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WO2007015577A1 - Source lumineuse combinée - Google Patents

Source lumineuse combinée Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2007015577A1
WO2007015577A1 PCT/JP2006/315697 JP2006315697W WO2007015577A1 WO 2007015577 A1 WO2007015577 A1 WO 2007015577A1 JP 2006315697 W JP2006315697 W JP 2006315697W WO 2007015577 A1 WO2007015577 A1 WO 2007015577A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
light
face
combined light
combined
output end
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/JP2006/315697
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Shinichi Shimotsu
Original Assignee
Fujifilm Corporation
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Fujifilm Corporation filed Critical Fujifilm Corporation
Publication of WO2007015577A1 publication Critical patent/WO2007015577A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/42—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
    • G02B6/4201—Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
    • G02B6/4249—Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details comprising arrays of active devices and fibres
    • G02B6/425—Optical features
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
    • G02B6/28—Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals
    • G02B6/2804—Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers
    • G02B6/2856—Optical coupling means having data bus means, i.e. plural waveguides interconnected and providing an inherently bidirectional system by mixing and splitting signals forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers formed or shaped by thermal heating means, e.g. splitting, branching and/or combining elements

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a combined light source which optically combines light beams emitted from light sources, by using optical fibers .
  • the laser beams are condensed by using an optical means such as a condensing lens, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-032909.
  • the techniques for optically combining light beams by using multimode optical fibers are essential techniques for use with fiber lasers, and are currently under active development .
  • a plurality of multimode optical fibers are arranged around a single-mode optical fiber which is located in the center, the plurality of multimode optical fibers and the single-mode optical fiber are bundled, and cores in near-end portions of the plurality of multimode optical fibers and the cladding and the core of the single-mode optical fiber are joined into a single core so as to combine the excitation laser beams which enter the plurality of multimode optical fibers.
  • the combined laser light is conventionally emitted with a large numerical aperture in order to increase the efficiency in the excitation of the fiber laser.
  • the numerical aperture is great, it is possible to increase the output power of the outputted laser light and the degree of overlapping of the excitation light outputted from the plurality of multimode optical fibers with signal light outputted from the single-mode optical fiber, so that the amplification gain increases.
  • the intensity of the laser light decreases. Therefore, it is not appropriate for a high-intensity light source to output laser light with a large numerical aperture .
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a combined light source which optically combines light beams emitted from a plurality of light sources, without use of the optical means such as a condensing lens so as to output combined light having a uniform cross-sectional intensity distribution.
  • the first aspect of the present invention is provided.
  • a combined light source comprising: a plurality of light sources which emit light beams; a plurality of optical waveguides which the light beams emitted from the plurality of light sources enter; a light combining means which is formed by integrating optical waveguide paths that extend from light emitting ends from the plurality of optical waveguide paths, has a light-output end face with a first cross-sectional area, optically combines the light beams so as to produce an optically combined light beam, and outputs the optically combined light beam from the light-output end face; and a transparent medium which has a light-entrance end face connected to the light-output end face of the light-combining means, where the light-entrance end face has a second cross-sectional area greater than the first cross-sectional area of the light-output end face.
  • the transparent medium has a core and a cladding, and is, for example, a light guide.
  • a combined light source comprising: a plurality of light sources which emit light beams; a plurality of optical waveguides which the light beams emitted from the plurality of light sources enter; and a light-combining means which is formed by joining portions of the cores of the plurality of optical waveguides into a single core, has an output end, optically combines the light beams so as to produce a combined light beam, and outputs the combined light beam from the output end.
  • the light-combining means has such a length as to uniformize the cross-sectional intensity distribution of the optically combined light during propagation of the optically, combined light through the light-combining means.
  • each of the plurality of optical waveguides may have a cladding as well as the core
  • the light-combining means may be formed by joining substantially only the cores of the plurality of optical waveguides into a single core, or joining both of the cores and the claddings of the plurality of optical waveguides into a single optical waveguide.
  • the light beams which enter the plurality of optical waveguides are optically combined in the light-combining means, and the combined light outputted from the light-combining means enters the transparent medium, so that the combined light outputted from the transparent medium has a uniform cross-sectional intensity distribution.
  • the (second) cross-sectional area of the light-entrance end face is greater than the (first) cross-sectional area of the light-output end face, a portion of the combined light which leaks to the cladding, as well as the other portion of the combined light which propagates through the core of the light-combining means, can enter the transparent medium. Therefore, optical loss can be suppressed. Further, since the optical means such as a condensing lens is not used for the optical combining operation, and the light beams are optically combined in the light-combining means, the combined light outputted from the combined light sources according to the first and second aspects of the present invention can output stable combined light, and the cost of the optical means can be saved.
