Integration of micrometer-sized polymer elements at the end of optical fibers by free-radical photopolymerization

A simple method of manufacturing micrometer-sized polymer elements at the e xtremity of both single-mode and multimode optical fibers is reported. The procedure consists of depositing a drop of a liquid photopolymerizable form ulation on a cleaved fiber and using the light that emerges from the fiber to induce the polymerization process. After exposure and rinsing a polymer tip is firmly attached to the fiber as an extension of the fiber core. It i s shown that the tip geometry can be adjusted by the variation of basic par ameters such as the geometry of the deposited drop and the conditions of dr op illumination. When this process is applied to a multimode fiber three-di mensional molds of the fiber's linearly polarized modes can be obtained. Th e process of polymer-tip formation was simulated by a numerical calculation that consisted of an iterative beam-propagation method in a medium whose r efractive index is time varying. It is shown that this process is based on the gradual growth, just above the fiber core, of an optical waveguide in t he liquid formulation. Experimental data concerning two potential uses of t he tipped fibers are presented. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.