Transmitters, receivers, and transceivers including an optical bench

A method of manufacturing an optical transmitter including an optical bench, the method comprising:

• forming a groove into a mounting block;
• forming a plurality of openings for mounting transmitter components including a ball lens opening to mount a ball lens and a laser chip opening to mount a laser chip in a window frame;
• coupling the window frame to the mounting block to form the optical bench;
• mounting a laser chip to the laser chip opening of the window frame, the laser chip to generate light signals for optical communication;
• and
• mounting a ball lens in the ball lens opening, the ball lens extending into the groove of the mounting block, the ball lens to focus the light signals.

An optical transmitter package to enclose an optical transmitter comprising:

• a protective case to enclose an optical transmitter mounted with an optical bench and components of a printed circuit board, the optical transmitter mounted to the printed circuit board, the protective case mounted near the edges of the printed circuit board, the optical transmitter mounted with an optical bench including:
• a mounting block having a groove;
• a window frame having a plurality of openings for mounting transmitter components including a ball lens opening to mount a ball lens and a laser chip openings to mount a laser chip, the window frame coupled to the mounting block to form an optical bench;
• a laser chip mounted to the laser opening of the window frame, the laser chip to generate light signals for optical communication;
• a ball lens mounted in the ball lens opening and extending into the groove, the ball lens to focus the light signals;
• and
• an optical plug mounted to an opening in a front wall of the protective case adjacent the ball lens of the optical transmitter to allow the optical transmitter to focus light signals into a fiber optic cable connected to the optical plug.

A method of manufacturing an optical transmitter package to enclose an optical transmitter, the method comprising:

• mounting a protective case near the edges of the printed circuit board to enclose an optical transmitter mounted with an optical bench which is mounted to the printed circuit board and to enclose components of the printed circuit board;
• the optical transmitter mounted with an optical bench including:
• a mounting block having a groove;
• a window frame having a plurality of openings for mounting transmitter components including a ball lens opening to mount a ball lens and a laser chip openings to mount a laser chip, the window frame mounted to the mounting block to form an optical bench;
• a laser chip mounted to the laser opening of the window frame, the laser chip to generate light signals for optical communication;
• a ball lens mounted in the ball lens opening and extending into the groove, the ball lens to focus the light signals;
• and
• mounting an optical plug to an opening in a front wall of the protective case adjacent the ball lens of the optical transmitter to allow the optical transmitter to focus light signals into a fiber optic cable connected to the optical plug.

A light transmitter to transmit light signals over an optical fiber, the light transmitter comprising:

• a hybrid optical bench including
• a mounting block having a groove, and
• a window frame to couple to the mounting block, the window frame having a plurality of openings to mount a plurality of components therein;
• a semiconductor laser coupled to the hybrid optical bench, the semiconductor laser to generate a transmit light signal;
• a first lens mounted in a first opening of the plurality of openings in the window frame and extending into the groove of the mounting block, the first lens to collimate the transmit light signal;
• an optical isolator mounted in a second opening of the plurality of openings in the window frame and extending into the groove of the mounting block, the optical isolator to deter reflection of the transmit light signal back towards the first lens and the semiconductor laser;
• and,
• a second lens mounted in a third opening of the plurality of openings in the window frame and extending into the groove of the mounting block, the second lens to focus the transmit light signal into the optical fiber.

A fiber optic transmitter to transmit light signals over an optical fiber, the fiber optic transmitter comprising:

• an optical bench including
• a metallic mounting block having a groove, and
• a metallic window frame coupled to the metallic mounting block, the metallic window frame having openings in line with the groove in the metallic mounting block to allow optical components to mount to the optical bench;
• a semiconductor laser coupled to the optical bench, the semiconductor laser to generate a radiated light signal;
• a first ball lens mounted to the optical bench in a first opening in the metallic window frame and extending into the groove of the metallic mounting block, the first ball lens to collimate the radiated light signal into a collimated light signal;
• an optical isolator mounted to the optical bench in a second opening of the metallic window frame and extending into the groove of the metallic mounting block, the optical isolator to receive the collimated light signal and generate an isolated light signal;
• and
• a second ball lens mounted in a third opening of the metallic window frame and extending into the groove of the metallic mounting block, the second ball lens to focus the isolated light signal into a focused light signal for coupling into the optical fiber.

A packaged fiber optic module to transmit photons over an optical fiber, the packaged fiber optic module comprising:

• a protective case having an opening in a side and an optical plug coupled around the opening to the side, the optical plug to align and couple to the optical fiber;
• a printed circuit board physically coupled to the protective case without electrically coupling thereto;
• an optical bench coupled to the printed circuit board, the optical bench defining an optical axis with a groove and a frame having openings aligned with the optical axis;
• a semiconductor laser coupled to the optical bench in alignment with the optical axis, the semiconductor laser to generate photons in response to receiving a first electrical signal;
• a first ball lens mounted in the groove of the optical bench through a first opening in the frame, the first ball lens in alignment with the optical axis;
• an optical isolator mounted in the groove of the optical bench through a second opening in the frame, the optical isolator in alignment with the optical axis;
• and
• a second ball lens mounted in the groove of the optical bench through a third opening in the frame, the second ball lens in alignment with the optical axis.

A packaged fiber optic module comprising:

• a protective case having an opening in a side and an optical plug coupled around the opening to the side, the optical plug to align and couple to the optical fiber;
• a printed circuit board physically coupled to the protective case without electrically coupling thereto;
• an optical bench coupled to the printed circuit board, the optical bench defining an optical axis with a groove and a frame having openings aligned with the optical axis;
• an opto-electronic device coupled to the optical bench in alignment with the optical axis;
• and
• a first ball lens mounted in the groove of the optical bench through a first opening in the frame, the first ball lens in alignment with the optical axis.