Selectable and tunable ferrule holder for a fiber Fabry-Perot filter

A fiber ferrule holder for a fiber Fabry-Perot filter comprising:

• a unitary body having an axial bore extending along a longitudinal axis, said axial bore having a first end for receiving a first ferrule and a second end for receiving a second ferrule, wherein at least a portion of said unitary body is elastic with respect to expansion, compression or both along the longitudinal axis, wherein said first ferrule has an internal face and an external face each of which are oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis and said second ferule has an internal face and an external face each of which are oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis and wherein said first and second ferrules are positioned such that their internal faces are opposed, wherein said internal faces are separated by an optical resonance cavity distance;
• a first ferrule fastening element for securing the first ferrule in the unitary body;
• and
• a second ferrule fastening element for securing the second ferrule in the unitary body;
• and
• an actuator having an internal end and an external end for selectably adjusting the optical resonance cavity distance between the internal faces of the first and second ferrules along the longitudinal axis, wherein the internal end of the actuator is operationally coupled to the unitary body,
• wherein the elasticity of the unitary body allows for selectable variation of the optical resonance cavity distance between the internal faces of the first and second ferrules in a direction substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis while maintaining alignment of the internal faces of the first and second ferrule in all other directions, wherein said longitudinal elasticity of the unitary body is provided by a system of channels created in said unitary body, wherein the channels are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

A fiber Fabry-Perot filter comprising:

• a fiber ferrule assembly having an optical resonance cavity therein which comprises a first and a second ferrule element each of which has an axial bore along a longitudinal axis therethrough for receiving an optical fiber and a reflector transverse to the axial bore, said first and second ferrules each having an internal face oriented transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein said ferrules are positioned with respect to each other such that the internal faces of the ferrules are opposed, wherein said internal faces are separated by a distance thereby forming an optical resonance cavity between opposing reflectors;
• a unitary body having an axial bore extending along the longitudinal axis, said axial bore having a first end for receiving the first ferrule and a second end for receiving the second ferrule, wherein at least a portion of said unitary body is elastic with respect to expansion, compression or both along the longitudinal axis;
• a first ferrule fastening element for securing the first ferrule in the unitary body;
• and
• a second ferrule fastening element for securing the second ferrule in the unitary body;
• wherein the elasticity of the unitary body allows for variation of the distance between the internal faces of the first and second ferrules in a direction substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis while maintaining alignment of the internal faces of the first and second ferrule in all other directions, wherein said longitudinal elasticity of the unitary body is provided by a system of channels created in said unitary body, wherein the channels are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein said distance between the internal faces of the first and second ferrules is selectably adjustable.