Optical fiber output beam-shaping device for a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) assembly

摘要

An optical fiber output beam-shaping device for a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) assembly is provided. The beam-shaping device comprises a plano surface, on which one end of a fiber optic is terminated, a reflecting surface, such as a mirror or total internal reflection (TIR) surface, and a beam-shaping lens. The beam-shaping device itself may be of one-piece construction, or the beam-shaping device and a lens array for the WDM may be fabricated as a unitary body. A method for forming such one-piece bodies (beam-shaping device or combination of beam-shaping device and lens array) is disclosed. Because the combination of the optical fiber output beam-shaping device and lens array is of unitary, or one-piece, construction, alignment issues involving introducing optical output from an optical fiber into (1) a beam-shaping lens and then (2) a WDM device are reduced. A cavity in the beam-shaping device secures the optical fiber, the output end of which terminates at the plano surface, which is perpendicular to the end of the optical fiber. The optical signal is then sent to the beam-shaping lens (the mirror or TIR surface introduces the optical signal into the beam-shaping lens). Following shaping, the optical signal is split into its component wavelengths (at least two) by the WDM. Of course, the combination can be operated in reverse, and the optical signals combined in the WDM and the resulting shaped beam converged onto the end of the optical fiber for transmission.