Patent ID: 6868236
Filing Date: 2005-03-15
Classification: G02B,H04B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus, comprising: a plurality of laser beam sources, each to produce a modulated optical beam having data encoded therein via the modulation and having a respective wavelength comprising an input optical signal; a plurality of input fiber segments, each comprising a multimode fiber optic core and including an output end and an input end operatively coupled to a respective laser beam source to receive the input optical signal produced by the respective laser beam source; an output fiber segment comprising a multimode fiber optic core having a second diameter and including an input end and an output end; and a multimode optical beam combiner to operatively couple the output ends of each of the multimode fiber optic cores of the input fiber segments to the input end of the multimode fiber optic core of the output fiber segment, wherein, upon operation, the input optical signals are combined into a mode-scrambled free-space optical signal that is emitted from the output end of the output fiber segment, the mode-scrambled free-space optical signal containing the data encoded in the input optical signals.