherein said tapered end section comprises a second end having a substantially non-circular cross section; wherein said asymmetric optical fiber and said substantially circular clad optical fiber are spliced together at the first and second ends.
2. The optical fiber composite of claim 1 , wherein said first and second ends are fusion spliced.
3. The optical fiber composite of claim 1 , wherein the tapered end section is formed by cleaving said circular clad optical fiber to form an end section and polishing said end section to form said tapered end section.
4. The optical fiber composite of claim 1 , wherein said first end has a substantially D-shaped cross section.
5. The optical fiber composite of claim 1 , wherein the circular clad fiber is polarization maintaining.
6. The optical fiber composite of claim 1 , wherein said composite has a splice loss of less than or about 1 dB.
7. The optical fiber composite of claim 6 , wherein the splice loss is less than or about 0.8 dB.
8. The optical fiber composite of claim 4 , wherein said second end has a substantially D-shaped cross section.
9. A device comprising the optical fiber composite of claim 1 .
10. The device of claim 9 , wherein said device is gyroscope.