Abstract

The theory, production process, and properties of wavelength division multiplexers (WDM) designed on the beam splitting principle are described. Typically these modules require no lenses, and the edge interference filter applied to the oblique polished single-mode or multimode fiber end face exhibits only minimal polarizing effects. Whereas all the fibers of multimode modules are identical in type, single-mode modules require a large-diameter core fiber for coupling out light. The characteristics of the couplers depend on the given type of fiber (single-mode or multimode), the light sources (laser diodes or LEDs), the channel separation, and the channel used (transmission or reflection). Insertion losses vary between 0.7 and 2 dB, far-end cross talk attenuation varies between 11 and 22 dB, and near-end cross talk attenuation exceeds 40 dB.

© 1981 Optical Society of America

Single-mode fiber coupler

F. J. Liao and J. T. Boyd
Appl. Opt. 20(15) 2731-2734 (1981)

Distributed coupling on polished single-mode optical fibers

O. Parriaux, S. Gidon, and A. A. Kuznetsov
Appl. Opt. 20(14) 2420-2423 (1981)

Single-mode fiber-optic directional coupler

S. Masuda and T. Iwama
Appl. Opt. 21(19) 3484-3488 (1982)

Wavelength multiplexing in single-mode fiber couplers

Michel Digonnet and H. J. Shaw
Appl. Opt. 22(3) 484-491 (1983)

All-fiber fused directional coupler for highly efficient spatial mode conversion

Rand Ismaeel, Timothy Lee, Bernard Oduro, Yongmin Jung, and Gilberto Brambilla
Opt. Express 22(10) 11610-11619 (2014)