  • the optical combining operation is performed in the light-combining means, the region in which the light beams are optically combined is not exposed to the atmosphere. Therefore, it is possible to prevent contamination which causes deterioration of the performance of the combined light source.
  • the optical means such as a condensing lens is used for the optical combining operation
  • the light-output end faces of optical waveguides and the light-entrance end face of the transparent medium are exposed to the atmosphere and contaminated, so that the performance of the conventional combined light sources deteriorate.
  • the light-combining means has such a length as to uniformize the cross-sectional intensity distribution of the optically combined light during propagation of the optically combined light through the light-combining means. That is, the combined light source according to the second aspect of the present invention outputs the combined light having the uniform cross-sectional intensity distribution without use of a separate transparent medium. Therefore, it is possible to downsize the combined light source.
  • FIG. l isa schematic view of a combined light source according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIGS . 2A to 2D are perspective views schematically illustrating representative stages in a process for producing an optical combiner which constitutes the combined light source according to the first embodiment.
  • FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view schematically illustrating a cross section in the length direction of the combined light source according to the first embodiment.
  • FIGS .4A to 4D are cross-sectional views of the combined light source of FIG. 3 at representative positions.
  • FIG .5 is a schematic view of a combined light source according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG.1 is a schematic view of a combined light source according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • the combined light source 100 of FIG. 1 comprises light sources 1, lenses 2, multimode optical fibers (waveguides) 3, an optical combiner 4 (as the light-combining means) , and a rod integrator 5 (as the transparent medium) .
  • the light sources 1 are semiconductor lasers, light-emission diodes, or the like, and the multimode optical fibers 3 are made of quartz, glass, or plastic.
  • the lenses 2 are respectively arranged in the optical paths of light beams emitted from the light sources 1, and the light beams pass through the lenses 2, converge on the end faces of the multimode optical fibers 3, and are coupled to (enter) the multimode optical fibers 3.
  • the number of the light sources 1 may not be equal to the number of the multimode optical fibers 3.
  • the light sources 1 and the lenses 2 may be arranged so that a light beam emitted from one of the light sources 1 enters more than one of the multimode optical fibers 3 through more than one of the lenses 2.
  • the optical combiner 4 is formed by joining the cores in portions, near the output end, of the multimode optical fibers 3 into a single core, so that the light beams which enter the multimode optical fibers 3 are optically combined in the optical combiner 4 into an optically combined light beam, which enters the rod integrator 5. It is desirable that the cross-sectional area of the light-entrance end face of the rod integrator 5 be equal to or greater than the cross-sectional area of the light-output end face of the optical combiner 4. In this case, a portion of the combined light which leaks to the cladding, as well as the other portion of the combined light which propagates through the core of the light-combining means, can enter the rod integrator 5. Therefore, optical loss can be suppressed.
  • the rod integrator 5 is used as the transparent medium according to the first embodiment, the rod integrator 5 in the first embodiment may be replaced with any transparent medium which uniformizes the cross-sectional intensity distribution of the combined light entering the transparent medium and outputs the combined light with a uniform cross-sectional intensity distribution. Therefore, the transparent medium may be a large-diameter quartz fiber, a large-diameter plastic fiber, or the like, where the term "large-diameter" means a diameter which is equal to or greater than 100 micrometers.
  • the transparent medium is not limited to the rod integrator having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and any transparent medium having a round or quadrate cross section can be used.
  • FIGS .2A to 2D are perspective views schematically illustrating representative stages in a process for producing an optical combiner which constitutes the combined light source according to the first embodiment.
  • the coating 31 in a predetermined portion A of each of a plurality of multimode optical fibers 3 is removed as illustrated in FIG. 2A. Then, the plurality of multimode optical fibers 3 are bundled, and the predetermined portions A of the multimode optical fibers 3 in which the coating 31 is removed are softened by heating the predetermined portions A so that the cores of the multimode optical fibers 3 in the heated portions are joined into a single core.
  • the bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3 containing the (single-core) portion joined as above are pulled from both ends so as to elongate the softened portion of the bundle as illustrated in FIG.2B.
  • the diameter of the softenedportion of the bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3 is reduced by the elongation, so that a tapered structure is formed in the bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3 containing the joined portion.
  • the diameter of the softened portion is smaller than the diameters of both ends of the bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3. Since the diameter of the softened portion is reduced, the confinement of light propagating through the softened portion is weakened. Therefore, it is possible to increase the mode field diameter.
  • the heated and softened portion of the bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3 it is sufficient for the heated and softened portion of the bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3 to have a length of approximately 3 mm.
  • the heated and softened portion of the bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3 has a length of approximately 3 to 20 mm, the heated and softened portion of the bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3 can form a slow taper structure by the elongation, so that the loss in the combined light can be reduced.
