High power expanded beam connector and methods for using and making the high power expanded beam connector

A method for making a high power expanded beam connector, said method comprising the steps of:

• inserting a first lensed optical fiber into a first ferrule, wherein said first lensed optical fiber includes a first optical fiber that was fusion spliced to a first plano-convex borosilicate lens that includes a throat portion and a spherical lens portion;
• inserting a second lensed optical fiber into a second ferrule, wherein said second lensed optical fiber includes a second optical fiber that was fusion spliced to a second piano-convex borosilicate lens that includes a throat portion and a spherical lens portion;
• and
• securing said first ferrule and said second ferrule such that said first lensed optical fiber and said second lensed optical fiber are aligned and separated a predetermined distance from one another thus enabling said first lensed optical fiber to expand a light beam traveling therein and then to output a collimated light beam towards said second lensed optical fiber which receives the collimated light beam and focuses the received light beam such that the light beam travels from said first lensed optical fiber to said second lensed optical fiber, wherein the fusion splicing of the first and second optical fibers to the first and second piano-convex borosilicate lenses enlarges the mode field diameters of said first and second lensed optical fibers which increases the tolerance for lateral misalignment between said first and second lensed optical fibers.

A method for using a high power expanded beam connector, said method comprising the steps of:

• connecting a first lensed optical fiber of said expanded beam connector to a first optical component, wherein said first lensed optical fiber includes a first optical fiber that was fusion spliced to a first plano-convex borosilicate lens that includes a throat portion and a spherical lens portion;
• and
• connecting a second lensed optical fiber of said expanded beam connector to a second optical component, wherein said second lensed optical fiber includes a second optical fiber that was fusion spliced to a second plano-convex borosilicate lens that includes a throat portion and a spherical lens portion, and wherein said first lensed optical fiber and said second lensed optical fiber are aligned and separated a predetermined distance from one another thus enabling said first lensed optical fiber to expand a light beam traveling therein and to output a collimated light beam towards said second lensed optical fiber which receives the collimated light beam and focuses the received light beam such that the light beam travels from said first optical component to said second optical component, wherein the fusion splicing of the first and second optical fibers to the first and second piano-convex borosilicate lenses enlarges the mode field diameters of said first and second lensed optical fibers which increases the tolerance for lateral misalignment between said first and second lensed optical fibers.