Optical Fiber Cleaving with Annular Laser Craters for Flat End Faces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for cleaving optical fibers, such as scoring and bending, or pulling and scoring, are inadequate for larger diameter fibers (above 400 micrometers) as they result in undesirable cleave angles or require high tension, and current laser cleaving techniques struggle to produce flat, planar end surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A method using a CO2 laser beam to generate discrete craters in an annular array around the circumference of the optical fiber by impacting and rotating it, followed by separation into a main and cleaved portion, to achieve a flat, planar end surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If scoring and bending method is used for larger diameter optical fibers, then the optical fiber can be cleaved, but the cleave angle becomes larger than desirable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical scoring and bending system with a laser-based system. The laser beam creates craters through ablation rather than mechanical scoring, and the craters coalesce to form a cleavage plane without requiring mechanical bending. This substitution of mechanical action with optical/thermal action resolves the contradiction by enabling precise cleavage of large diameter fibers without the geometric constraints that cause poor cleave angles in mechanical methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of the cleaving process by using laser beam parameters (wavelength, pulse duration, power, scanning pattern) instead of mechanical parameters (scoring depth, bending radius, applied force). By controlling laser parameters, the system can achieve precise cleavage angles on large diameter fibers where mechanical parameters would be insufficient or cause deformation.
2Manufacturing precision
If pull and score method is used for larger diameter optical fibers, then the optical fiber can be cleaved, but high tension preloading is required which is generally not feasible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical pull-and-score system with a laser ablation system. Instead of applying high tension to create stress concentrations for cleavage, the laser creates craters that coalesce to form a natural cleavage plane. This eliminates the need for high force application, making the process feasible for large diameter fibers that cannot withstand high tensile loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser operates in a pulsed or periodic manner, creating discrete craters that progressively coalesce. This periodic action allows the material to respond to each pulse without requiring continuous high force, and the cumulative effect of multiple pulses achieves the cleavage that would otherwise require a single high-force mechanical action.
3Productivity
If beam ablation technology with Gaussian laser beam is used, then the optical fiber glass material can be evaporated at the cleave location, but it is extremely difficult to obtain a desirably flat, planer end surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the laser beam action into multiple discrete crater-forming pulses arranged in an annular array. Instead of a single continuous Gaussian beam that creates a curved surface, multiple discrete craters are created around the circumference and then coalesce. This segmentation of the ablation process into discrete spatial elements allows the formation of a flat surface through controlled coalescence of craters, resolving the contradiction between productivity and surface quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-point Gaussian beam approach to an annular array configuration, adding the dimensional aspect of radial distribution. By distributing laser energy around the circumference in an annular pattern rather than concentrating it at a single point, the system creates multiple craters that coalesce to form a flat surface, converting a one-dimensional ablation process into a two-dimensional or three-dimensional process that achieves superior surface flatness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively cleaves optical fibers of all diameters, including larger ones, by producing a flat and planar end surface, facilitating easier splicing and use, while avoiding the need for high tension preloading.
Implementation Method 1
laser cleaving using CO2 lasers has been investigated. Presently known laser cleaving techniques utilize beam ablation technology, wherein the optical fiber glass material is evaporated at the cleave location
Data Source
AI summary
A method for cleaving an optical fiber may include generating a laser beam, such as a CO2 laser beam, for a discrete time period. The laser beam may impact an optical fiber and form a discrete crater extending into the optical fiber from the outer surface thereof. The method may further include pausing generation of the laser beam for a discrete time period, and rotating the optical fiber about a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber. The method may further include repeating generation of the laser beam. A plurality of discrete craters disposed in an annular array about a circumference of the optical fiber may be formed. The method may further include separating the optical fiber into a main optical fiber portion and a cleaved portion after formation of the annular array of discrete craters.