Low stress optical waveguide having conformal cladding and fixture for precision optical interconnects

A waveguide connector assembly which comprises

• (a) a base having at least one channel defined by walls cut along a surface of the base;
• (b) a waveguide assembly which comprises a substrate, and at least one waveguide on the substrate, each said waveguide comprising a substantially transparent, shaped polymeric core having a plurality of edges, which core is attached on and raised from a surface of the substrate on one edge of the core, and a shaped, polymeric, light reflecting cladding attached on and in substantially conforming registration with each other edge of the core such that the cladding has a shape substantially congruent with the shape of the core and wherein the refractive index of the cladding is less than the refractive index of the core;
• the waveguide assembly being positioned on the base such that each waveguide is positioned in one of the channels and contacts the walls of the channel at two or more points;
• (c) a cover plate on the waveguide assembly.

A method for aligning a waveguide assembly to an optical fiber assembly which comprises

• (a) providing a waveguide connector comprising a base having a plurality of substantially parallel channels defined by walls cut along a surface of the base and a cover plate on the base over the channels;
• (b) providing a waveguide assembly which comprises a substrate, and at least one waveguide on the substrate, each said waveguide comprising a substantially transparent, shaped polymeric core having a plurality of edges, which core is attached on and raised from a surface of the substrate on one edge of the core, and a shaped, polymeric, light reflecting cladding attached on and in substantially conforming registration with each other edge of the core such that the cladding has a shape substantially congruent with the shape of the core and wherein the refractive index of the cladding is less than the refractive index of the core;
• (c) providing an optical fiber assembly which comprises a plurality of attached optical fibers;
• (d) positioning the waveguide assembly and the optical fiber assembly on the base such that each waveguide and optical fiber is positioned in one of the channels and contacts the opposing walls of the channel at two or more points, and such that each of the waveguides on the waveguide assembly has an end which is aligned with a corresponding end of an optical fiber on the optical fiber assembly.

A method for aligning a first waveguide assembly to a second waveguide assembly which comprises

• (a) providing first and second waveguide connectors each comprising a base having a plurality of substantially parallel channels defined by walls cut along a surface of the base and a cover plate on the base over the channels;
• (b) providing first and second waveguide assemblies, each of which comprises a substrate, and at least one waveguide on the substrate, each said waveguide comprising a substantially transparent, shaped polymeric core having a plurality of edges, which core is attached on and raised from a surface of the substrate on one edge of the core, and a shaped, polymeric, light reflecting cladding attached on and in substantially conforming registration with each other edge of the core such that the cladding has a shape substantially congruent with the shape of the core and wherein the refractive index of the cladding is less than the refractive index of the core;
• (c) positioning the first and second waveguide assemblies respectively on the base of the first and second waveguide connectors such that each of the waveguides is positioned in one of the channels and contacts the opposing walls of the channel at two or more points;
• and
• (d) attaching the first waveguide connector to the second waveguide connector such that each of the waveguides on the first waveguide assembly has an end which is in substantially co-linear alignment with a corresponding end of a waveguide on the second waveguide assembly.

A method for aligning a first waveguide assembly at least one optical fiber, which comprises

• (a) providing first and second waveguide connectors each comprising a base having a plurality of substantially parallel channels defined by walls cut along a surface of the base and a cover plate on the base over the channels;
• (b) providing a waveguide assembly which comprises a substrate, and at least one waveguide on the substrate, each said waveguide comprising a substantially transparent, shaped polymeric core having a plurality of edges, which core is attached on and raised from a surface of the substrate on one edge of the core, and a shaped, polymeric, light reflecting cladding attached on and in substantially conforming registration with each other edge of the core such that the cladding has a shape substantially congruent with the shape of the core and wherein the refractive index of the cladding is less than the refractive index of the core;
• (c) providing an optical fiber assembly which comprises at least one optical fiber;
• (d) positioning the waveguide assembly respectively on the base of the first waveguide connector such that each waveguide is positioned in one channel and contacts the opposing walls of the channel at two or more points;
• (e) positioning the optical fiber assembly respectively on the base of the second waveguide connector such that each optical fiber is positioned in one channel and contacts the walls of the channel at two or more points;
• and
• (f) attaching the first waveguide connector to the second waveguide connector such that each waveguide on the waveguide assembly has an end which is in substantially co-linear alignment with a corresponding end of an optical fiber on the optical fiber assembly.