Ferrule assembly having highly protruding optical fibers and an associated fabrication method

A ferrule assembly comprising:

• a ferrule having a front face and defining a plurality of bores opening through the front face;
• and
• a plurality of optical fibers extending through respective bores such that end portions of said optical fibers extend at least about 3.5 μm beyond all portions of the front face of said ferrule, wherein the end portions of said optical fibers have at least partially rounded edges and differ in position from one another by no more than about 100 nm and wherein the end portion of each optical fiber differs in position from end portions of the immediately adjacent optical fibers by no more than about 50 nm.

A ferrule assembly comprising:

• a ferrule having a front face and defining a plurality of bores opening through the front face;
• and
• a plurality of optical fibers extending through respective bores such that end portions of said optical fibers extend at least about 3.5 μm beyond all portions of the front face of said ferrule, wherein the end portions of said optical fibers have at least partially rounded edges and differ in position from one another by no more than about 100 nm, wherein each optical fiber comprises a core surrounded by a cladding, and wherein the end portion of each optical fiber has a core dip in which the cladding protrudes beyond the core by no more than 10 nm.

A ferrule assembly comprising:

• a ferrule having a front face and defining a plurality of bores opening through the front face, wherein the front face of said ferrule includes a first portion through which the plurality of bores at least partially open and a recessed portion having a reference surface that extends in a rearward direction from the first portion of the front face;
• and
• a plurality of optical fibers extending through respective bores of said ferrule, wherein end portions of said optical fibers lie along an imaginary surface defined by the reference surface of the recessed portion of the front face of said ferrule.

A ferrule comprising:

• a ferrule body having a front face and defining a plurality of bores opening through the front face, wherein the front face of said ferrule body includes a first portion through which the plurality of bores at least partially open and first and second pedestals positioned on opposite sides of the first portion and extending outwardly beyond the first portion, wherein the plurality of bores opening through the front face define a reference line extending between opposite sides of said ferrule body and said first and second pedastals are positioned proximate the opposite sides of said ferrule body along the reference line, and wherein said first and second pedestals have respective planar surfaces that lie in a coplanar relationship.