  • the joined portion of the bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3 is cut at such a position that the numerical aperture NAi np ut and the cross-sectional area D input at the cut surface 32 of the joined portion of the bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3 satisfy the relationship,
  • NAoutput and D output are respectively the numerical aperture and the cross-sectional area at the light-entrance end face of the rod integrator 5.
  • the cut surface 32 (the light-output end face) of the joined portion of the bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3 is joined to the light-entrance end face of the rod integrator 5 by fusion or mechanical connection using a connector or the like, as illustrated in FIG. 2D.
  • the joined portion which is produced by the heating and elongation as above and is continuously connected to the respective multimode optical fibers 3 realizes the optical combiner 4 constituting the combined light source 100 according to the first embodiment.
  • FIG. 3 shows a cross section in the length direction of a portion of the combined light source 100 including the optical combiner 4 which is produced as explained above
  • FIGS. 4A to 4D show cross sections of the portion of FIG. 3 at the positions which are respectively indicated in FIG. 3 by the dashed lines A, B, C, and D, where the cross sections are perpendicular to the length direction of the optical combiner 4.
  • the multimode optical fibers 3 connected to the optical combiner 4 has a step-index structure in which a steplike change in the refractive index occurs at the boundary between each core and the cladding surrounding the core.
  • the positions B, C, and D belong 1 to the aforementioned portion which is heated and elongated. Therefore, dopant atoms in the vicinity of the core-cladding boundary are diffused by heat so that the distribution of the refractive index becomes smooth. Further, when the outer diameter of the optical combiner 4 becomes small as illustrated in FIGS. 4C and 4D, light propagates through approximately the entire cross section of the optical combiner 4.
  • the combined light source 100 is formed by making a bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3, joining the cores in the predetermined portion of the bundle of the multimode optical fibers 3 into a single core, cutting the joined portion so as to produce the cut surface 32 (the light-output end face) , and connecting the rod integrator 5 to the cut surface 32.
  • the combined light source 100 can output combined light having a uniform cross-sectional intensity distribution.
  • the optical means such as a condensing lens is not used for the optical combining operation, and the light beams are optically combined in the optical combiner 4, the combined light outputted from the combined light sources 100 according to the first embodiment can output stable combined light, and the cost of the optical means can be saved. Furthermore, since the optical combining operation is performed in the optical combiner 4, the region in which the light beams are optically combined is not exposed to the atmosphere. Therefore, it is possible to prevent contamination which causes deterioration of the performance of the combined light source.
  • the optical means such as a condensing lens
  • the light-output end faces of the multimode optical fibers 3 and the light-entrance end face of the rod integrator 5 will be exposed to the atmosphere and contaminated, so that the performance of the combined light sources will deteriorate.
  • the claddings, as well as the cores, in the near-end portions of the multimode optical fibers 3 are joined into the cladding in the combined light source 100 according to the first embodiment, alternatively, it is possible to join only the cores in the near-end portions of the multimode optical fibers 3 into a single core.
  • FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the combined light source according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
  • elements and constituents which are equivalent to some elements or constituents in FIG. 1 are respectively indicated by the same reference numbers as FIG. 1, and descriptions of the equivalent elements or constituents are not repeated in the following explanations unless necessary.
  • the combined light source 200 of FIG. 5 comprises the light sources 1, the lenses 2, the multimode optical fibers 3, and the optical combiner 4a.
  • the optical combiner 4a is produced in a similar manner to the optical combiner 4 in the combined light source 100 according to the first embodiment.
  • the optical combiner 4a has a sufficient length to uniformize the cross-sectional intensity distribution of the combined light during propagation of the optically combined light through the optical combiner 4a.
  • the length of the optical combiner 4a is 5 millimeters or greater. That is, the combined light source 200 according to the second embodiment outputs combined light having a uniform cross-sectional intensity distribution without the connection of a separate transparent medium such as the rod integrator 5 to the light-output end face of the optical combiner 4a. Therefore, the combined light source 200 according to the second embodiment can be reduced in size.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Optical Couplings Of Light Guides (AREA)
  • Exposure And Positioning Against Photoresist Photosensitive Materials (AREA)
  • Exposure Of Semiconductors, Excluding Electron Or Ion Beam Exposure (AREA)
  • Optical Integrated Circuits (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne une source lumineuse combinée (100) comprenant : une pluralité de sources lumineuses (1) qui émettent des flux lumineux ; une pluralité de guides d’ondes optiques (2) dans lesquels entrent les flux lumineux émis par la pluralité de sources lumineuses ; un combinateur optique (4) qui est formé par liaison de parties des cœurs de la pluralité de guides d’ondes optiques en un seul cœur, présente une face d’extrémité de sortie lumineuse, combine optiquement les flux lumineux pour produire un flux combiné et fournit ce dernier par la face d’extrémité de sortie lumineuse ; et un support transparent (5) qui possède une face d’extrémité d’entrée lumineuse reliée à la face d’extrémité de sortie lumineuse du combinateur optique, la section transversale de la face d’extrémité d’entrée lumineuse du support transparent (5) étant supérieure à celle de la face d’extrémité de sortie lumineuse du combinateur optique (4).
PCT/JP2006/315697 2005-08-04 2006-08-02 Source lumineuse combinée WO2007015577A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2005226644A JP2007041378A (ja) 2005-08-04 2005-08-04 合波光源
JP2005-226644 2005-08-04

