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US 12,422,633 B2Granted
Laser printed lensed optical fibers and associated methods
AssigneeCorning Research & Development Corporation
InventorsJinxin Huang, Ming-Jun Li, Jie Liu, Ying Liu, Qi Wu, Lei Yuan
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to methods of assembling a lensed optical fiber array by printing in situ a lens onto each optical fiber of an optical fiber array with an ultrafast laser system where the lens can be shaped to the optical fiber end face to reduce pitch mismatch. In some embodiments, optical fiber(s) of the optical fiber array can be cleaved, and the lens can be shaped to the optical fiber end face to reduce pitch mismatch.
Claims16
A method of fabricating a lensed array comprising:
- inserting a fiber array that comprises optical fibers into channels of a glass substrate such that a portion of the fiber array is within the glass substrate and uncovered;
- and
- printing in situ a lens onto each optical fiber of the fiber array via two photon polymerization (TPP) using an ultrafast laser system to form a lensed array;
- wherein a pitch mismatch between the lensed array and the fiber array is less than 0.1 μm.
1 more element
A lensed optical fiber connector formed by the method comprising:
- inserting a fiber array that comprises optical fibers into channels of a glass substrate such that a portion of the fiber array is within the glass substrate and uncovered;
- and
- printing in situ a lens onto each optical fiber of the fiber array via two photon polymerization (TPP) using an ultrafast laser system to form a lensed array;
- wherein the lensed optical fiber includes a coreless fiber spliced onto the optical fiber, wherein the coreless fiber is positioned between the lens and the at least one optical fiber;
- wherein the lens has a height ranging between 10 μm and 600 μm relative to end faces of the optical fibers;
- wherein the lensed array and the fiber array have a pitch mismatch of between 0.05 nm and 0.1 μm;
- and
- wherein the lensed optical fiber connector has an angular misalignment is less than 0.01° when coupled to another lensed optical fiber connector.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.