Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an optical splice package for splicing together first and second optical fibers or first and second sets of optical fibers. The optical fibers have elastic bending characteristics. The splice package includes a splice housing including a mechanical alignment feature for co-axially aligning ends of the first and second optical fibers or sets of optical fibers within the splice housing. The splice housing contains adhesive for securing the ends of the first and second optical fibers or sets of optical fibers within the splice housing. The optical package has a weight less than a spring force corresponding to the elastic bending characteristics of the first and second optical fibers or sets of optical fibers.

Abstract: Integrated WDM mux/demux devices are disclosed. Some embodiments are directed to an in-line WDM mux/demux device formed with a substrate and a common port at a first side of the substrate and a plurality of separated wavelength ports at a second side of the substrate. The first side of the substrate is free of separated wavelength ports. Other embodiments are directed to a WDM mux/demux device in which a linear variable filter is disposed in the substrate for separating the signals in different channels. In other embodiments, the filter or filters are sandwiched between the edges of adjacent substrates, such that light propagating along a waveguide in one of the substrates is transmitted through the filter to a waveguide in the second substrate. The adjacent substrates may be mounted to a base substrate.

Abstract: A portable device for attaching a connector to an optical fiber, the optical fiber having an end, the device comprising means for receiving the optical fiber at the end of the optical fiber; and a connector station for autonomously attaching the connector to the optical fiber.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fiber optic assembly including a flexible substrate and a plurality of optical fibers having affixed segments bonded to the flexible substrate along fiber routing paths. The optical fibers having first ends positioned at route termination locations corresponding to optical connection locations. The fiber optic assembly also includes a planar lightguide circuit chip having lightguides optically connected to second ends of the optical fibers including a silicon substrate and a core layer supported by the silicon substrate. Optical signal paths are defined that extend continuously from the first ends of the optical fibers through the second ends of the optical fibers to the lightguides without any optical fiber splices being located along the optical signal paths. The optical device also includes a spring mounted to the planar lightguide circuit chip for biasing the optical fiber into the alignment groove.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an optical splice package for splicing together first and second optical fibers or first and second sets of optical fibers. The optical fibers have elastic bending characteristics. The splice package includes a splice housing including a mechanical alignment feature for co-axially aligning ends of the first and second optical fibers or sets of optical fibers within the splice housing. The splice housing contains adhesive for securing the ends of the first and second optical fibers or sets of optical fibers within the splice housing. The optical package has a weight less than a spring force corresponding to the elastic bending characteristics of the first and second optical fibers or sets of optical fibers.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to system and method for cleaning an end face of a bare optical fiber (100). The system and methods include inserting the end face of the bare optical fiber (100) through a layer of material (500) that includes electrospun fibers.

Abstract: An optical communications system includes a laser transmitter to generate an optical signal and a first optical fiber network coupled to transmit the optical signal from the laser transmitter system. A first latchable, asymmetric coupler is disposed along the first optical fiber network to receive the optical signal, and has a first tap output that receives a selected and alterable first fraction of the optical signal. A second latchable, asymmetric coupler is disposed along the first optical fiber network to receive the optical signal from the first latchable asymmetric coupler and has a second tap output that receives a selected and alterable second fraction of the optical signal incident at the second latchable. In certain embodiments the first and second couplers are capable of operating at any of at least three tapping fractions.

Abstract: Optical guiding elements are 3D printed on the ends of optical fibers. A multifiber connector includes fibers having 3D printed elements that are flush with the end face of the connector. The printed 3D element may be down-tapered for coupling between a single mode optical fiber and an optical chip waveguide. The cross-sectional shape of the 3D printed optical element may change along its length so as to more closely match to the mode field of a non-circular waveguide on the optical chip. The optical element may be printed with a gradient index. The optical element may be provided with an output face distal from the optical fiber that is not flat and which changes the divergence of the light passing therethrough.

Abstract: Telecommunications assemblies and modules incorporating demateable fiber optic connection interfaces for coupling non-ferrulized optical fibers.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to using a coating to protect a portion of an optical fiber that is intended to buckle within a fiber optic connector. The fiber optic connector can include a bare fiber optical connector.

Abstract: Optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) devices include an optical chip having a number of waveguides therein, with a common optical fiber and single wavelength channel optical fibers optically coupled to the waveguides. Wavelength sensitive filters are disposed between the chip and the fibers, or across waveguides within the chip to reflect light at certain wavelengths and to transmit light at other wavelengths. In sonic embodiments, all of the fibers are located at the same end of the chip, in others the common fiber is located at one side of the chip and the single channel fibers located at another side, while in others the common fiber is located at a first side of the chip and the single channel fibers are located either at the first side of the chip or at a second side of the chip.

