MULTIMODE OPTICAL CONNECTOR

摘要

The disclosure generally relates to individual optical waveguides, sets of optical waveguides such as optical fiber ribbons, and fiber optic connectors useful for connecting individual optical waveguides or multiple optical fibers such as in optical fiber ribbon cables. In particular, the disclosure provides an efficient, compact, and reliable optical fiber connector that exhibits a low insertion loss for use with multimode optical waveguides. The optical connectors incorporate a unitary light coupling unit combining the features of optical fiber alignment, along with redirecting and shaping of the optical beam.

主权项

1. A unitary light coupling unit for use in an optical connector, comprising:
a waveguide alignment member for receiving and aligning an optical waveguide; and a light redirecting member, comprising:
an input surface for receiving input light from an optical waveguide disposed and aligned at the waveguide alignment member;a toroidal surface for receiving light from the input surface propagating along an input axis and reflecting the received light, the reflected light propagating along a different redirected axis, a second divergence of the reflected light being less than a first divergence of the input light along two mutually orthogonal divergence directions; andan output surface for receiving light from the toroidal surface and transmitting the received light as output light exiting the light redirecting member propagating along an output axis, a curved intersection of the toroidal surface and a first plane formed by the input and redirected axes having a radius of curvature, the toroidal surface having an axis of revolution disposed in the first plane at the input surface and a focal length measured from the axis of revolution to the toroidal surface along the input axis, the focal length being less than the radius of curvature.