Abstract

Optical fibers offer an attractive transmission medium for multiterminal, distributed data-bus systems. During the past several years, star and tee connectors using multimode fibers have been developed that permit the implementation of optical data buses, and several buses have been demonstrated. Because of the multiplex nature of these buses, data-rate requirements on the cables can be expected to exceed those rates usually encountered in point-to-point data and telecommunications applications. For the large, shipboard data buses planned by the Navy, graded-index fibers are now mandatory. As data rates increase, it becomes desirable to consider single-mode fiber implementation in future systems. In this paper, we will describe the first single-mode fiber-optical tee (power divider) couplers and will show how basic tee units have been configured to yield the first single-mode fiber star coupler. Theoretical descriptions explaining single-mode power-divider operation will be presented, as will experimental data demonstrating low (< 2 dB) throughput-loss operation.

© 1979 Optical Society of America