Variable optical power splitter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9507091-B1
Application number	US-201514756302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 24, 2015
Priority date	Oct 16, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus and method for splitting and controlling optical powers provided by an input fiber and received by a plurality of output fibers comprises: (a) providing a first collimated beam from the input fiber using a first lens; (b) splitting the first collimated beam into a plurality of separated collimated beams having different directions using a collimated beam splitting device; (c) controlling area of each separated collimated beam by moving the collimated beam splitting device on a plane perpendicular to the first collimated beam; and (d) focusing the plurality of separated collimated beams using a second lens and coupling the focused beams into the plurality of output fibers, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an input fiber;
a first lens for collimating a diverging light beam exiting from the input fiber to a first collimated beam;
a collimated beam splitting device for splitting the first collimated beam into four separated collimated beams having four different directions;
four output fibers;
a second lens for focusing the four separated collimated beams having four different directions, and coupling the focused beams into the four output fibers, respectively; and
a two-dimensional actuator for moving the collimated beam splitting device on a plane perpendicular to the first collimated beam for controlling optical powers received by the plurality of output fibers, respectively;
wherein the collimated beam splitting device comprises a first roof-prism cascaded with a second roof-prism, an apex line of the first roof-prism and an apex line of the second roof-prism are perpendicular to each other, a base of the first roof-prism and a base of the second roof-prism are butted together, the bases of the first and second roof-prisms intersect the first collimated beam perpendicularly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first lens is a G-lens.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a stage for carrying the collimated beam splitting device;
a plurality of springs for stabilizing the stage when the collimated beam splitting device is moved by the actuator.

Assignees

• Alliance Fiber Optics Prod Inc

Inventors

• Li Yao
• Li Xiaoxu
• Wang Xinzhong

Classifications

• G02B6/2848 Primary

  having refractive means, e.g. imaging elements between light guides as splitting, branching and/or combining devices, e.g. lenses, holograms · CPC title

• G02B6/3528

  the optical element being a prism · CPC title

• G02B6/34

  utilising prism or grating {(G02B6/293 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G02B6/266

  the optical element being an attenuator · CPC title