Index-matching gel for nanostructure optical fibers and mechanical splice assembly and connector using same

A mechanical splice assembly for mechanically splicing a nanostructure optical fiber with an end, comprising:

• a body having a central axis, opposite front and back ends, an interior chamber between the front and back ends, and front and rear channels open to the chamber interior and open at the front and back ends;
• a fiber stub having opposite front and rear ends and held in the front channel so that the fiber stub front end is at the body front end and the fiber stub rear end is within the interior chamber;
• and
• an index matching gel contained in the interior chamber and having at least one polymer component, wherein the at least one polymer component has a viscosity η at 25° C., wherein 3 Pa-s≦η≦100 Pa-s, and a molecular weight Mw that satisfies the condition 25,000 daltons<Mw≦200,000 daltons;
• and
• wherein the index-matching gel resides between the fiber stub rear end and the nanostructure fiber end so as to provide index matching between the stub optical fiber and the nanostructure optical fiber.

A fiber optic connector having a back end, comprising:

• a stub optical fiber having an end;
• a field optical fiber having a nanostructure region with voids and having an end;
• a splice assembly configured to interface the stub and field optical fibers together at their respective ends;
• and
• an index-matching gel provided at the interface of the stub and field optical fibers, the gel having at least one polymer component having a viscosity η at 25° C., wherein 3 Pa-s≦η≦100 Pa-s and having a molecular weight Mw such that 25,000 daltons<Mw≦200,000 daltons.

A mechanical splice assembly for splicing first and second optical fibers having respective ends, wherein at least one of the fibers is a nano-engineered fiber, the assembly comprising:

• an interior housing having an interior region;
• a splice assembly sized to fit into the interior region and defining a fiber channel sized to accommodate the first and second optical fibers end to end;
• and
• an index-matching gel provided at the interface of the stub and field optical fibers, the gel having at least one polymer component that has a viscosity η at 25° C., wherein 3 Pa-s≦η≦100 Pa-s and having a molecular weight Mw such that 25,000 daltons<Mw≦200,000 daltons.

A mechanical splice assembly, comprising:

• a body having opposite front and back ends, an interior chamber between the front and back ends, and front and back channels open to the interior chamber and open at the respective front and back ends;
• a first optical fiber having an end and held in the front channel so that the first optical fiber end resides within the interior chamber;
• a second optical fiber having an end and a nanostructure region with voids, wherein the second optical fiber is held within the back channel so that the second optical fiber end is interfaced with the first optical fiber end within the interior chamber, and so that the index-matching gel provides substantial index-matching between the first optical fiber end and the second optical fiber end without substantially filling the voids of the second optical fiber;
• an index-matching gel contained in the interior chamber, the index-matching gel having at least one polymer component with a viscosity η at 25° C. such that 3 Pa-s≦η≦100 Pa-s and a molecular weight Mw such that 25,000 daltons<Mw≦200,000 daltons.