Wide-beam propagating fiber for inline optical components

Abstract

A new technique is proposed for integration of bulky optical components by means of a specific graded-index fiber in which the fundamental mode has a large mode-field diameter (MFD). A wide-beam propagating (WBP) fiber with the field diameter as large as 60 /spl mu/m was successfully fabricated, which will enable bulky optical components that have no wave-guiding structures to be embedded into a fiber circuit without any lenses. It was confirmed that a 5-mm-thick silicon plate, for example, can be integrated into the fiber with a loss of less than 1 dB. A hemispherically ended WPB fiber for much longer bulky components is also proposed.