Optical component for optical communication

Abstract

Provided is an optical component for optical communication which is capable of suitably accepting a request to reduce a size, resisting a thermal expansion coefficient difference between constituent elements, and adjusting incident and exit modes relative to an end of an optical fiber to thereby constantly attain optical characteristics which correspond to the request. The optical component includes a fiber holding member (3) holding an optical fiber (2), and a lens (4) which is located on an optical path extending from an end of the optical fiber (2) and attached to the fiber holding member (3). A flat portion (4a) formed in a rear end of the lens (4) is bonded to be fixed to a flat portion (6a) of an end of the fiber holding member (3) such that the flat portion (4a) of the lens (4) is opposed to the end of the optical fiber (2). A gap is provided between the flat portion (4a) of the lens (4) and the end (2a) of the optical fiber (2).

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to an optical component for optical communication, and, more specifically, the present invention relates to a technique for properly fixing a lens to an optical fiber holding member for holding an optical fiber. Background technique [0002] In the field of optical communication, it is known that an optical module is frequently used, which includes, for example, a semiconductor light-emitting element like a laser diode, a semiconductor light-receiving element like a photodiode, and an optical fiber, and these elements interact with each other. Optically combined. A component widely used to construct this optical module or another optical module similar thereto is an optical component for optical communication, which includes: an optical fiber holding member for holding an optical fiber in an inner hole; and a lens, It is located on the optical path extending from the end of the optical fiber and is connected to the above-...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Therefore, due to the fact that each constituent element cannot be reduced in size, the amount of expansion or contraction of each constituent element significantly changes under the effect of temperature changes during use of the optical collimator, which causes optical characteristic deviation

In particular, when stress is concentrated on each of the lenses 4X, 4Y, and 4Z due to a difference in coefficient of thermal expansion, such a problem occurs that a deviation in optical characteristics including a refractive index and light dispersion occurs. An increase in the number of issues leading to a decrease in the stability of the optical system

According to this configuration, for example, in the case of an optical component for optical communication whose optical characteristics are significantly affected by the outgoing mode of light output from the end of the optical fiber and the incident mode of light incident on the end of the optical fiber, as in the case of the above-mentioned light The input and output modes of the light incident on and output from the end of the fiber cannot be adjusted at all, as represented by the collimator

Therefore, it is impossible to (finely) adjust the optical characteristics to have desired characteristics when the optical fiber and the lens are combined with each other or after the optical fiber and the lens are combined with each other, even if there is such a need

Therefore, a slight deviation or the like is caused in the optical characteristics, which causes a serious problem that an optical component for optical communication that cannot obtain the desired optical characteristics must be used without any adjustment, or such an optical component must be discarded as useless

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