Abstract: An optical device that includes a multicore optical fiber having at least two cores. An alignment feature is attached at the first end of the first multicore optical fiber. The device also includes a substrate having at least two waveguides, each waveguide comprising a redirecting feature. A fiber holder is located on the substrate to hold the multicore fiber in a correct axially rotational orientation using the alignment feature, so that light couples between the cores of the multicore fiber and respective waveguides in the substrate.

Abstract: Components and arrangements for managing wave division multiplexing (WDM) filters of fiber optic networks. A flexible a substrate is used to fix a fiber routing scheme that corresponds to a cascading arrangement of WDM filters. The WDM filters can be packaged as a standalone unit for easier handling and splicing of fiber pigtails to the pre-arranged fiber routing scheme.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a signal on an optical fiber includes a fiber optic connector having a housing couplable to a receptacle. An optical fiber that transmits a first optical signal has first fiber core at least partially surrounded by a cladding and has a first end terminating proximate the housing. The first optical signal is transmitted along the first fiber core. An optical tap has a first tap waveguide arranged and is configured to receive at least part of the first optical signal as a first tap signal. The first tap waveguide comprises an output port for the first tap signal for directing the tap signal to a detector unit. In other embodiments, a detector unit detects light from the optical signal that is propagating along the fiber cladding.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an optical splice package for splicing together first and second optical fibers or first and second sets of optical fibers. The optical fibers have elastic bending characteristics. The splice package includes a splice housing including a mechanical alignment feature for co-axially aligning ends of the first and second optical fibers or sets of optical fibers within the splice housing. The splice housing contains adhesive for securing the ends of the first and second optical fibers or sets of optical fibers within the splice housing. The optical package has a weight less than a spring force corresponding to the elastic bending characteristics of the first and second optical fibers or sets of optical fibers.

Abstract: An optical communications system includes a laser transmitter to generate an optical signal and a first optical fiber network coupled to transmit the optical signal from the laser transmitter system. A first latchable, asymmetric coupler is disposed along the first optical fiber network to receive the optical signal, and has a first tap output that receives a selected and alterable first fraction of the optical signal. A second latchable, asymmetric coupler is disposed along the first optical fiber network to receive the optical signal from the first latchable asymmetric coupler and has a second tap output that receives a selected and alterable second fraction of the optical signal incident at the second latchable. In certain embodiments the first and second couplers are capable of operating at any of at least three tapping fractions.

Abstract: An optical fiber connector includes a coupler having a waveguide section integrally formed with a fiber attachment section. At least one waveguide is disposed in the waveguide section and has a core dimension that is greater at the end of the waveguide at the fiber attachment section. The fiber attachment section has a first surface and at least one recess formed on the first surface for aligning one or more optical fibers with the at least one waveguide. In an optical fiber component, an optical substrate has a first end and a second end, and at least one waveguide input at the first end and at least one waveguide output at the second end. An integral input portion of the substrate at the first end has one or more input optical fiber alignment elements and an integral output portion of the substrate at the second end has one or more output optical fiber alignment elements. One or more input optical fibers are positioned in the one or more input optical fiber alignment elements.

Abstract: The invention relates to the fabrication of optical switches in transparent substrates. The method includes exposing part of the substrate to a stream of femtosecond laser pulses to form an exposed volume which can later be etched to form a channel used for microfluidic control of the switch. This process is referred to as femtosecond laser induced chemical etching (FLICE). The waveguides of the optical switch are also written in the substrate by using femtosecond laser inscription (FLI), which can be performed in the same operation as the exposure step in the FLICE formation of the channel, thus ensuring alignment between the waveguides and the channel.

Abstract: An optical communications system includes a laser transmitter to generate an optical signal and a first optical fiber network coupled to transmit the optical signal from the laser transmitter system. A first latchable, asymmetric coupler is disposed along the first optical fiber network to receive the optical signal, and has a first tap output that receives a selected and alterable first fraction of the optical signal. A second latchable, asymmetric coupler is disposed along the first optical fiber network to receive the optical signal from the first latchable asymmetric coupler and has a second tap output that receives a selected and alterable second fraction of the optical signal incident at the second latchable. In certain embodiments the first and second couplers are capable of operating at any of at least three tapping fractions.

Abstract: An optical fiber alignment mechanism (100) operates to align optical fibers (102). The mechanism can include a key element (120, 130) arranged on the cladding (112) of an optical fiber (102). The key element (120, 130) can engage with a corresponding element of another optical fiber (102) to align the cores (108) of the mating optical fibers. The key element (120) of an optical fiber (102) can also be inserted into a corresponding keyway (226) of a fiber alignment hole (222) of a ferrule (200) such that the optical fiber (102) is oriented properly within the ferrule (200).