Abstract

Lithium niobate, an electro-optic and acousto-optical crystal, is incorporated into many integrated optical devices and it can be used for phase and amplitude modulators, frequency shifters, switching networks, polarisation controllers and many other types of guided-wave devices and sensors. In order to make effective use of the large range of available devices, simple, reliable, rigid (no change in coupling characteristics when subjected to thermo cycles or vibration), efficient and low cost single mode fiber coupling needs to be achieved. All these aspects of fibre coupling are important although it is sometimes necessary to trade-off the various parameters to achieve the most suitable solution to the problem.

© 1986 Optical Society of America