JPH0667061A - Structure for connecting optical waveguide to optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a structure for connecting an optical waveguide to an optical fiber by which the optical waveguide is easily and rapidly connected to the optical fiber while maintaining desired optical transmission efficiency. CONSTITUTION:A guide member 5 formed with a positioning hole 4 so as to expose end faces 3a of the optical waveguide 3 is provided at both end faces of an optical waveguide substrate 1 with a formed optical waveguide 3, the front end face, 6 of the core 6 of a an optical fiber 2 is made flat and the tip part 7a of the clad 7 is formed into taper shape. Matching oil is injected into the positioning hole 4, the tip part 7a of the optical fiber 2 is inserted into the hole 4 and the end face 3a of the optical waveguide 3 is mechanically connected to the front end face 6a of the core 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure for connecting an optical waveguide and an optical fiber used for optical communication.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional connection structure between an optical waveguide and an optical fiber, there is known a structure in which a flat end face of the optical waveguide and a flat end face of the optical fiber are bonded and fixed.

[0003]

In the prior art, when the optical axis of the optical waveguide and the optical axis of the optical fiber are made to coincide with each other, first, positioning work is performed on three axes of X, Y and Z, and then the optical axis is further adjusted. It is necessary to adjust the inclination angle of the optical axis of the optical fiber with respect to the optical axis of the waveguide in each of the X, Y, and Z directions to increase the light propagation efficiency, which causes a problem that the work becomes complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to connect an optical waveguide and an optical fiber while maintaining a desired light propagation efficiency. An object of the present invention is to provide a connection structure between an optical waveguide and an optical fiber that can be easily and quickly performed.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an optical system for splitting one optical signal into a plurality of optical signals, or conversely combining a plurality of optical signals as one optical signal. In a connection structure of a waveguide and an optical fiber, a guide member having positioning holes is formed on both end faces of an optical waveguide substrate forming the optical waveguide so as to expose the end faces of the optical waveguide, and the tip end portion of the optical fiber is provided. Is formed in a tapered shape, and after the matching oil is injected into the positioning hole, the tip end portion of the optical fiber is inserted into the positioning hole to connect the end face of the optical waveguide and the tip end face of the optical fiber.

An adhesive may be filled between the guide member and the optical fiber to bond and fix the optical waveguide and the optical fiber.

[0007]

[Operation] The optical axis of the optical waveguide and the optical axis of the optical fiber easily coincide with each other.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view before connecting the optical waveguide and the optical fiber, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a connection structure between the optical waveguide and the optical fiber according to claim 1, and FIG. 3 is a connection between the optical waveguide and the optical fiber according to claim 2. A sectional view of the structure, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a flat plate optical waveguide provided with a guide member, FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view of an optical waveguide device to which a connection structure of an optical waveguide and an optical fiber according to the present invention is applied, and FIG. 6 is the same. It is a sectional side view.

The connection structure between the optical waveguide 3 and the optical fiber 2 is
As shown in FIG. 1, a guide member 5 having a positioning hole 4 formed so as to expose the end face 3a of the optical waveguide 3 formed on the optical waveguide substrate 1 is provided, and the tip end face 6a of the core 6 constituting the optical fiber 2 is provided. The tip portion 7a of the clad 7 is formed in a planar shape and the tip portion 7a of the clad 7 is formed in a tapered shape. After the matching oil 8 is injected into the positioning hole 4 as shown in FIG. 2, the tip portion 7a of the optical fiber 2 is inserted into the positioning hole 4. The end face 3a of the optical waveguide 3 and the tip end face 6a of the core 6 are mechanically connected to each other.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, after the end face 3a of the optical waveguide 3 and the end face 6a of the core 6 are mechanically connected, an adhesive 9, for example, an ultraviolet curable material, is provided between the guide member 5 and the optical fiber 2. The optical waveguide 3 and the optical fiber 2 are filled with resin or the like.
May be fixed by adhesion.

