Large-na connector for cpo applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025028125-A1
Application number	US-202318356811-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 21, 2023
Priority date	Jul 21, 2023
Publication date	Jan 23, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical connector is provided. The optical connector includes an optical fiber and a ferrule mated with the optical fiber. The ferrule has a lens spaced from an end of the optical fiber. The lens is configured to focus an optical signal received from the optical fiber to converge to a beam waist before diverging thereafter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical connector, comprising:
an optical fiber; and a ferrule mated with the optical fiber and having a lens spaced from an end of the optical fiber, the lens is configured to focus an optical signal received from the optical fiber to converge to a beam waist before diverging thereafter.

2 . The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein the beam waist to which the optical signal converges to before diverging thereafter is a second beam waist, and wherein the optical signal has a first beam waist at or immediately adjacent the optical fiber, and wherein the first beam waist is equal to the second beam waist.

3 . The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein the beam waist to which the optical signal converges to before diverging thereafter is a second beam waist, and wherein the optical signal has a first beam waist at or immediately adjacent the optical fiber, wherein the second beam waist is greater than the first beam waist and less than a beam diameter of the optical signal at the lens.

4 . The optical connector of claim 3 , wherein the second beam waist is between two and four times the first beam waist.

5 . The optical connector of claim 3 , wherein a beam radius of the optical signal at the second beam waist is five to ten times smaller than a beam diameter of the optical signal at or adjacent the lens.

6 . The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein the beam waist to which the optical signal converges to before diverging thereafter is a second beam waist, and wherein the optical signal has a first beam waist at or immediately adjacent the optical fiber, wherein the second beam waist is less than the first beam waist.

7 . The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein the lens is configured to focus the optical signal to the beam waist before the optical signal is received by a different optical connector or a photonics integrated circuit.

8 . The optical connector of claim 1 , wherein the ferrule has a body and a pair of guide prongs that each receive a guide pin, the lens is recessed relative to ends of the guide prongs, the lens and the body define a volume through which the optical signal traverses.

9 . The optical connector of claim 8 , wherein the beam waist to which the optical signal converges and then diverges thereafter is aligned in a same plane as the ends of the guide prongs.

10 . An optical connector, comprising:
a ferrule having a first lens and a second lens, the first lens is spaced from, and aligned with, a first optical fiber mated with the ferrule and the second lens is spaced from, and aligned with, a second optical fiber mated with the ferrule, the first lens has a different radius of curvature than the second lens.

11 . The optical connector of claim 10 , wherein the first lens is configured to focus a first optical signal received from the first optical fiber to converge to a beam waist before diverging thereafter, the second lens is configured to focus a second optical signal received from the second optical fiber to collimate.

12 . The optical connector of claim 11 , wherein the first lens is associated with a relatively high power optical channel and the second lens is associated with a relatively low power optical channel.

13 . The optical connector of claim 11 , wherein the ferrule has a body and a pair of guide prongs that each receive a guide pin, the first lens and the second lens are recessed relative to ends of the guide prongs, and wherein the beam waist to which the first optical signal converges and then diverges thereafter is aligned in a same plane as the ends of the guide prongs and the second optical signal is collimated at the same plane.

14 . The optical connector of claim 10 , wherein the ferrule has a third lens and is mated with a third optical fiber spaced from, and aligned with, the third lens, the ferrule also has a fourth lens and is mated with a fourth optical fiber spaced from, and aligned with, the fourth lens, the third lens having a different radius of curvature than the fourth lens.

15 . The optical connector of claim 14 , wherein the third lens has a third radius of curvature and the fourth lens has a fourth radius of curvature, and wherein the third radius of curvature is equal to a radius of curvature of the first lens and the fourth radius of curvature is equal to a radius of curvature of the second lens.

16 . The optical connector of claim 10 , wherein the first lens is arranged in a first plane and the second lens is arranged in a second plane, the first plane being offset from the second plane along a direction of optical signal traversal.

17 . The optical connector of claim 16 , wherein the first lens is spaced a first distance from the first optical fiber aligned therewith and the second lens is spaced a second distance from the second optical fiber aligned therewith, the first distance being equal to or substantially equal to the second distance.

18 . An optical system, comprising:
an optical connector having an optical fiber and a ferrule mated with the optical fiber, the ferrule having a lens spaced from an end of the optical fiber, the lens is configured to focus an optical signal received from the optical fiber to converge to a second beam waist, the optical signal has a first beam waist at or immediately adjacent to the optical fiber, and wherein the second beam waist is less than a beam diameter of the optical signal at the lens and is equal to or less than four times the first beam waist.

19 . The optical system of claim 18 , wherein the optical signal diverges after converging to the second beam waist, and wherein the optical signal further comprises:
a second optical connector removably coupled with the optical connector, the second optical connector having a second optical fiber and a second ferrule mated with the second optical fiber, the second ferrule having a second lens spaced from an end of the second optical fiber, the second lens is configured to focus the optical signal, which has diverged after the second beam waist, to converge to a third beam waist prior to being received by the second optical fiber.

20 . The optical system of claim 18 , further comprising:
a photonics integrated circuit having an optical coupler, and wherein the ferrule is removably coupled with the photonics integrated circuit, and wherein the lens is configured to focus the optical signal from the optical fiber to converge to the second beam waist at or immediately adjacent the optical coupler.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Schlepple Norbert

Classifications

• G02B6/3885

  Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448) · CPC title

• G02B6/32 Primary

  having lens focusing means {positioned between opposed fibre ends (with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262)} · CPC title

• G02B6/3882

  using rods, pins or balls to align a pair of ferrule ends · CPC title

• G02B6/3853 Primary

  Lens inside the ferrule (lensed connectors G02B6/32) · CPC title