Claims
- 1. A device for dissipating optical power from an optical component having a functional element, comprising:
a terminated fiber adapted to be coupled to the functional element so as to receive a light beam from the functional element; and a dissipating element which absorbs the light beam from the terminated fiber, converts the absorbed light beam into thermal energy, and dissipates the thermal energy.
- 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the terminated fiber comprises a coreless fiber attached to a terminated end of an optical fiber, the coreless fiber being arranged in an opposing relation to the dissipating element.
- 3. The device of claim 2, wherein a diameter of the coreless fiber is larger than a diameter of the optical fiber.
- 4. The device of claim 2, wherein a diameter of the coreless fiber at the point where the light beam exits the coreless fiber is larger than a diameter of the light beam.
- 5. The device of claim 2, wherein the coreless fiber is terminated with a radius of curvature.
- 6. The device of claim 5, wherein a thickness and the radius of curvature of the coreless fiber are selected such that the coreless fiber focuses the light beam into a spot.
- 7. The device of claim 5, wherein the radius of curvature ranges from approximately 25 μm to 60 μm.
- 8. The device of claim 5, wherein the radius of curvature is greater than 60 μm.
- 9. The device of claim 2, wherein a terminated end of the coreless fiber is cleaved at an angle.
- 10. The device of claim 1, wherein a terminated end of the terminated fiber is cleaved at an angle.
- 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the terminated fiber comprises a ball formed at an end of an optical fiber.
- 12. The device of claim 11, wherein an optical axis of the ball is offset from an optical axis of the optical fiber.
- 13. The device of claim 1, wherein the dissipating element is spaced a distance from the terminated fiber to minimize straying of light from the device.
- 14. The device of claim 1, wherein the terminated fiber has a back-reflection loss better than −50 dB.
- 15. The device of claim 1, wherein a terminated end of the terminated fiber is disposed in a cavity in a ferrule made of a material having low absorption at a wavelength to be transmitted through the fiber.
- 16. The device of claim 1, wherein the dissipating element is made of a metallic material.
- 17. The device of claim 1, wherein the dissipating element is made of a material having thermal conductivity greater than 0.1 W/m. ° C.
- 18. An optical component, comprising:
a dissipation port; and an optical power beam dump coupled to the dissipation port, the optical power beam dump comprising a terminated fiber which receives a light beam from the dissipation port and a dissipating element which absorbs the light beam from the terminated fiber, converts the absorbed light beam into thermal energy, and dissipates the thermal energy.
- 19. The optical component of claim 18, wherein the terminated fiber comprises a coreless fiber attached to a terminated end of an optical fiber, the coreless fiber being arranged in an opposing relation to the dissipating element.
- 20. The optical component of claim 19, wherein a diameter of the coreless fiber is larger than a diameter of the optical fiber.
- 21. The optical component of claim 19, wherein a diameter of the coreless fiber at the point where the light beam exits the coreless fiber is larger than a diameter of the light beam.
- 22. The optical component of claim 19, wherein the coreless fiber is terminated with a radius of curvature.
- 23. The optical component of claim 19, wherein a terminated end of the coreless fiber is cleaved at an angle.
- 24. The optical component of claim 18, wherein a terminated end of the terminated fiber is cleaved at an angle.
- 25. The optical component of claim 18, wherein the terminated fiber comprises a ball formed at an end of an optical fiber.
- 26. The optical component of claim 18, wherein the dissipating element is spaced a distance from the terminated fiber.
- 27. The optical component of claim 18, wherein a terminated end of the terminated fiber is disposed in a cavity in a ferrule made of a material having a low absorption at a wavelength to be transmitted through the lensed fiber.
- 28. An optical component having a functional element, comprising:
a terminated fiber coupled to the functional element to receive a light beam from the functional element; and an energy dissipating element which encloses the functional element and absorbs the light beam from the terminated fiber, converts the light beam into thermal energy, and dissipates the thermal energy.
- 29. The optical component of claim 28, wherein the terminated fiber comprises a coreless fiber attached to a terminated end of an optical fiber.
- 30. The optical component of claim 29, wherein the coreless fiber is terminated with a radius of curvature.
- 31. The optical component of claim 28, wherein a terminated end of the terminated fiber is cleaved at an angle.
- 32. The optical component of claim 28, wherein the terminated fiber comprises a ball formed at an end of an optical fiber.
- 33. The optical component of claim 28, wherein the dissipating element is spaced a distance from the terminated fiber.
- 34. A method for dissipating thermal energy from an optical component having a functional element, comprising:
diverting a light beam from the functional element to a terminated fiber; absorbing the light beam from the terminated fiber; converting the light beam into thermal energy; and dissipating the thermal energy at a location remote from the functional element.
- 35. The method of claim 34, wherein dissipating the thermal energy at a location remote from the functional element comprises dissipating the thermal energy at a location remote from the optical component.
- 36. The method of claim 34, wherein absorbing the light beam from the terminated fiber comprises the terminated fiber focusing the light beam on an energy dissipating element which absorbs the light beam.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONs
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/892,077, entitled “Optical Fiber Terminator,” filed Jun. 26, 2001.
[0002] This application claims benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/309,347, entitled “High Optical Power Fiber Termination for Optical Components,” filed Aug. 1, 2001.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60309347 |
Aug 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09892077 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
Child |
10059762 |
Jan 2002 |
US |