Optical Coupling Techniques.

Single mode fiber optic systems are crucial to the development of high bandwidth military communications. The crucial problem which remains to be solved is coupling between system components. The research detailed in this report has produced two new methods of coupling between semiconductor lasers, diffused modulators, and single mode fibers. For applications which can use butt joining techniques a transition structure which matches the geometries involved has been used. This transition is particularly effective in laser-fiber or laser modulator coupling situations. By properly choosing transition materials and physical dimensions we expect to increase laser coupling efficiency to at least 50. It is now approximately 5-10.