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WO2007015577A1 true WO2007015577A1 (fr) 2007-02-08

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JP (1) JP2007041378A (fr)
TW (1) TW200714925A (fr)
WO (1) WO2007015577A1 (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102007007655A1 (de) * 2007-02-13 2008-08-14 Leica Microsystems Cms Gmbh Mikroskop
US8515220B1 (en) 2012-04-12 2013-08-20 Raytheon Company Optical fiber coupler for coupling signal beams into a non-circularly shaped optical beam
WO2013182529A1 (fr) * 2012-06-08 2013-12-12 Trumpf Laser Gmbh + Co. Kg Coupleur à fibres
CN106990541A (zh) * 2016-01-20 2017-07-28 光研公司 光合波装置

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP5327108B2 (ja) * 2010-03-10 2013-10-30 パナソニック株式会社 光ファイバ形集光器およびそれを用いたレーザ装置
JP2011224042A (ja) * 2010-04-15 2011-11-10 Fujifilm Corp 光源装置及びこれを用いた内視鏡装置
JP2011224044A (ja) * 2010-04-15 2011-11-10 Fujifilm Corp 光源装置及びこれを用いた内視鏡装置
JP5806479B2 (ja) * 2011-02-22 2015-11-10 キヤノン株式会社 照明光学系、露光装置及びデバイス製造方法
TWI873424B (zh) * 2021-05-28 2025-02-21 日商京瓷股份有限公司 光源模組

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH04234010A (ja) * 1990-12-28 1992-08-21 Kyocera Corp 光導波路と光ファイバーの接続装置
JPH11142682A (ja) * 1997-11-07 1999-05-28 Showa Electric Wire & Cable Co Ltd 光導波路モジュールおよび接続方法
JP2002506225A (ja) * 1998-03-04 2002-02-26 エスディーエル， インコーポレイテッド 多モードファイバー用の光結合器

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH04234010A (ja) * 1990-12-28 1992-08-21 Kyocera Corp 光導波路と光ファイバーの接続装置
JPH11142682A (ja) * 1997-11-07 1999-05-28 Showa Electric Wire & Cable Co Ltd 光導波路モジュールおよび接続方法
JP2002506225A (ja) * 1998-03-04 2002-02-26 エスディーエル， インコーポレイテッド 多モードファイバー用の光結合器

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102007007655A1 (de) * 2007-02-13 2008-08-14 Leica Microsystems Cms Gmbh Mikroskop
US8515220B1 (en) 2012-04-12 2013-08-20 Raytheon Company Optical fiber coupler for coupling signal beams into a non-circularly shaped optical beam
WO2013154662A1 (fr) * 2012-04-12 2013-10-17 Raytheon Company Coupleur de fibres optiques pour coupler des faisceaux de signal en un faisceau optique de forme non circulaire
WO2013182529A1 (fr) * 2012-06-08 2013-12-12 Trumpf Laser Gmbh + Co. Kg Coupleur à fibres
US9557483B2 (en) 2012-06-08 2017-01-31 Trumpf Laser Gmbh Fiber coupler
CN106990541A (zh) * 2016-01-20 2017-07-28 光研公司 光合波装置

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Publication number Publication date
JP2007041378A (ja) 2007-02-15
TW200714925A (en) 2007-04-16

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