Injection molded plastic multifiber connector realizing physical contact with fiber elasticity

Author

Kobayashi, Masaru ; Yoshida, Takashi ; Asakawa, Shuichiro ; Iwano, Shin Ichi ; Nagase, Ryo ; Sumida, S. ; Mitachi, Seiko

Author_Institution

NTT Photonic Lab., Ibaraki, Japan

Volume

5

Issue

5

fYear

1999

Firstpage

1271

Lastpage

1277

Abstract

We have proposed and demonstrated a fiber physical contact connector. This connector aligns multiple bare fibers in microholes individually and realizes physical contact by using the buckling force of the fibers themselves. The prototype is injection molded plastic and has a size of 7×24×3 mm for 8 fibers at a 0.25-mm pitch. The average insertion and return losses for single-mode fibers are under 0.2 dB and over 60 dB. These losses are stable in environmental tests

Keywords

environmental testing; moulding; optical fibre couplers; optical fibre fabrication; optical fibre losses; optical fibre testing; optical interconnections; optical polymers; plastics; 0.2 dB; 24 mm; 3 mm; 60 dB; 7 mm; average insertion losses; environmental tests; fiber elasticity; fiber physical contact connector; injection molded plastic; injection molded plastic multifiber connector; microholes; multiple bare fibers; optical fibre connector alignment; optical fibre testing; physical contact; return losses; single-mode fibers; Connectors; Contacts; Elasticity; Insertion loss; Optical fiber testing; Optical fibers; Optical interconnections; Optical losses; Optical refraction; Plastics;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1077-260X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/2944.806752

Filename

806752