Passive alignment connection for fiber optics incorporating VCSEL emitters
OwnerAnthony L. Morettiinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Passive alignment connection between a fiber optic component and a component having one or more vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) is provided. The system includes a VCSEL module which has a VCSEL which emits its optical energy into passive alignment with the fiber optic fiber, as well as a substantially identical VCSEL which emits its optical energy to a detector so as to monitor the optical power of that VCSEL and effectively monitor the optical power of the VCSEL which emits its optical energy in passive alignment with the fiber optic fiber.
Claims24
A passive alignment vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) module, comprising:
- a module body having a face;
- a plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) supported by said module body;
- at least one light-passing passageway of said face of the module body, and at least one of said VCSELs emits optical energy through said light-passing passageway;
- another of said VCSELs is a monitor VCSEL which emits optical energy to a detector, which detector monitors optical power of that VCSEL to provide a power control detector;
- at least two pin locations;
- and
- said light-passing passageway is spaced from said pin locations of the VCSEL module in accordance with a predetermined alignment pattern which is adapted to coincide with pin locations and at least one fiber optic fiber of another component.
A system for passive alignment connection between a fiber optic component and a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) component, comprising:
- a connector module having at least one fiber optic fiber with an end that is accessible from a face of said connector module;
- a VCSEL module having a face with at least one light-passing passageway and having a plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) supported by the VCSEL module, and at least one of said VCSELs emits optical energy through said light-passing passageway;
- another of said VCSELs of the VCSEL module is a monitor VCSEL which emits optical energy to a detector which monitors optical power of that VCSEL;
- at least two pins projecting from one of said modules at pin locations;
- at least two pin passageways within another of said modules at pin locations at said face thereof, said respective pin passageways being sized, shaped and positioned to received respective said projecting pins;
- and
- said end of the fiber optic fiber is spaced from said pin locations of the connector module in accordance with a predetermined alignment pattern, and said face passageway of the VCSEL module is spaced from said pin locations of the VCSEL module in accordance with said predetermined alignment pattern, whereby said end of the fiber optic fiber of the connector module optically aligns with said face passageway of the VCSEL module when said modules are attached together.
A method for passive optical alignment of a system for connection between a fiber optic component and a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) component, comprising the steps of:
- providing a connector module having at least one fiber optic fiber having an end terminating at a face of the connector module and having at least two pin locations;
- spacing said end of the fiber optic fiber and said pin locations in accordance with a predetermined alignment pattern;
- providing a VCSEL module having at least one light-passing passageway and a plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs), at least one of said VCSELs emits optical energy through the face passageway, and another of said VCSELs is a monitor VCSEL which emits optical energy through other than said face, said VCSEL module having at least two pin locations;
- spacing said VCSEL module face passageway and said pin locations of the VCSEL module in accordance with said predetermined alignment pattern;
- attaching the connector module and the VCSEL module together in order to thereby automatically optically align each VCSEL passageway with each fiber optic fiber when the modules are attached together;
- and
- monitoring the optical energy of the monitor VCSEL.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.