Optical connector with reduced mechanical-alignment sensitivity
AssigneeOracle America, Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Drost, John E. Cunningham, Ashok V. Krishnamoorthy
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Abstract
An optical connector is described. This optical connector spatially segregates optical coupling between an optical fiber and an optical component, which relaxes the associated mechanical-alignment requirements. In particular, the optical connector includes an optical spreader component disposed on a substrate. This optical spreader component is optically coupled to the optical fiber at a first coupling region, and is configured to optically couple to the optical component at a second coupling region that is at a different location on the substrate than the first coupling region. Moreover, the first coupling region and the second coupling region are optically coupled by an optical waveguide.
Claims20
An optical connector, comprising:
- an optical fiber;
- and
- an optical spreader component, disposed on a substrate, configured to spatially segregate optical coupling between the optical fiber and an optical component, wherein the optical spreader component includes:
- a first coupling region that is optically coupled to the optical fiber;
- an optical waveguide that is optically coupled to the first coupling region;
- and
- a second coupling region that is optically coupled to the optical waveguide, and which is configured to optically couple to the optical component, wherein a location of the second coupling region is different than a location of the first coupling region;
- and
- a second optical connector that includes an optical spreader component that is disposed on a second substrate, wherein the second coupling region is optically coupled to a third coupling region of the second optical connector via a spherical optical ball that is disposed between the second coupling region and the third coupling region.
A system, comprising:
- at least one integrated circuit;
- an optical connector coupled to the at least one integrated circuit, wherein the optical connector includes:
- an optical fiber;
- and
- an optical spreader component, disposed on a substrate, configured to spatially segregate optical coupling between the optical fiber and an optical component, wherein the optical spreader component includes:
- a first coupling region that is optically coupled to the optical fiber;
- an optical waveguide that is optically coupled to the first coupling region;
- and
- a second coupling region that is optically coupled to the optical waveguide, and which is configured to optically couple to the optical component, wherein a location of the second coupling region is different than a location of the first coupling region;
- and
- a second optical connector that includes an optical spreader component that is disposed on a second substrate, wherein the second coupling region is optically coupled to a third coupling region of the second optical connector via a spherical optical ball that is disposed between the second coupling region and the third coupling region.
A method for spatially segregating optical coupling between an optical fiber and an optical component using an optical connector, comprising:
- receiving an optical signal from the optical fiber at a first coupling region in an optical spreader component in the optical connector, wherein the optical spreader component is disposed on a substrate;
- optically coupling the optical signal from the first coupling region to a second coupling region in the optical spreader component via an optical waveguide in the optical spreader component;
- optically coupling the optical signal from the second coupling region to the optical component;
- and
- optically coupling a third coupling region of a second optical connector to the second coupling region via a spherical optical ball that is disposed between the second coupling region and the third coupling region, wherein the second optical connector includes an optical spreader component that is disposed on a second substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.