Multigroove embossed-plastic splice connector for joining groups of optical fibers

Two-dimensionally arrayed optical-fiber splicing with a CO2 laser

The splicing of a bundle of optical fibers arrayed in a matrix form by using a CO(2) laser has been demonstrated. After end preparation of multimode graded-index fibers with a 60-microm core diameter and a 150-microm outer diameter, the fibers were aligned in an 8 x 3-layer matrix form so that their axes were parallel and their endfaces were in contact. Using a specially designed laser-beam focusing system, fusion splicing was carried out successively from the first to third layer. Each butted fiber pair on the layer was fusion spliced one after another by passing the fibers through the beam focal point of the CO(2) laser. The average splice loss for five trials of splicing (120 splices) was 0.18 dB, and this showed that repeated radiation of the CO(2) laser beam onto the optical fibers during splicing did not increase splice loss as long as the energy density to which spliced joints were exposed was lower than 5 x 10(2) W/cm(2).

Spring-retentive V-groove splice for joining groups of optical fibers

A multigroove splicing technique for optical fibers has been developed that employs V-grooves and individual springs. The springs retain fibers that are pressed into V-grooves. The splicing technique can automatically compensate for irregularity in the fiber ends by using a buckling phenomenon of optical fibers. With our experimental splice connector, irregularities of up to 200 not equalm can be evened out. Average splice loss was 0.12 dB, and the worst loss was 0.23 dB. This splicing technique has the additional benefit that a splice connector can be used repeatedly since no adhesives are applied.

End preparation and fusion splicing of an optical fiber array with a CO(2) laser

Mirror-finished end preparation and low-loss splicing of silica fiber arrays by means of a CO(2) laser are demonstrated. Eight-fiber linear arrays of multimode fibers with 60-microm core diam and 150-microm outer diam were laser scribed and fractured, then butted and spliced with 3.0-W laser power output, 1.0-mm beam-spot diam, and 15-microm/sec fiber array driving speed. Average splice losses for 20x splicings (160 splices) in step- and graded-index fibers were 0.12 db and 0.10 dB, respectively. The air bubbles sometimes observed at the splicing point in fusion splices were avoided by preparing fiber ends with a laser-scribing method.