JP2013020229A - Optical connection member and optical connection structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical connection member which is capable of efficiently connecting a multi-core fiber having a plurality of cores and a plurality of single-core fibers with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: An optical connection member 1 achieves optical connection between a multi-core fiber MCF 2 and a plurality of single-core fibers SCF 3 with waveguide portions 12 connecting a first end surface 13a and a second end surface 14a. In each of the waveguide portions 12 in the optical connection member 1, a connection end 12A to the first end surface 13a is a linear portion orthogonal to the first end surface 13a, and a branch end 12B to the second end surface 14a is a linear portion orthogonal to the second end surface 14a. Therefore, light passing the waveguide portions 12 is emitted from the first end surface 13a and the second end surface 14a substantially vertically to them, so that the connection loss of light can be preferably suppressed.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical connection member for efficiently connecting an optical component such as a plurality of single core fibers to an optical element such as a multi-core fiber that is preferably applied to an optical communication system, and an optical connection structure thereof. .

  Conventionally, in order to provide an FTTH (Fiber To The Home) service that enables optical communication between one transmitting station and a plurality of subscribers, each optical fiber is connected to each other by interposing a multistage optical splitter. A so-called PON (Passive Optical Network) system shared by subscribers is realized. However, the PON system has technical problems with respect to future increases in transmission capacity, such as congestion control (Congestion Control) and securing of a reception dynamic range.

  As one means for solving this technical problem, a transition to an SS (Single Star) system can be considered. When migrating to the SS system, the number of fiber cores on the inner side of the station increases with respect to the PON system. Therefore, it is essential to make the diameter and the ultra-high density of the optical cable inside the station. As the ultrafine diameter / ultra high density optical fiber, it is preferable to use, for example, a multicore fiber having a plurality of cores in the same cladding.

  As a multi-core fiber, for example, an optical fiber disclosed in Patent Document 1 has seven or more cores arranged two-dimensionally in its cross section. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses an optical fiber in which a plurality of cores are aligned in a straight line, and describes that connection with an optical waveguide unit and a semiconductor optical integrated device is facilitated.

JP 05-341147 A JP-A-10-104443

  However, network resources that are assumed to be connected to a multi-core fiber having a plurality of cores as described above, such as general optical equipment, are premised on being connected to a station via a single core fiber. Is the current situation. For this reason, a connection configuration between a multi-core fiber and a plurality of single core fibers is important, and an optical connection means that can suppress a connection loss with a simple configuration is required.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and can efficiently connect an optical element such as a multi-core fiber having a plurality of cores and an optical component such as a plurality of single-core fibers with a simple configuration. An object of the present invention is to provide an optical connection member and an optical connection structure for connecting the optical connection member and an optical element.

  In order to solve the above problems, an optical connection member according to the present invention is an optical connection member that connects an optical element having a plurality of light input / output portions having optical axes parallel to each other to another optical component, and the optical element A main body having a first end on the side and a second end on the other optical component side, and a plurality of waveguides disposed in the main body and extending to connect the first end and the second end Department. In this optical connection member, each of the plurality of waveguide portions has linear portions arranged at the first end portion so as to correspond to the arrangement of the plurality of light input / output portions and parallel to each other. It is characterized by that.

  This optical connecting member realizes optical connection between an optical element such as a multi-core fiber and an optical component such as a plurality of single fibers by a waveguide portion connecting the first end and the second end. In this optical connection member, each of the plurality of waveguide portions has linear portions arranged at the first end portion so as to correspond to the arrangement of the plurality of light output portions and parallel to each other. Thereby, since the optical axes of the plurality of waveguides are parallel to each other on the first end side, the optical axis of the optical connecting member and the optical axis of the optical element such as a multi-core fiber can be easily matched. It is possible to suitably suppress the optical connection loss. In addition, since this optical connecting member has a region in which each of the plurality of waveguides is parallel to each other on the first end side, the connecting surface of the optical connecting member is used to obtain a good connecting surface. Even when polishing is performed to some extent, the parallelism of the waveguide can be maintained.

  In the optical connection member, each of the plurality of waveguides may be two-dimensionally arranged at the first end so as to correspond to the two-dimensional arrangement of the plurality of light input / output units.

