Patent ID: 7203397
Filing Date: 2007-04-10
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing a polarization maintaining optical fiber coupler including a plurality of PANDA type polarization maintaining optical fibers, each having a core, a cladding surrounding said core, and two stress applying portions within said cladding that are arranged symmetrically around said core, said plurality of PANDA type polarization maintaining optical fibers being arranged parallel to each other and having a portion in a longitudinal direction thereof fused and extended to form a fused and extended portion, comprising: removing an outer peripheral portion of said cladding in a portion in a longitudinal direction of at least one of said PANDA type polarization maintaining optical fibers to narrow a diameter of said at least one of said PANDA type polarization maintaining optical fibers without exposing said stress applying portions; and fusing and extending the narrowed portion to form said fused and extended portion, wherein the thickness of said cladding outside said two stress applying portions is larger than 0 μm and 10 μm or less on an axis connecting the centers of said two stress applying portions at the fused and extended portion of said PANDA type polarization maintaining optical fiber.