Fibre Optic Connector
The invention concerns a method of connecting a bundle of single core optical fibres to a multi-core optical fibre and to a connector for connecting two such fibre types.
Optical fibres are known components having a core along which light can pass either in single mode or multi mode transmission, surrounded by an optically insulating sheath. The fibre may be single or multicore. Typically the fibre cores are of a glass material having a diameter of several microns upwards, e.g. 5 to 500μm. In a multicore fibre the cores may be typically 40 to 65/vm distance apart for a core diameter of about 8μm and an overall fibre diameter of 125 vm.
One of the main problems with multicore fibres is that it is difficult to independently couple light to and from each of the cores into single core fibres. One way that this has been achieved in the past is to taper the ends of the individual single core fibres (by etching in HF acid) so that they can be grouped together and polished back to a point at which they can be butt coupled directly to the multicore fibre.
Another method has been the use of a microball lens to image the ends of single core fibres to the end of the multicore fibre. In this method there is a non-unity magnification due to the mismatch in the aspect ratio of the core separation of the single core fibres and the cores of the multicore fibre. This results in excessive optical coupling losses.
According to this invention the above problems are overcome by use of a GRIN (graded index) lens to separate angularly the output of each core in the multicore fibre and GRIN lenses to couple into the core of each single core fibre.
According to this invention a method of connecting a multicore optical fibre to a bundle of single core optical fibres includes the steps of:
optically connecting one end of the multicore optical fibre to a first GRIN lens of 0.25 pitch to separate angularly the light path from each core of the multicore fibre;
expanding the separation of each light path along an optical channel;
optically connecting one end of each core in the bundle of the single core optical fibres to a further GRIN lens of 0.25 pitch;
locating each further GRIN lens at an end of the optical channel in register with a light path;
the arrangement being such that each core of the multicore fibre is optically connected to the core of one of the single core optical fibres.
According to this invention a fibre optic connector for connecting a multicore optical fibre to a bundle of single core optical fibres includes
a first GRIN lens having an optical length of 0.25 pitch for receiving one end of a multicore optical fibre,
an optical channel connected to the first GRIN lens for expanding separation of the angularly separated light paths from the first GRIN lens,
further GRIN lenses of substantially 0.25 pitch for connecting one to each single core optical fibre,
the further GRIN lenses being connected to the end of the optical channel remote from the first GRIN lens and in register with a light path,
the arrangement being such that each core of the multicore fibre can be optically connected to the core of one of the single core fibres.
The optical fibres may be connected to their respective GRIN lens by optical glue, or held within couplers or holders so that components can be separated and reconnected as required.
Some or all of the cores in the multicore fibre may be connected to a single core fibre.
The GRIN lenses are described as being of 0.25 pitch and are commercially available, e.g. from Nippon Sheet Glass Company. This is the theoretical ideal true at one wavelength; in practice deviation from the ideal is satisfactory. In this specification the term 0.25 pitch and substantially 0.25 pitch is to be taken to include 0.25 pitch and functionally equivalent or similar pitches.
The term pitch relates to the number of cycles that are associated with the sinusoidal trajectory of an optical ray propagating from the input face of the GRIN lens to its output face. The sinusoidal trajectory of an optical ray propagating along a GRIN lens is a consequence of the quadratic refractive index profile of the GRIN lens. An optical ray that propagates along a ray path trajectory equal to one cycle of a sinusoid has a pitch of 1.0.
A 0.25 pitch lens will propagate rays through a quarter of a sinusoid cycle and therefore all rays emanating from a point on the input face of a 0.25 GRIN lens (provided these rays propagate within the numerical aperture of the GRIN lens) will exit the GRIN lens at its output face co-linearly (i.e. they will describe a collimated beam).
The optical fibres may be capable of transmitting visible light and/or light of other wavelengths such as infra red, UV etc. and may be single or multi-mode fibres.
