Ferrule assembly
A process for preparing terminated fibers comprising: (a) positioning at least one fiber in a ferrule such that a portion of the fiber extends beyond the mating face of the ferrule; (b) affixing the fiber relative to the ferrule; and (c) cleaving the portion of the fiber.
1. A process for preparing a ferrule assembly for physical contact optical coupling, said process comprising:
(a) positioning at least one fiber having an end portion in a ferrule having an unpolished mating face such that said end portion extends beyond said unpolished mating face of said ferrule;
(b) after step (a), cleaving said end portion of said fiber;
(c) after step (b), affixing said fiber relative to said ferrule;
(d) after steps (b) and (c), assembling said ferrule assembly into an optical package; and
(e) optically coupling said ferrule assembly with an optical path of a mating component via physical contact without polishing said unpolished mating face and said fiber.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein step (c) is performed using laser cleaving.
3. The process of claim 2 , wherein step (b) is performed before step (c).
4. The process of claim 1 , wherein said mating face comprises a reflective material.
5. The process of claim 4 , wherein said reflective surface comprises copper.
6. A connector comprising the ferrule assembly of claim 1 .
7. The connector of claim 6 , wherein said connector establishes physical contact with a mating connector having a polished ferrule.
8. The connector of claim 7 , wherein said mating connector has an undercut fiber.
9. The connector of claim 6 , wherein said connector establishing physical contact with a mating connector having an unpolished ferrule.
10. The connector of claim 6 , wherein said ferrule assembly is biased forward with a force less than that required to deform said ferrule.
11. A process for preparing a ferrule assembly for physical contact optical coupling, said process comprising:
(a) positioning at least one fiber having an end portion in a ferrule having an unpolished mating face such that said end portion extends beyond said unpolished mating face of said ferrule;
(b) after step (a), affixing said fiber relative to said ferrule;
(c) after step (a), laser cleaving said end portion of said fiber using a combination of a laser and a convergent lens, said combination produces beam having an angle of convergence of β from the centerline of said beam and wherein said beam impinges on said portion at an angle α from the normal plane of said fiber and at a distance d o from said end face of said ferrule, wherein d o is about 0;
(d) after steps (b) and (c), assembling said ferrule assembly into an optical package; and
(e) optically coupling said ferrule assembly with an optical path of a mating component via physical contact without polishing said unpolished mating face and said fiber.
12. The process of claim 11 , wherein said ferrule has a shaped mating face having angle φ from the normal plane of said fiber, and wherein φα+β.
13. The process of claim 11 , wherein α>β.
14. The process of claim 11 , wherein said beam impinges the fiber at an angle θ from the normal plane of the fiber and wherein angles θ and α are measured perpendicular to each other.
15. The process of claim 14 , wherein θ>0.
16. The process of claim 14 , wherein θ is about 7.
17. The process of claim 14 , wherein θ is about 0.
18. A process for preparing terminated fibers comprising:
(a) positioning at least one fiber in a ferrule such that a portion of said fiber extends beyond the mating face of the ferrule;
(b) after step (a), cleaving said portion of said fiber;
(c) after step (b), moving said fiber backward relative to said ferrule such that said fiber protrudes from the mating face by a distance d f ; and
(d) after step (c), affixing said fiber relative to said ferrule.
19. The process of claim 18 , wherein after (b) said fiber protrudes a distance d o from said end face of said ferrule, wherein d o >0.3 mm.
20. The process of claim 18 , wherein moving said fiber backward relative to said ferrule comprises pressing said end face with said fiber protruding therefrom against a surface to thereby push said fiber backward relative to said ferrule.
21. The process of claim 20 , wherein d f =0.
22. The process of claim 20 , wherein said end face is pushed against said surface at an angle such that said mating face is not flush with said surface, thereby d f >0.
23. The process of claim 18 , wherein d f >0.