Large matrix VCSEL termination without channel laser crosstalk

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759882-B2
Application number	US-201514823096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2015
Priority date	Aug 11, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A termination ferrule includes a ferrule body and a ferrule plate. The ferrule body includes multiple bores arranged to align with a pattern of lasers in a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array. Each of the multiple bores includes an entry diameter sized for an optical fiber with a protective coating and an exit diameter sized for a portion of the optical fiber without the protective coating. The ferrule plate includes multiple holes arranged to align with the pattern of lasers in the VCSEL array. Each of the multiple holes includes a hole diameter sized to receive the portion of the optical fiber without the protective coating. The ferrule plate is secured between the VCSEL array and the ferrule body, and the ferrule plate includes a thickness sufficient to create a gap between each laser in the VCSEL array and the corresponding optical fiber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A termination ferrule, comprising:
a ferrule body including a plurality of bores extending from a fiber insertion end to a fiber alignment end of the ferrule body, the plurality of bores arranged to align with a pattern of lasers in a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array,
wherein each of the plurality of bores includes an entry diameter at the fiber insertion end sized for an optical fiber with a protective coating, an exit diameter at the fiber alignment end sized for a portion of the optical fiber without the protective coating, and a shoulder portion between the fiber insertion end to the fiber alignment end, and
wherein each of the plurality of bores receives an optical fiber secured therein such that an end of the portion of the optical fiber without the protective coating extends past the fiber alignment end; and

a ferrule plate including a plurality of holes, the plurality of holes arranged to align with the pattern of lasers in the VCSEL array, wherein a surface of each of the plurality of holes is polished,
wherein each of the plurality of holes receives the end of the portion of the optical fiber that extends past the fiber alignment end,
wherein the ferrule plate is secured between the VCSEL array and the ferrule body, and
wherein the ferrule plate includes a thickness sufficient to create an air gap, along a hole axis and within the polished surface, between each laser in the VCSEL array and a corresponding end of the portion of the optical fiber.

2. The termination ferrule of claim 1 , wherein the ferrule plate prevents crosstalk between the lasers in the VCSEL array when the ferrule plate is secured to the VCSEL array.

3. The termination ferrule of claim 1 , the ferrule body including at least 20 bores.

4. The termination ferrule of claim 1 , wherein the exit diameter is configured to receive a 125 micron diameter bare fiber.

5. The termination ferrule of claim 4 , wherein the entry diameter is configured to receive a 250 micron diameter coated fiber.

6. The termination ferrule of claim 1 , wherein a hole diameter of each of the plurality of holes is larger than the exit diameter and smaller than a diameter of the plurality of lasers in the VCSEL array.

7. The termination ferrule of claim 1 , the ferrule body further comprising a ceramic material or a titanium material.

8. The termination ferrule of claim 1 , the ferrule plate further comprising a ceramic material or a titanium material that is different than the material of the ferrule body.

9. The termination ferrule of claim 1 , wherein the ferrule plate is secured to the ferrule body by one or more screws, pins, rings, clips or latches.

10. A method, comprising:
obtaining a ferrule body of a termination ferrule with multiple bores extending from a fiber insertion end to a fiber alignment end of the ferrule body, the multiple bores corresponding to a pattern of lasers in a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array, wherein each of the multiple bores includes an entry diameter at the fiber insertion end sized for an optical fiber with a protective coating, an exit diameter at the fiber alignment end, sized for a portion of the optical fiber without the protective coating, and a shoulder portion between the fiber insertion end to the fiber alignment end;
removing the protective coating from an end of each of multiple optical fibers to expose a span of bare fiber for each of the multiple optical fibers;
inserting the end of each of the multiple optical fibers through a corresponding bore of the ferrule body;
securing each of the multiple optical fibers within each corresponding bore such that the end of the bare fiber of each of the multiple optical fibers extends out of each corresponding bore at the fiber alignment end of the ferrule body;
cutting the end of the bare fiber of each of the multiple optical fibers to a uniform length, such that the end of the bare fiber extends past the fiber alignment end;
attaching a ferrule plate of the termination ferrule to the fiber alignment end of the ferrule body, the ferrule plate including multiple holes that correspond to the pattern of lasers in the VCSEL array, wherein a surface of each of the multiple holes is polished, and wherein each of the multiple holes receives one of the ends of the bare fiber that extends past the fiber alignment end; and
connecting the ferrule plate to the VCSEL array so that each of the multiple holes is aligned with one of the lasers in the VCSEL array and so that an air gap, along a hole axis and within the polished surface, is present between the end of the bare fiber of each of the multiple optical fibers and one of the lasers.

11. The method of claim 10 , the cutting further comprising using a laser cutting technique to cut the end of the bare fiber of each of the multiple optical fibers while the end of the bare fiber extends out of the ferrule body.

12. The method of claim 10 , the attaching further comprising inserting each of the multiple optical fibers into a corresponding hole of the multiple holes, so that the cut end of the bare fiber extends partially into the corresponding hole of the multiple holes.

13. The method of claim 10 , the connecting further comprising:
attaching the ferrule body to the VCSEL array with the ferrule plate secured between the ferrule body and the VCSEL array.

14. The method of claim 10 , the connecting further comprising:
bringing the ferrule plate into contact with the VCSEL array so that light from each laser in the VCSEL array is isolated in a single hole of the ferrule plate.

15. The method of claim 10 , the removing including:
stripping a coating from each of the multiple optical fibers for a sufficient length to extend the bare fiber of the optical fibers through the ferrule body.

16. A fiber termination assembly, comprising:
a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array including multiple lasers in a particular two-dimensional array pattern;
multiple optical fibers, a number of the multiple optical fibers corresponding to a number of the multiple lasers;
a ferrule body including a plurality of bores extending from a fiber insertion end to a fiber alignment end of the ferrule body, the plurality of bores arranged to correspond to the particular two-dimensional array pattern,
wherein each of the plurality of bores includes an entry diameter at the fiber insertion end sized for an optical fiber with a protective coating, an exit diameter at the fiber alignment end sized for a portion of the optical fiber without the protective coating, and a shoulder portion between the fiber insertion end to the fiber alignment end, and
wherein each of the plurality of bores receives an optical fiber secured therein such that an end of the portion of the optical fiber without the protective coating extends past the fiber alignment end; and
a ferrule plate including a plurality of polished holes, the plurality of polished holes arranged to align with the particular two-dimensional array pattern,
wherein each of the plurality of polished holes receives the end of the portion of the optical fiber that extends past the fiber alignment end,
wherein the ferrule plate is secured between the VCSEL array and the ferrule body, and
wherein the ferrule plate includes a thickness sufficient to create an air gap, along a hole axis and within each of the plurality the polished holes, between each laser in the VCSEL array and the corresponding end of the portion of the optical fiber.

17. The fiber termination assembly of claim 16 , wherein

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Chen David Z

Classifications

• G02B6/3826

  characterised by form or shape · CPC title

• G02B6/4292 Primary

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

• G02B6/3855

  characterised by the method of anchoring or fixing the fibre within the ferrule (G02B6/3854 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/423

  using guiding surfaces for the alignment · CPC title

• G02B6/4228

  Passive alignment, i.e. without a detection of the degree of coupling or the position of the elements (G02B6/4234 takes precedence) · CPC title