Hybrid fiber expanded beam connector and methods for using and making the hybrid fiber expanded beam connector

A hybrid fiber expanded beam connector used to connect dissimilar fibers, said hybrid power expanded beam connector comprising:

• a first lensed optical fiber including one type of fiber that was fusion spliced to a plano-convex borosilicate lens that includes a throat portion and a spherical lens portion, wherein said first lensed optical fiber is capable of expanding a light beam and outputting a collimated light beam;
• a second lensed optical fiber including another type of fiber that was fusion spliced to a plano-convex borosilicate lens that includes a throat portion and a spherical lens portion, wherein said first lensed optical fiber is physically separated a predetermined distance from said second lensed optical fiber and is capable of receiving the collimated light beam and focusing the received light beam such that the light beam effectively travels from said first lensed optical fiber to said second lensed optical fiber, wherein the fusion splicing of the fibers to the plano-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 hybrid fiber expanded beam connector, said method comprising the steps of:

• connecting a first lensed optical fiber to a first optical component, wherein said first lensed optical fiber includes one type of fiber that was fusion spliced to a plano-convex borosilicate lens that includes a throat portion and a spherical lens portion;
• and
• connecting a second lensed optical fiber to a second optical component, wherein said second lensed optical fiber includes another type of fiber that was fusion spliced to a plano-convex borosilicate lens that includes a throat portion and a spherical lens portion, 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 microlensed 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 effectively travels from said first optical component to said second optical component, whereby the fusion splicing of the fibers to the plano-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.