  In the above optical connecting member, each of the plurality of waveguides has linear portions that are arranged one-dimensionally at the second end so as to correspond to the arrangement of other optical components and are parallel to each other. It may be. In this case, since the optical axes of the plurality of waveguides are parallel to each other on the second end side, the optical axis of the optical connecting member and the optical axes of the optical components such as the single core fibers can be easily matched. Therefore, it is possible to suitably suppress the optical connection loss. In addition, since this optical connecting member has a region where each of the plurality of waveguides is parallel to each other on the second end side, the connecting surface of the optical connecting member is used to obtain a good connecting surface. Even when polishing is performed to some extent, the parallelism of the waveguide can be maintained.

  In the above optical connection member, the main body has a plurality of through holes having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the plurality of waveguides, and the plurality of waveguides are respectively accommodated and fixed in the plurality of through holes. May be. In this case, the plurality of waveguide portions may be formed by single core fibers each having a clad diameter equal to the distance between the plurality of light input / output portions, for example, when the optical element is a multicore fiber, The core array of fibers is usually formed so that the core-to-core distances are equal. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the first end portion in which the waveguide portions are arranged in the same manner as the core arrangement of the multicore fiber can be easily obtained.

  In the above optical connection member, the plurality of waveguide portions may be formed by filling a plurality of through holes formed in the body portion with a liquid having a higher refractive index than that of the body portion. The plurality of waveguides may be formed by coating light reflecting films on the inner walls of the plurality of through holes formed in the main body. In any of these cases, it is possible to easily construct a waveguide unit that suppresses optical connection loss.

  In the above optical connection member, the first end portion may have a cylindrical shape. In this case, after fixing an optical element such as a multi-core fiber to a general-purpose cylindrical ferrule, the end face of the optical element such as the multi-core fiber and the end face of the optical connecting member can be easily connected via the sleeve. The second end portion is provided with a guide portion for connecting to another optical component so that the optical axis of the other optical component coincides with the optical axis of the second end portion of the plurality of waveguide portions. It may be.

  In the optical connection member, the end faces of the respective waveguide portions may be arranged at equal intervals in the first end portion. In this case, for example, when the optical element is a multi-core fiber, the core arrangement of the multi-core fiber is usually two-dimensionally arranged so that the inter-core distances are equal. Therefore, the multi-core fiber can be easily connected by forming the first end portion having the above configuration.

  In order to solve the above problems, an optical connection member according to the present invention is an optical connection member that connects a multi-core fiber having a plurality of cores and a plurality of single-core fibers, and is connected to an end face of the multi-core fiber. A main body having a first end face, a second end face branched into a plurality of single core fibers, and a plurality of waveguide portions extending to connect the first end face and the second end face, Each of the plurality of waveguides is characterized in that at least a connection end with the first end surface is a straight line portion orthogonal to the first end surface.

  The optical connecting member realizes optical connection between the multi-core fiber and the plurality of single-core fibers by a waveguide portion that connects the first end face and the second end face. In this optical connection member, in each of the plurality of waveguides, at least the connection end with the first end surface is a linear portion orthogonal to the first end surface. Thereby, since the light that has passed through the waveguide part is emitted almost perpendicularly from the first end face and the second end face, the optical axes at the connection parts of the multicore fiber and the plurality of single core fibers can be easily matched. It is possible to suitably suppress the optical connection loss.

  In order to solve the above problems, an optical connection structure according to the present invention includes any of the optical connection members described above and a plurality of light input / output units having optical axes parallel to each other, and is connected to the optical connection member. An optical element. In this optical connection structure, the optical element is connected to the optical connection member so that the plurality of waveguide portions on the first end face of the first end portion on the optical element side and the plurality of input / output portions of the optical element face each other. It is characterized by having. In this case, the plurality of light input / output units of the optical element are arranged point-symmetrically around a predetermined rotation axis, and are connected with the rotation angle adjusted so as to face the plurality of waveguides on the first end face. It may be. Thereby, connection with an optical element and an optical connection member can be performed easily.

  In the optical connection structure, the optical element is a multi-core fiber having a plurality of cores surrounded by a common cladding, and the multi-core fiber is held by an optical ferrule that is positioned and fixed with respect to the optical connection member by a guide member. It may be. In this case, the multicore fiber and the optical ferrule may be provided with a regulation structure that regulates the rotation angle of the multicore fiber. Thereby, positioning in the rotation direction of a multi-core fiber and an optical connection member can be performed easily.