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 shows in diagrammatic form a connection between a single multicore optical fibre and a bundle of single core optical fibres,
Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of part of Figure 1 where the multicore fibre joins the connector,
Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of part of Figure 2,
Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of part of Figure 1 where the single core fibres join the connector,
Figure 5 shows an enlarged view of part of Figure 4,
Figure 6 shows an end view of the multicore fibre in Figure 1 to an enlarged scale,
Figure 7 shows an end view of the bundle of fibres in Figure 1 to a smaller scale than that in Figure 6, and
Figure 8 shows a cross sectional view of a micro capillary, useful to hold the end of an optical fibre to give improved robustness at connections.
As shown a connector 1 is used to connect a single multicore optical fibre 2 to a bundle of single core fibres 3.
The multicore, Figure 6, fibre 2 comprises four cores 3 held within a matrix cladding 4. In one example the core diameter was 8μm with an intercore spacing of 44.2 ym (adjacent cores) and 62.5μm diagonal, numerical aperture NA=0.13. The fibre 2 may have many more than four cores if required.
The bundle, Figure 7, of single core fibres 3 has four single core fibres 5 each with a core 6 surrounded by cladding 7 and separated by a spacer 16, which may be a potting compound.
The multicore fibre 2 is mounted and glued into a micro-capillary 8 (Figure 8) and its terminated end, either cleaved or optically polished, is in the same plane as end-face of the micro-capillary. The cleaved or polished end of the fibre 2 is butted up against one end of a first 0.25 pitch GRIN lens 9 such that it is nominally concentric with the lens optic axis. UV curing adhesive is used to bond the fibre 2 and GRIN lens 9 together. Both the capillary 8 and GRIN lens 9 are held in a precision quartz tube 17. This ensures alignment of the fibre 2 and GRIN lens 9.
The GRIN lens 9 is glued to the centre of a window 10 forming one end of an optical channel 1 1. This channel comprises a glass tube 12 of internal diameter 7mm outside diameter 10mm, of length 63mm with windows 10, 13 at each end.
Each fibre 5 in the bundle 3 of single core fibres is mounted and fixed in a micro- capillary 8 with an optically flat fibre termination (by cleaving or polishing) at the face of the micro-capillary. Each single core fibre 5 is butted to and glued to a further 0.25 pitch GRIN lens 14, one lens for each fibre as described later. Each of these further GRIN lenses 14 is glued to the window 13 remote from the multicore fibre 2.
Since the first GRIN lens 9 has a pitch of 0.25, light emanating from a fibre core butted up to one end of the lens 9 will be collimated on exiting the opposite end of the lens. The lateral displacement (δ from axis) of the cores 3 of the multicore fibre 2 on the input face of the GRIN lens 9 with respect to each other will be translated to an angular separation of the collimated beams 15 corresponding to each of the cores at the window. Initially these beams overlap, however, after a sufficient distance within the optical channel 1 1 they are spatially separated. The channel length L is arranged so that the beams 15 are sufficiently separated that they can be independently coupled back into separate single core fibres 5.
Each of the further GRIN lenses 14 is mounted on the window 13 at a position corresponding to the position of a beam 15 from each core 3 of the multicore fibre 2. The further GRIN lenses 14 re-image the collimated beams to a point that is conjugate to the corresponding core of the multicore fibre. Since this is a direct one to one image mapping (numerical aperture remains unaltered) the image of the multicore fibre core at the output face of the single core fibre GRIN lens 14 will also be laterally displaced (by δ) with respect to the optical axis of the GRIN lens 14. The single core fibre 5 is positioned on the output end of the GRIN lens 14 and adjusted until optimal coupling is achieved. Once this condition is reached the micro-capillary 8 is bonded in position. This is repeated for all the single core fibres. Once assembled, all components may be held together in a potting compound. Alternatively, the assembly may be held in a separate coupler 18 or holder, which may be of a separable two or three part form. The ends of the single core fibres 6, 7 remote from the GRIN lenses 14 may be terminated with pigtail connection for connection to other equipment.
In the illustrated example, the separation of cores 3 from the GRIN lens 9 optical axis was 31.25μm, separation of cores 6 from the GRIN lens 14 optical axis was 31.25/vm, and the separation of single core fibres 5 was 1.4mm. Excellent coupling efficiency was obtained.