Patent attributes
An optical fiber combiner comprises a double-clad fiber (DCF) and one or more multimode fibers (MMFs). DCF comprises a transition portion, a DCF taper portion, and an output section coupling to the DCF taper portion, whereas each of MMFs comprises an MMF taper configured to be fused around DCF in the transition portion. MMFs are configured to carry a combined optical energy (COE) and to couple to DCF. COE passes through the MMF taper with larger divergence of higher-order modes generated and coupled into DCF, whereas the DCF taper portion can partially offset the larger divergence. COE coupled, when traced through the output section, emerges in the air with a smaller output beam divergence of the higher-order modes, thereby preserving some of the higher-order modes in the output section and increasing a coupling efficiency of COE coupled from MMFs to DCF with improved thermal performance.
