Patent ID: 8280218

Claim:
A method of producing a variable optical attenuator comprising a first optic fiber, a mirror, a second optical fiber, and a glass lens that comprises a lens axis, a plane wedged surface, and a curved surface, the method comprising: selecting an angle for the plane wedge surface relative to the lens axis based on the wavelength dependence of the index of refraction of the glass lens to produce a wavelength dependent loss of less than 0.3 dB for all attenuations between 0 dB and 15 dB in a selected wavelength range and less than 0.1 db for an attenuation between 1 dB and 15 dB in the selected wavelength range, wherein the lens comprises a material that has an index of refraction that varies by more than 0.0005 over the wavelength range from 1.53 μm to 1.57 μm or a material that has an index of refraction that varies by more than 0.0005 over the wavelength range from 1.57 μm to 1.61 μm.