Abstract

Output coupling of light from a conically tapered optical fiber is investigated. Such a technique may be used to provide “wide-angle” illumination from a single fiber of low numerical aperture. Experimental results for a series of fibers of varying taper angles are presented. It is found experimentally that light which is coupled out of a taper is widely dispersed when the taper angle is large. Based upon modified geometrical optics we present a theory which qualitatively predicts the experimentally measured radiation intensity patterns.

© 1978 Optical Society of America

Backscattering of light from optical fibers with arbitrary refractive-index distributions: uniform approximation approach

Charoon Saekeang and Pak L. Chu
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 68(10) 1298-1305 (1978)

Ray trajectories in optical fiber tapered sections

B. K. Garside, T. K. Lim, and J. P. Marton
Appl. Opt. 17(22) 3670-3674 (1978)

Laser studies of internal conical diffraction. II. Intensity patterns in an optically active crystal, α-iodic acid*

A. J. Schell and N. Bloembergen
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J. Opt. Soc. Am. 68(1) 110-116 (1978)

Equal excitation of all modes on an optical fiber

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