A study on design and fabrication of self-aligned optical microconnectors for 2-dimensional parallel circuits

提出了一种新型的自对准光学元件和单模光纤阵列的方案，该方案由阵列置入式微连接器组成。我们制作了一个放入式微连接器，它由一个蚀刻的单模透镜插孔和一个光纤插头组成，通过自对准技术形成在平面微透镜基板上。研究了无精密机械对准条件下的光耦合特性。在这项研究中，我们的目标是实现多功能的光路使用这种把微型连接器阵列。因此，实现低损耗光纤连接器、建立自对准连接的评价方法、设计光连接模块并进行基础研究是本论文的主要研究内容。在633nm波长处，连接损耗小于5dB。此外，通过引入透镜插孔和光纤插头，发现连接损耗非常小。将平面微透镜假设为薄透镜，建立了光学自对准的评价方法。我们还估计了每个模块的损失。在不考虑连接角度和位置误差的情况下，半导体激光器与平面微透镜之间的距离约为15 μ m，平面微透镜与光纤之间的距离约为150 μ m，误差为1dB。我们发现置入式微连接器是一种较佳的降低球差的结构。因此，研制简单的光耦合器将成为先进的并行光纤通信的关键技术。

We have proposed a novel scheme of self-aliging optical components and single mode fiber arrays, which is composed of an array put-in microconnectors. We fabricated a put-in microconnector consisting of an etched single mode lens jack and an fiber plug formed on a planar microlens substrate by a self-aligning technique. Some optical coupling characteristics without precise mechanical alignment were investigated. In this study, we aim at the realization of multifunction optical circuits using this put-in microconnector array. Therefore, the realization of low loss fiber connector, the establishment of evaluation method of self-aligning connects, the design and fundamental study of optical connect module are the objectives of this study.We tried to connect self-alignment between a single mode fiber and a planar microlens. The loss of connection was less than 5dB at the wavelength of 633nm. Besides, it was found that the connection loss by introducing of the lens-jack and fiber-plug is very small. We established the evaluation method of optical self-alignment by assuming a planar microlens to a thin lens. We also estimated the loss of each module. If the fiber is connected to the semiconductor laser diode without the error of connection angle and position, the distance between the semiconductor laser diode and the planar microlens is about 15mum, the distance between the planar microlens and the fiber is about 150mum for the tolerance of 1dB.It is found that we cannot omit the influence of spherical aberration of planar microlens, by this analysis. We found that the put-in micro connector is suitable structure for decreasing this spherical aberration. Thus, it will be a key technology for simple optical couplers for the advanced parallel optical fiber communications.