Patent ID: 7991255
Filing Date: 2011-08-02
Classification: G02B,H01S

Abstract:
1. A pump optical coupler comprising: an output optical fiber for propagating optical energy, the output optical fiber having an end; a pump optical fiber for propagating optical energy; a coupling structure for facilitating the coupling of optical energy between the pump fiber and the output optical fiber, the coupling structure comprising a tube having a taper and a wide end and a narrow end, the wide end of the tube comprising an annular end face, the narrow end of the tube comprising an annular end face; a feed-through optical fiber for propagating optical energy and feeding the optical energy through the coupling structure, the feed-through optical fiber comprising an end, a core and one or more claddings, the one or more claddings defining an outer surface of the feed-through optical fiber; wherein the pump optical fiber is connected to the end face of the wide end of the tube; wherein at least the narrow end of the tube is collapsed around the feed-through optical fiber at its end; wherein the annular end face of the narrow end of the tube and the end of the feed-through optical fiber are coupled to the end of the output optical fiber; and wherein at a location along a first length of the feed-through optical fiber, about which the tube is not collapsed, the feed-through optical fiber comprises a first outer diameter of the outer surface and wherein at another location along another length of the feed-through optical fiber, about which the tube is collapsed, the feed-through optical fiber has a second outer diameter of the outer surface that is substantially less than the first outer diameter of the outer surface.