  In the optical connection structure, the optical element is a light emitting / receiving element in which a plurality of light receiving / emitting parts are arranged in a two-dimensional manner, and each of the light receiving / emitting parts of the light receiving / emitting element is optically connected to the plurality of waveguides. The condensing optical system may be further provided. In this case, a light emitting / receiving element including a plurality of light emitting / receiving units, such as a VCSEL, can be connected to other optical components while suppressing connection loss suitably.

  According to the present invention, an optical element having a plurality of light input / output units and another optical component can be efficiently connected with a simple configuration.

It is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the optical connection member and optical connection structure concerning the present invention. It is a top view which notches and shows a part of optical connection member shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the 1st end surface of a main-body part. It is a figure which shows the 2nd end surface of a main-body part. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the manufacturing process of the optical connection member shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a step subsequent to FIG. 5. It is a perspective view which shows the 1st edge part of the main-body part immediately after shaping | molding. It is a figure which shows the modification of the optical connection member which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows another modification of the optical connection member which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the optical connection structure which concerns on this invention. It is a top view which shows the light receiving / emitting element used for the optical connection structure shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the multi-core fiber and optical ferrule used for the optical connection structure shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an optical connecting member and an optical connecting structure according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an optical connection member according to the present invention and an optical connection structure using the optical connection member. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a part of the optical connecting member shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the optical connecting member 1 is an optical connecting member that connects a multi-core fiber (hereinafter “MCF”) 2 and a plurality of single-core fibers (hereinafter “SCF”) 3. The optical connection member C is used to optically connect an MCF 2 that is an example of an optical element and an SCF 3 that is an example of an optical component to form an optical connection structure C1.

  The MCF 2 is a fiber in which a plurality of cores (light input / output units) are arranged in the same clad so that their optical axes are parallel to each other. The plurality of cores of the MCF 2 are preferably arranged so that the distances between the cores are equal. The core array may be a linear one-dimensional array, but is preferably a two-dimensional array such as a triangular lattice or a four-way array.

  The MCF 2 of this embodiment is arranged in a triangular lattice shape, and is arranged so that a total of seven cores are equally spaced from each other, one at the center position of the clad and six around it at 60 ° intervals. ing. That is, the core of the MCF 2 is arranged point-symmetrically around the rotation axis located at the center. For example, when there is no central core, it is different from a strict triangular lattice arrangement, but in the present invention, an arrangement in which a triangular lattice arrangement is realized when the existence of the central core is assumed is also included.

  On the other hand, the SCF 3 is a fiber having a core having the same diameter as that of the MCF 2 and having a cladding diameter at least at the tip portion reduced so as to be equal to the distance between the cores of the MCF 2. An MT connector 4 is attached to the tip of the SCF 3, and the SCF 3 is fixed by the MT connector so that the optical axes of the tip portions of the SCF 3 are parallel to each other. Guide pins 5 and 5 for attaching the optical connecting member 1 are provided on the distal end surface 4a of the MT connector 4, and seven guide pins 5 and 5 are provided between the guide pins 5 and 5 according to the number of cores of the MCF 2. The ends of the SCF 3 are exposed in a horizontal row at a predetermined pitch.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical connecting member 1 is formed of a plastic resin used to constitute a general optical connector such as a PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) resin or a PEI (polyetherimide) resin. A main body 11 and a plurality (seven in this case) of waveguides 12 provided in the main body 11 are provided. The main body 11 includes a first end 13 including a first end surface 13 a connected to the end surface of the MCF 2, a second end 14 including a second end surface 14 a connected to the end surface of the SCF 3, and a first end 13. And an intermediate portion 15 located between the first end portion 14 and the second end portion 14.

  The first end portion 13 has a cylindrical shape having the same diameter as the outer diameter of the ferrule 7 in which the MCF 2 is inserted, and the end surface is a first end surface 13a having a circular cross section. The length of the first end 13 is, for example, five times or more the core diameter of the MCF2. On the other hand, the second end portion 14 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an end surface thereof is a second end surface 14 a having the same shape as the distal end surface 4 a of the MT connector 4.

  Similar to the first end 13, the length of the second end 14 is, for example, 5 times or more the core diameter of the MCF 2. The second end portion 14 is provided with fitting holes 16 and 16 (guide portions) into which the guide pins 5 and 5 of the MT connector 4 are fitted. The intermediate portion 15 has a shape that spreads from the first end portion 13 side to the second end portion 14 side so as to connect the cylindrical first end portion 13 and the substantially rectangular second end portion 14. ing.

