A thermoplastic filament comprising multiple polymers of differing flow temperatures in a regular geometric arrangement, and a method for producing such a filament, are described. Because of the difference in flow temperatures, there exists a temperature range at which one polymer is mechanically stable while the other is flowable. This property is extremely useful for creating thermoplastic monofilament feedstock for three-dimensionally printed parts, wherein the mechanically stable polymer enables geometric stability while the flowable polymer can fill gaps and provide strong bonding and homogenization between deposited material lines and layers. These multimaterial filaments can be produced via thermal drawing from a thermoplastic preform, which itself can be three-dimensionally printed. Furthermore, the preform can be printed with precisely controlled and complex geometries, enabling the creation of monofilament and fiber with unique decorative or functional properties.

A photonic crystal fiber (PCF) assembly including a PCF and at least one ferrule structure. The PCF includes a core region and a cladding region and a first fiber end section with a first fiber end. The ferrule structure is mounted to the first fiber end section. The ferrule structure includes an inner ferrule arrangement and an outer ferrule arrangement surrounding the first fiber end section. The inner ferrule arrangement includes an inner ferrule front section proximally to the first fiber end and an inner ferrule rear section distally to the first fiber end, and each of the sections has an inner diameter and in at least a length thereof fully surrounds the PCF. The inner ferrule rear section is anchored in an anchor length section to the first fiber end section and the inner ferrule front section supports the first fiber end section proximally to the first fiber end.

A photonic crystal fiber (PCF) assembly including a PCF and at least one ferrule structure. The PCF includes a core region and a cladding region and a first fiber end section with a first fiber end. The ferrule structure is mounted to the first fiber end section. The ferrule structure includes an inner ferrule arrangement and an outer ferrule arrangement surrounding the first fiber end section. The inner ferrule arrangement includes an inner ferrule front section proximally to the first fiber end and an inner ferrule rear section distally to the first fiber end, and each of the sections has an inner diameter and in at least a length thereof fully surrounds the PCF. The inner ferrule rear section is anchored in an anchor length section to the first fiber end section and the inner ferrule front section supports the first fiber end section proximally to the first fiber end.

The present invention provides a frontal light diffusing device comprising a non-circular core fiber section having a proximal end and a distal end, and a lens; wherein fiber core of the non-circular core section has a top hat core irradiance distribution and the frontal light diffusing device provides a top hat spatial irradiance distribution at a targeted location. The present invention further provides a frontal light diffusing device comprising an optical fiber and a collimation lens assembly wherein the collimation lens assembly includes a variable aperture that blocks portions of light outcoupled from the optical fiber thereby allowing only a central portion of the light to exit through the variable aperture resulting in a flat irradiance distribution.

A method of manufacturing a multicore fiber includes: an initial-preform forming process of forming an initial preform by arranging in an array a plurality of core rods each including a core portion and a cladding portion formed around outer periphery of the core portion; and an optical fiber manufacturing process of manufacturing an optical fiber from the initial preform. Further, the core rods include a plurality of holes, and the core rods are arranged in a manner that one hole is arranged between two core portion adjacent to each other in the initial-preform forming process.

An object is to provide a beam propagating method capable of satisfying desired output power and a desired propagation distance and a required condition of beam quality and a method of designing an optical fiber designing the structure of an optical fiber. According to the present invention, an effective core cross-sectional area A.sub.eff is calculated based on desired specification values and, by appropriately adjusting the structure of an optical fiber satisfying the effective core cross-sectional area and the number of modes to be propagated, the structure of the optical fiber is determined. In this way, by controlling the excitation ratio of a high-order mode at the time of coupling laser light in the optical fiber designed as above, light of high-output laser can be propagated a long distance with the beam quality maintained.

A photonic adaptor has a first face side to couple the photonic adaptor to an optical connector and a second face side to couple the photonic adaptor to an optoelectronic substrate. The photonic adaptor comprises a plurality of optical fibers being arranged between the first face side and the second face side of the photonic adaptor. The photonic adaptor comprises at least one alignment pin projecting out of at least the first face side of the photonic adaptor. The at least one alignment pin is configured to be inserted in the optical connector to align optical fibers of an optical cable to the optical fibers of the photonic adaptor.

A photonic crystal fiber (PCF) assembly including a PCF and at least one ferrule structure. The PCF includes a core region and a cladding region and a first fiber end section with a first fiber end. The ferrule structure is mounted to the first fiber end section. The ferrule structure includes an inner ferrule arrangement and an outer ferrule arrangement surrounding the first fiber end section. The inner ferrule arrangement includes an inner ferrule front section proximally to the first fiber end and an inner ferrule rear section distally to the first fiber end, and each of the sections has an inner diameter and in at least a length thereof fully surrounds the PCF. The inner ferrule rear section is anchored in an anchor length section to the first fiber end section and the inner ferrule front section supports the first fiber end section proximally to the first fiber end.

The present invention provides a frontal light diffusing device comprising a non-circular core fiber section having a proximal end and a distal end, and a lens; wherein fiber core of the non-circular core section has a top hat core irradiance distribution and the frontal light diffusing device provides a top hat spatial irradiance distribution at a targeted location. The present invention further provides a frontal light diffusing device comprising an optical fiber and a collimation lens assembly wherein the collimation lens assembly includes a variable aperture that blocks portions of light outcoupled from the optical fiber thereby allowing only a central portion of the light to exit through the variable aperture resulting in a flat irradiance distribution.

A method for making an optical fiber device may include using a three-dimensional (3D) printer to generate a preform body including an optical material. The preform body may have a 3D pattern of voids therein defining a 3D lattice. The method may further include drawing the preform body to form the optical fiber device.