Abstract

A key functional element for advanced single-mode optical fibre networks is a 2x2 crosspoint switch for routeing optical signals (1). Such a switch would be used to configure an optical system and would not necessarily need to have a fast switching characteristic. An all-fibre device would be attractive because of the low transmission loss and ease of coupling to system fibre, and a basic building block for many fibre-based devices is the polished fibre coupler (2).

© 1987 Optical Society of America