First, small-diameter portions of a plurality of optical fibers are inserted into a small-diameter capillary. Then, in a state in which the optical fibers are inserted into the small-diameter capillary until end faces of the optical fibers protrude slightly from an end face of the small-diameter capillary, the optical fibers and the small-diameter capillary are fixed together by using an adhesive. Next, a large-diameter capillary is fixed on an outer periphery of the small-diameter capillary. Then, end faces of the large-diameter capillary, the small-diameter capillary, and the optical fibers (the small-diameter portions) are polished collectively to mirror-finish the end faces of the optical fibers. Next, the large-diameter capillary is removed from the small-diameter capillary. In this way, an optical fiber bundle structure can be obtained.

In some implementations, a fiber processing machine may receive an optical assembly comprising an input fiber, an output fiber, and a graded index fiber spliced between the input fiber and the output fiber, wherein the graded index fiber has a pitch length and a processed length. A light source may deliver input light into an input end of the input fiber while one or more components monitor output light at an output end of the output fiber. The fiber processing machine may alter a core diameter and the processed length of the graded index fiber until one or more measurements of the output light at the output end of the output fiber indicate that the output light is a perfect image of the input light.

A method and apparatus to manufacture a coherent bundle of scintillating fibers is disclosed. In the method and apparatus, a polymer matrix of a transparent polymer and nanoparticle scintillators is placed on top of a collimated bundle having a plurality of capillaries and pressed in a pressure vessel until the polymer matrix is forced into the capillaries. Pressure is applied via an anvil on top of the polymer matrix. To prevent fracturing of the collimated bundle during pressing, back pressure is supplied to the pressure vessel via a valve, which controls a supply of high pressure gas. Alternatively, the back pressure may also be supplied by a press (and or pressure) and support to the collimated bundle is provided by a high melting point thermoplastic. Heat may be applied to the polymer matrix via the anvil to speed the pressing operation due to the viscosity of the polymer.

Provided are a high-efficiency parallel-beam laser optical fiber drawing method and optical fiber, the method including the steps of: S1: providing base planes on the side surfaces of both a gain optical fiber preform and a pump optical fiber preform, inwardly processing the base plane of the gain optical fiber preform to make a plurality of ribs protrude, and inwardly providing a plurality of grooves on the base plane of the pump optical fiber preform; S2: embedding the ribs into the grooves, tapering and fixing one end of the combination of the ribs and the grooves to form a parallel-beam laser optical fiber preform; S3: drawing the parallel-beam laser optical fiber preform into parallel-beam laser optical fibers. The process has high repeatability, and the obtained parallel-beam laser achieves peelability of pump optical fibers in a set area, thus facilitating multi-point pump light injection of parallel-beam laser optical fibers.

A method and apparatus to manufacture a coherent bundle of scintillating fibers is disclosed. In the method and apparatus, a polymer matrix of a transparent polymer and nanoparticle scintillators is placed on top of a collimated bundle having a plurality of capillaries and pressed in a pressure vessel until the polymer matrix is forced into the capillaries. Pressure is applied via an anvil on top of the polymer matrix. To prevent fracturing of the collimated bundle during pressing, back pressure is supplied to the pressure vessel via a valve, which controls a supply of high pressure gas. Alternatively, the back pressure may also be supplied by a press (and or pressure) and support to the collimated bundle is provided by a high melting point thermoplastic. Heat may be applied to the polymer matrix via the anvil to speed the pressing operation due to the viscosity of the polymer.

A capillary array includes a capillary region, including capillaries of a first glass, which are disposed in an axis-parallel manner. A low refractive index layer is disposed on an inner wall of each of the capillaries, the refractive index of each low refractive index layer being less than a refractive index of a liquid scintillator. A second glass material is disposed between adjacent capillaries. A softening point of the first glass is T.sub.1, a softening point of second glass is T.sub.2, and a value of T.sub.1 minus T.sub.2 is in a range from 30 C. to 50 C. A thermal expansion coefficient of the first glass is .sub.1. An edge covering region is disposed on an outer side of the capillary region and makes contact with an outer side face of the capillary region, wherein a material of the edge covering region is a third glass.

A multi-fiber light guide includes: light guiding fibers, each fiber including an elongated glass core; a glass cladding, the cores being surrounded by the cladding to form a rigid and continuous glass element, the cores having a higher refractive index than the cladding such that light can be guided by a total reflection along the cores, which end in two abutting faces of the glass element such that light can be guided along the cores from one abutting face to the other abutting face; and an ion exchange layer at each of the abutting faces, the glass of the cores and the glass of the cladding including alkali ions, which are at least partly exchanged by alkali ions of a higher atomic number within the ion exchange layer at the abutting faces, the exchanged alkali ions within the ion exchange layer imparting a compressive stress at the abutting faces.

The present invention discloses a fabrication method and use of a 40 mm sized fiber optic image inverter, belonging to the field of manufacturing of fiber optic imaging elements. The light-absorbing glass for preparing the 40 mm sized fiber optic image inverter consists of the following components in molar percentage: SiO.sub.2 60-69.9, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 1.0-10.0, B.sub.2O.sub.3 10.1-15.0, Na.sub.2O 1.0-8.0, K.sub.2O 3.0-10.0, MgO 0.1-1.0, CaO 0.5-5.0, ZnO 0-0.1, TiO.sub.2 0-0.1, ZrO.sub.2 0.1-1.0, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 3.0-6.5, Co.sub.2O.sub.3 0.1-0.5, V.sub.2O.sub.5 0.51-1.5 and MoO.sub.3 0.1-1.0. The 40 mm sized fiber optic image inverter has the advantages of low crosstalk of stray light, high resolution and high contrast.

Provided is a system for and a method of processing an optical fiber, such as tapering an optical fiber. The method includes receiving fiber parameters defining characteristics of an optical fiber, modeling an idealized fiber based on the fiber parameters to establish modeled data, and establishing processing parameters. A processing operation is performed on the optical fiber according to the processing parameters to produce a resultant fiber. Aspects of the resultant fiber are measured to establish measured data. The measured data and the modeled data are normalized to a common axis and a difference between the two is determined. The processing parameters are adjusted based on the differences.

In some implementations, a fiber processing machine may receive an optical assembly comprising an input fiber, an output fiber, and a graded index fiber spliced between the input fiber and the output fiber, wherein the graded index fiber has a pitch length and a processed length. A light source may deliver input light into an input end of the input fiber while one or more components monitor output light at an output end of the output fiber. The fiber processing machine may alter a core diameter and the processed length of the graded index fiber until one or more measurements of the output light at the output end of the output fiber indicate that the output light is a perfect image of the input light.