Multiple port, fiber optic coupling device

A device for parallelizing output beams from multiple optical fibers, comprising:

• an assembly optically couplable to the multiple optical fibers to receive light therefrom, including
• a first focusing element positioned on a first optical axis to receive output light beams from the multiple optical fibers having first divergence angles, the first focusing element having a first focusing power selected to direct the light beams to intersect the first optical axis at a first intersection position;
• and
• a second focusing element spaced apart from the first focusing element by a first separation distance along the first optical axis and positioned to receive the light beams from the first focusing element, the second focusing element having a second focusing power, the first separation distance being selected to parallelize the light beams received from the first focusing element and to converge the light beams with convergence angles less than the first divergence angles.

An optical fiber free-space coupling unit for coupling to a plurality of optical fibers, comprising:

• two coupling modules couplable to the plurality of optical fibers to receive light beams therefrom, each coupling module including:
• a first focusing element positioned on a module optical axis having a first focusing power selected to direct the light beams to intersect the module optical axis, and
• a second focusing element spaced apart from the first focusing element by an interelement separation distance along the module optical axis and positioned to receive the light beams from the first focusing element, the second focusing element having a second focusing power, the interelement separation distance being selected to parallelize the light beams received from the first focusing element;
• wherein the first and second coupling modules are oriented with opposing second focusing elements and a beam path of at least one of the parallellized beams from the first coupling module lying coincident and antiparallel to a beam path of at least one of the parallelized beams from the second coupling module.

A unit for controlling light beams propagating through a plurality of fibers, comprising:

• a plurality of first optical fibers;
• a plurality of second optical fibers;
• and
• two coupling modules coupled to respective pluralities of first and second optical fibers, each coupling module including
• a first focusing element positioned on a module optical axis having a first focal length selected to direct light beams from a respective set of optical fibers to intersect a module optical axis, and
• a second focusing element spaced apart from the first focusing element by an interelement separation distance along the module optical axis and positioned to receive the light beams from the first focusing element, the second focusing element having a second focal length, the interelement separation distance being selected to parallelize the light beams received from the first focusing element;
• wherein the first focal length, the second focal length and the interelement separation distance of the first coupling module are respectively the same as the first focal length, second focal length and interelement separation distance of the second coupling module, the first and second coupling modules are oriented having opposing second focusing elements separated by a distance approximately equal to twice the focal length of the second focusing element of the first module, and the first and second coupling modules are relatively positioned so that beam paths of the parallellized beams from the first coupling module are coincident with respective beam paths of the parallelized beams from the second coupling module.