Optical connection structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9366832-B2
Application number	US-201514674158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Apr 8, 2014
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

An optical connection structure comprising: a substrate including a main surface and an optical waveguide in which a beam is incident or emitted in a direction intersecting with the main surface; a receptacle including a first lens and a connector guide and disposed on the substrate such that the first lens and the optical waveguide are optically coupled; and an optical connector including a second lens and a guide unit and holding an optical fiber so as to be optically coupled with the second lens, wherein: the receptacle and the optical connector are configured to be detachably through the connector guide and the guide unit; and the first lens and the second lens are optically coupled by mounting the optical connector to the receptacle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical connection structure comprising:
a substrate including a main surface and an optical waveguide in which a beam is incident or emitted in a direction intersecting with the main surface;
a receptacle including a first lens and a connector guide and disposed on the substrate such that the first lens and the optical waveguide are optically coupled; and
an optical connector including a second lens and a guide unit and holding an optical fiber so as to be optically coupled with the second lens, wherein:
the receptacle and the optical connector are configured to be detachable through the connector guide and the guide unit; and
the first lens and the second lens are optically coupled by mounting the optical connector to the receptacle, wherein the optical connector comprises:
a front surface on which the second lens is disposed; and
a rear surface opposing the front surface and to which the optical fiber is introduced.

2. The optical connection structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first lens receives a beam emitted from the optical waveguide, collimates the beam, and emits the beam to the second lens; and
the second lens receives the beam emitted from the first lens, converges the beam, and couples the beam to the optical fiber.

3. The optical connection structure according to claim 2 , wherein a gap between an optical axis of the optical waveguide and an optical axis of the first lens is equal to or less than 5 μm.

4. The optical connection structure according to claim 3 , wherein a focal length of the first lens is larger than a focal length of the second lens.

5. The optical connection structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second lens receives a beam emitted from the optical fiber, collimates the beam, and emits the beam to the first lens; and
the first lens receives the beam emitted from the second lens, converges the beam, and couples the beam to the optical waveguide.

6. The optical connection structure according to claim 1 , wherein, when the optical connector is mounted to the receptacle, a gap between an optical axis of the first lens and an optical axis of the second lens is equal to or greater than 3 μm and equal to or less than 20 μm.

7. The optical connection structure according to claim 6 , wherein a focal length of the second lens is larger than a focal length of the first lens.

8. An optical connection structure comprising:
a substrate including a main surface, a receiving optical waveguide in which a reception beam is incident in a direction intersecting with the main surface, a transmitting optical waveguide in which a transmission beam is emitted in the direction intersecting with the main surface, a light receiving element receiving the reception beam from the receiving optical waveguide, and a light emitting element providing the transmission beam to the transmitting optical waveguide;
a receptacle including a receiving first lens, a transmitting first lens, and a connector guide and disposed on the substrate such that the receiving first lens is optically coupled with the receiving optical waveguide and the transmitting first lens is optically coupled with the transmitting optical waveguide; and
an optical connector including a receiving second lens, a transmitting second lens, and a guide unit, holding a receiving optical fiber so as to be optically coupled with the receiving second lens, and holding a transmitting optical fiber so as to be optically coupled with the transmitting second lens, wherein:
the receptacle and the optical connector are configured to be detachable through the connector guide and the guide unit; and
by mounting the optical connector to the receptacle, the receiving first lens and the receiving second lens are optically coupled and the transmitting first lens and the transmitting second lens are optically coupled, wherein the optical connector comprises:
a front surface on which the second lens is disposed; and
a rear surface opposing the front surface and to which the optical fiber is introduced.

9. The optical connection structure according to claim 8 , wherein:
a numerical aperture of the transmitting optical waveguide and a numerical aperture of the receiving optical waveguide are substantially equal;
a numerical aperture of the transmitting optical fiber and a numerical aperture of the receiving optical fiber are substantially equal;
a focal length of the transmitting first lens and a focal length of the receiving first lens are substantially equal; and
a focal length of the transmitting second lens and a focal length of the receiving second lens are substantially equal.

10. The optical connection structure according to claim 9 , wherein:
cross sections of a core of the receiving optical waveguide and a core of the transmitting optical waveguide are square;
length of one side of the core of the receiving optical waveguide is equal to a diameter of the core of the receiving optical fiber or greater than the diameter; and
length √2 times of one side of the core of the transmitting optical waveguide is equal to a diameter of the core of the transmitting optical fiber or less than the diameter.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Arao Hajime
• Sano Tomomi
• Yakabe Sho
• Harumoto Michiko

Classifications

• G02B6/425

  Optical features (semiconductor laser arrays H01S5/40; hybrid LED arrays H10W90/00) · CPC title

• G02B6/4206

  Optical features (G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/43 Primary

  Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections · CPC title

• G02B6/4246 Primary

  Bidirectionally operating package structures · CPC title

• G02B6/4292

  the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements · CPC title