  More specifically, the waveguide portion 12 has a through hole 17 extending into the main body portion 11 so as to connect the first end surface 13a of the first end portion 13 and the second end surface 14a of the second end portion 14. It is comprised by SCF18 arrange | positioned (accommodated) without gap. The through hole 17 has an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the SCF 18. SCF 18 is the same fiber as SCF 3, and the cladding diameter is reduced to be equal to the distance between the cores of MCF 2.

  Each of the plurality of waveguide portions 12 is a straight portion in which the connection end 12A with the first end surface 13a is orthogonal to the first end surface 13a. 12 A of connection ends which consist of these linear parts in the 1st end part 13 of the some waveguide part 12 are arranged so that it may mutually become parallel. Furthermore, the branch end 12B with the second end surface 14a is a straight portion perpendicular to the second end surface 14a. The branch ends 12B composed of these straight portions in the second end portions 14 of the plurality of waveguide portions 12 are arranged so as to be parallel to each other.

  “Orthogonal” used in the present embodiment indicates that the angle with respect to the first end face 13a is within a range of 90 ° ± 0.5 °, for example, but this range can be appropriately increased or decreased according to the connection accuracy by the optical connecting member. Is obvious to those skilled in the art. The lengths of the connection end 12A and the branch end 12B are, for example, five times or more the core diameter of the MCF2. The intermediate portion of the waveguide portion 12 is gently curved along the shape of the main body portion 11 between the first end surface 13a and the second end surface 14a, and connects the connection end 12A and the branch end 12B.

  One end face of the waveguide 12 is exposed to the first end face 13a so that the position of the core of the MCF 2 corresponds to the position of the core of the SCF 18, and as shown in FIG. 3, the center position of the first end face 13a is exposed. And a total of seven are arranged so as to be equally spaced from each other. Further, the other end surface of the waveguide portion 12 is exposed to the second end surface 14a so that the position of the core of the SCF 3 corresponds to the position of the core of the SCF 18, and as shown in FIG. 16 are arranged in a horizontal row at a predetermined pitch.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of waveguide portions 12 are two-dimensionally formed so as to correspond to the plurality of cores of the MCF 2 at the connection end 12A (that is, a straight line connecting the cores forms a polygon). To be arranged). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the plurality of waveguide portions 12 are one-dimensionally formed so as to correspond to the plurality of cores of the SCF 3 at the branch ends 12B (that is, straight lines connecting the cores form a straight line). Is arranged).

  In the optical connecting member 1 having the above-described configuration, the core position of the MCF 2 and the position of the waveguide section 12 on the first end face 13a are matched, that is, the core of the MCF 2 and the waveguide section on the first end face 13a. In a state where the rotation angles are adjusted so as to face each other, the end face of the MCF 2 fixed by the ferrule 7 and the first end face 13a of the main body 11 are brought into contact with each other in the split sleeve 19 (guide member). Further, the guide pins 5 and 5 are fitted into the fitting holes 16 and 16 of the second end portion 14 so that the distal end surface 4a of the MT connector 4 and the second end surface 14a of the main body portion 11 are brought into contact with each other. MCF 2 and SCF 3 can be connected via wave portion 12.

  At this time, in the optical connecting member 1, in each of the plurality of waveguide portions 12, the connection end 12 </ b> A with the first end surface 13 a is a linear portion orthogonal to the first end surface 13 a, and these linear portions are parallel to each other. Yes. Thereby, the optical axis in the connection part of MCF2 and the waveguide part 12 can be made to correspond easily. Furthermore, the branch end 12B with the second end surface 14a is a straight portion perpendicular to the second end surface 14a, and these straight portions are parallel to each other. Thereby, the optical axis in the connection part of the waveguide part 12 and SCF3 can also be matched easily. Accordingly, it is possible to suitably suppress the connection loss of light as compared with the case where light is emitted obliquely from the first end surface 13a and the second end surface 14a.

  The optical connection member 1 described above can be formed by, for example, injection molding. In this case, first, as shown in FIG. 5, a pair of molds 21 and 21 having recesses 22 and 22 corresponding to the shape of the main body 11 is prepared. The indentations 22 and 22 correspond to the shape of one half of the main body 11 in the width direction and the shape of the other half, respectively, and when the molds 21 and 21 are closed, A space S (see FIG. 6) of the same type as the main body 11 is formed in 21. In the depressions 22 and 22, a small-diameter portion 24 is provided on the distal end side with respect to the position where the first end portion 13 is formed.

