Lens-free optical fiber connector having a long working distance assisted by matched long-period fiber gratings

Optical fiber connectors that had a long working distance and wide alignment tolerance were implemented by utilizing long-period fiber gratings (LPGs) written in double-cladding fiber. The power coupling between two separated pieces of fiber was accomplished through the inner cladding modes of both fibers. Assisted by the LPGs, approximately 450 μm was achieved for a 1-dB working distance, as well as about 3 mm of 3-dB working distance. When the separation between two fiber tips was 1.5 mm, the 3-dB lateral tolerance was measured to be about 30 μm, which was five times better than was the case when not utilizing the LPGs. By using the inner cladding mode of a dispersion-compensating fiber, it was possible to implement a fiber connector that was insensitive to the perturbations at the cladding surface of the fiber. The total insertion loss of the device at the maximum coupling was 2.06 dB, from which the loss purely induced by inserting the fiber gratings was analyzed to be smaller than 0.9 dB. The experimental results show strong feasibility for implementing a simple and cost-effective fiber connector that does not require any bulk optic elements.