Positioning hole 4 formed in guide member 5
Is an end face 3a of the optical waveguide 3 formed on the optical waveguide substrate 1.
And the tip end surface 6a of the core 6 that constitutes the optical fiber 2 are formed so as to coincide with each other.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the flat optical waveguide 3 formed on the optical waveguide substrate 1 for dividing one optical signal into four optical signals is described, and the end face of each optical waveguide 3 is described. A similar connection structure is provided for each 3a. That is, the guide members 5 are fixed to both end surfaces of the optical waveguide substrate 1,
Positioning holes 4 are formed at required positions of the respective guide members 5. The connection work of the optical waveguide 3 and the optical fiber 2 is
The optical axis of the optical waveguide 3 and the optical axis of the optical fiber 2 are easy by inserting the tip portion 7a of the optical fiber 2 into the positioning hole 4 and bringing the end surface 3a of each optical waveguide 3 into contact with the tip surface 6a of the optical fiber 2. Matches

5 and 6 show an optical waveguide device 10 to which the present invention is applied, in which a rectangular parallelepiped is formed by an upper casing 11 and a lower casing 12, and a flat plate is provided on a base 13 provided inside a sealed rectangular parallelepiped. The optical waveguide substrate 1 on which the optical waveguide 3 is formed is arranged.

In the optical waveguide device 10, the input optical fiber cable 14 is inserted into the inside of the rectangular parallelepiped via the bush 15 provided at the boundary between the upper casing 11 and the lower casing 12, and the pedestal 16 is fixed to the base 13. It is fixed with a presser foot 17. Further, the optical fiber 18 exposed by peeling off the coating of the input optical fiber cable 14
Is fixed by a pedestal 19 and a presser 20 which are fixed to the base 13, and the tip end surface of the optical fiber 18 is mechanically connected to one end surface of the optical waveguide 3 through the guide member 5, and then the adhesive 9 is used. Adhesive fixed.

An optical fiber array 22 composed of four optical fiber cables 21 is inserted into the inside of the rectangular parallelepiped through a bush 23 provided at the boundary between the upper casing 11 and the lower casing 12 facing the bush 15, and The optical fiber cables 21 are fixed by a pedestal 24 fixed to the base 13 and a presser 25, respectively. Further, the optical fiber 26 exposed by peeling off the coating of the optical fiber cable 21 is fixed to the base 13 and the pedestal 27 and the presser 28 are attached.
And the tip end surface of the optical fiber 26 is mechanically connected to the other end surface of the optical waveguide 3 via the guide member 5, and then fixed by an adhesive 9.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, the optical waveguide and the optical fiber can be connected easily and quickly, and the workability is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view before connecting an optical waveguide and an optical fiber.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a connection structure between an optical waveguide and an optical fiber according to claim 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a connection structure between an optical waveguide and an optical fiber according to claim 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a flat optical waveguide provided with a guide member.

FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view of an optical waveguide device to which a connection structure of an optical waveguide and an optical fiber according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of an optical waveguide device to which a connection structure of an optical waveguide and an optical fiber according to the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Optical waveguide substrate, 2, 18, 26 ... Optical fiber, 3 ...
Optical waveguide, 3a ... End face of optical waveguide, 4 ... Positioning hole, 5
... guide member, 6a ... tip end surface of optical fiber, 7a ... tip end portion of optical fiber, 8 ... matching oil, 9 ... adhesive agent.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A connection structure between an optical waveguide and an optical fiber, which divides one optical signal into a plurality of optical signals and, conversely, combines a plurality of optical signals into one optical signal, wherein the optical waveguide is A guide member having positioning holes formed so as to expose the end faces of the optical waveguide is provided on both end faces of the optical waveguide substrate to be formed, and the tip end portion of the optical fiber is formed in a tapered shape, and matching oil is applied to the positioning holes. After the injection, the tip portion of the optical fiber is inserted into the positioning hole to connect the end surface of the optical waveguide and the tip surface of the optical fiber to each other. 2. The optical waveguide / optical fiber connection structure according to claim 1, wherein an adhesive is filled between the guide member and the optical fiber to bond and fix the optical waveguide and the optical fiber.