  Next, a plurality of molding pins 23 (the same number as the number of cores of the MCF 2) made of an elastic member are prepared and arranged between the recessed portions 22 and 22. In this state, as shown in FIG. 6, when the pair of molds 21 and 21 are closed, the tips of the molding pins 23 are bundled so as to be parallel to each other by the small diameter portion 24, and elastically deformed in the space S. It will be in a gently deformed state. As a result, each molding pin 23 has a linear portion orthogonal to the first end surface 13a and a linear portion orthogonal to the second end surface 14a. Thereafter, when the resin is injected from the resin injection holes (not shown) of the molds 21 and 21 and the molding pin 23 is pulled out, the main body 11 in which the plurality of through holes 17 are formed is obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the convex portion 25 corresponding to the shape of the small diameter portion 24 remains on the first end surface 13 a of the main body portion 11 obtained at this time. Therefore, the 1st end surface 13a is formed by removing the convex part 25 by grinding | polishing etc. FIG. Since the through hole 17 has direct portions corresponding to the connection end 12A in the first end portion 13 and parallel to each other, even when such polishing or the like is performed, the parallelism of the optical axis of the waveguide portion 12 is high. Maintained. Finally, the optical connecting member 1 is obtained by inserting the SCF 18 into each through hole 17. In addition, when the protrusion amount of the convex part 25 is small (for example, comparable to a core diameter), the convex part 25 may remain. This is because the risk of damage to the convex portion 25 is small even when connected to the MCF 2.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be applied. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the SCF 18 is disposed in the through hole 17 to configure the waveguide unit 12. However, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the through hole 37 having the same diameter as the core diameter of the MCF 2 is formed. The waveguide portion 12 may be formed by filling a liquid 38 having a higher refractive index than that of the main body portion 11. As the liquid 38, for example, a matching oil containing a silicone resin or the like can be used.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the waveguide section 12 may be formed by forming a through hole 47 having the same diameter as the core diameter of the MCF 2 and coating the inner wall of the through hole 47 with a light reflecting film 48. An example of the light reflecting film 48 is an Au film formed by electroless plating. Even with the above-described configuration, the waveguide unit 12 with reduced optical connection loss can be easily configured.

  Further, the SCF 18 disposed in the through hole 17 may extend with a sufficient length from the second end face 14a. Thus, the SCF 18 extending from the second end surface 14a of the optical connecting member 1 can be directly connected to another optical device without a guide pin. In this case, unlike the above-described embodiment, there is no connection portion between the waveguide portion 12 and the second end face 14a of the SCF 3, so that the branch end 12B with the second end face 14a is a straight line perpendicular to the second end face 14a. The part may not exist. In this case, the SCF 18 fixed inside the optical connecting member 1 is preferably a coated optical fiber.

  That is, it is preferable that the SCF 18 has a reduced diameter on the first end face 13 a side and has a coating removed, and at least a part of the coating is fixed inside the optical connection member 1. When such an optical connecting member 1 is formed, one end of the molding pin 23 has a large diameter (corresponding to the coating diameter), and the other end has a small diameter (corresponding to the outer diameter of the coating removal portion). A certain thing may be used, it may arrange | position so that a large diameter side may face the 2nd end surface 14a side, and the main-body part 11 should just be injection-molded by the process similar to the above.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example of the optical connection structure in which the optical connection member 1 is connected to the MCF 2 as shown in FIG. 1 has been described. However, as shown in FIG. It is good also as the optical connection structure C2 connected through the coupling lens 59 (condensing optical system). As shown in FIG. 11, the light emitting / receiving element 57 includes a plurality of (seven in the example of FIG. 11) light emitting / receiving sections 52 arranged in the same manner as the core arrangement of the MCF 2. For example, similarly to the optical connection structure C1, the optical axes of the plurality of waveguide sections 12 and the plurality of light emitting / receiving sections 52 can be easily matched. Therefore, even when the light emitting / receiving element 57 is used as an example of the optical element, the connection loss of light is preferably suppressed as compared with the case where light is emitted obliquely from the first end surface 13a and the second end surface 14a. Is possible.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the MCF 2 having a circular cross section is inserted into the optical ferrule 7 has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 12, a part of the MCF 62 is cut away to provide a flat surface 62a. A flat surface 67 a corresponding to the flat surface 62 a may be provided in the inner hole of the ferrule 67. According to this regulation structure, the rotation of the MCF 62 can be regulated by the optical ferrule 67. In the manufacturing method described above, the through hole 17 is formed in the main body 11 using the molding pin 23 and then the SCF 18 is arranged in the through hole 17 to configure the waveguide unit 12. Of course, the waveguide section 12 may be configured by arranging the SCF 18 in the pair of molds 21 and 21 from the beginning without using the above.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Optical connection member, 2 ... MCF, 3 ... SCF, 12 ... Waveguide part, 12A ... Connection end, 12B ... Branch end, 13 ... 1st end part, 13a ... 1st end surface, 14 ... 2nd end part, 14a ... 2nd end surface, 18 ... SCF, 37, 47 ... Through-hole, 38 ... Liquid, 48 ... Light reflection film, C1, C2 ... Optical connection structure.

Claims (16)

An optical connecting member for connecting an optical element having a plurality of light input / output portions having optical axes parallel to each other to another optical component,
A main body having a first end on the optical element side and a second end on the other optical component side;
A plurality of waveguide portions arranged in the main body portion and extending so as to connect the first end portion and the second end portion;
Each of the plurality of waveguide portions has linear portions arranged at the first end portion so as to correspond to the arrangement of the plurality of light input / output portions and parallel to each other. An optical connecting member.   2. The plurality of waveguides are arranged two-dimensionally at the first end so as to correspond to the two-dimensional arrangement of the plurality of light input / output units. Optical connection member.   Each of the plurality of waveguides has linear portions arranged in one dimension so as to correspond to the arrangement of the other optical components and parallel to each other at the second end. The optical connection member according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The main body has a plurality of through holes having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the plurality of waveguides,
The optical connection member according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of waveguide portions are respectively accommodated and fixed in the plurality of through holes.   The plurality of waveguides are each formed by a single core fiber having a clad diameter equal to a distance between the plurality of light input / output units. The optical connection member as described.   The plurality of waveguides are respectively formed by filling a plurality of through holes formed in the main body with a liquid having a higher refractive index than that of the main body. 5. The optical connection member according to any one of 4 above.   5. The plurality of waveguide portions are respectively formed by coating light reflecting films on inner walls of a plurality of through holes formed in the main body portion. The optical connecting member according to 1.   The optical connection member according to claim 1, wherein the first end portion has a cylindrical shape.   In the second end portion, a guide portion for connecting to the other optical component so that the optical axis of the other optical component and the optical axis of the second end portion of the plurality of waveguide portions coincide with each other. The optical connection member according to claim 1, wherein the optical connection member is provided.   10. The optical connection member according to claim 1, wherein end faces of the respective waveguide portions are arranged at equal intervals in the first end portion. An optical connecting member for connecting a multi-core fiber having a plurality of cores and a plurality of single-core fibers,
A first end face connected to the end face of the multi-core fiber;
A second end face branched into the plurality of single core fibers;
A main body having a plurality of waveguides extending so as to connect the first end surface and the second end surface;
Each of the plurality of waveguide parts is an optical connection member characterized in that at least a connection end with the first end surface is a linear portion orthogonal to the first end surface. The optical connecting member according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
An optical element having the plurality of light input / output units having optical axes parallel to each other and connected to the optical connection member;
The optical element is connected to the optical connection member such that the plurality of waveguide sections on the first end face of the main body section on the optical element side and the plurality of light input / output sections of the optical element face each other. An optical connection structure characterized by that.   The plurality of light input / output portions of the optical element are arranged point-symmetrically around a predetermined rotation axis, and are connected by adjusting a rotation angle so as to face the plurality of waveguide portions on the first end face. The optical connection structure according to claim 12, wherein: The optical element is a multi-core fiber having a plurality of cores surrounded by a common clad,
The optical connection structure according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the multi-core fiber is held by an optical ferrule that is positioned and fixed with respect to the optical connection member by a guide member.   The optical connection structure according to claim 14, wherein the multi-core fiber and the optical ferrule are provided with a restriction structure that restricts rotation of the multi-core fiber. The optical element is a light emitting / receiving element in which a plurality of light emitting / receiving units are arranged two-dimensionally,
16. The condensing optical system for optically connecting each of the plurality of light receiving and emitting units of the light emitting and receiving element to the plurality of waveguides is provided. Optical connection structure.

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