Multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device and optical waveguide module and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device and an optical waveguide module and a manufacturing method. The multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device comprises a multi-core fiber, a tapered fiber and an optical waveguide module. The multi-core fiber comprises a cladding and a plurality of fiber cores. The tapered fiber comprises a tapered sleeve and a plurality of single-core fibers. The sleeve is sleeved on the plurality of single-core fibers. The optical waveguide module is arranged between the multi-core fiber and the tapered fiber. The optical waveguide module further comprises a body and a plurality of tapered optical waveguide channels. Each of the tapered optical waveguide channels is provided with a first connecting end face and a second connecting end face. The first connecting end face of the tapered optical waveguide channel is connected with the corresponding fiber core, and the second connecting end face is connected with the corresponding single-core fiber. The multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device is simple to operate and suitable for mass production.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device and its optical waveguide module and manufacturing method. BACKGROUND

[0002] In a space division multiplexing system, a multi-core fiber (MCF) breaks the record of the transmission capacity of traditional single-core fibers and plays an important role in the front-end transmission of 5G, data centers and passive optical networks, however, in the practical application of multi-core fibers, a fan-in fan-out coupling device is needed to realize low-loss and low-crosstalk high-quality coupling between multi-core fibers and single-core fibers.

[0003] At present, the manufacturing methods of multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out devices mainly include the following:

[0004] Firstly, the tapering technology, for example, a single-core fiber bundle is tapered and then fused with a multi-core fiber, this method is simple to operate, but it is difficult to realize the mode field matching of the fiber and the fusion loss is high. Or, the cladding of multiple single-core fibers is first etched, then inserted into a glass sleeve for tapering, and finally fused with a multi-core fiber. Or, the reverse tapering technology, the multi-core fiber is tapered in reverse, the single-core fiber bundle is tapered in forward, and finally the tapered multi-core fiber is fused with the single-core fiber bundle, this method requires high tapering process and is difficult to mass-produce.

[0005] Secondly, the fiber bundle method, first etching the outer diameter of multiple single-core fibers, then arranging the single-core fibers according to the structure of the multi-core fiber to prepare a single-core fiber bundle, and finally completing the fusion butt joint of the multi-core fiber and the single-core fiber bundle, this method needs to be consistent with the core spacing of the multi-core fiber when etching the cladding of the single-core fiber, and the arrangement of the single-core fiber also needs high precision, therefore, it has the disadvantages of complex process and difficult operation.

[0006] Thirdly, the free space light method and the three-dimensional integrated waveguide method, the free space light method uses lenses and other optical elements to realize the coupling of the multi-core fiber and multiple single-core fibers, however, the optical path is complex and the stability and precision of the optical elements and adjustment frame are required to be high. The waveguide method is to guide the light of the multi-core fiber out to the single-core fiber through a three-dimensional optical waveguide, for example, a three-dimensional waveguide chip is used to convert the two-dimensional arrangement of the multi-core fiber head into a one-dimensional array, and then coupled with a single-core fiber array, the operation is relatively complex. SUMMARY

[0007] In view of the above problems, the purpose of the present application is to provide an improved multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device and its optical waveguide module.

[0008] The present application also provides a manufacturing method of the multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device.

[0009] The first aspect of the present application provides a multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device, comprising a multi-core fiber and a tapered fiber, the multi-core fiber comprising a cladding and a plurality of fiber cores arranged in the cladding, the tapered fiber comprising a plurality of single-core fibers and a tapered sleeve, the sleeve being arranged on the plurality of single-core fibers, the multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device further comprising an optical waveguide module, the optical waveguide module being arranged between the multi-core fiber and the tapered fiber, the optical waveguide module comprising a body and a plurality of parallelly arranged tapered optical waveguide channels arranged in the body, each of the tapered optical waveguide channels having a first connecting end face and a second connecting end face, the cross-sectional area of the tapered optical waveguide channel gradually decreasing from the first connecting end face to the second connecting end face, the tapered optical waveguide channel being formed by photoresist after curing, the fiber core, the tapered optical waveguide channel and the single-core fiber corresponding to each other, the first connecting end face of the tapered optical waveguide channel being connected to the corresponding fiber core, and the second connecting end face being connected to the corresponding single-core fiber.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the first connecting end face and the fiber core are connected after being coated with ultraviolet glue and cured, and the second connecting end face and the single-core fiber are connected after being coated with ultraviolet glue and cured.

[0011] In a more preferred embodiment, the photoresist is injected into the body material in a flowable state along a desired path, and the body embedded with the plurality of tapered optical waveguide channels is formed after curing.

[0012] Further, the body is made of glass or polymer. The polymer includes but is not limited to photocuring resin, and can also be selected from polyolefins. The refractive index of the body material should be less than the refractive index of the tapered optical waveguide channel.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the first connecting end face is exposed from one side surface of the body, and the second connecting end face is exposed from another side surface of the body.

[0014] Preferably, the ratio of the length of the tapered optical waveguide channel to the first connecting end face and the second connecting end face is greater than 10:1, respectively.

[0015] Preferably, the body and the tapered optical waveguide channel are integrated.

[0016] The second aspect of the present application provides the above-mentioned optical waveguide module. The optical waveguide module comprises a body and a plurality of parallelly arranged tapered optical waveguide channels arranged in the body, each of the tapered optical waveguide channels having a first connecting end face and a second connecting end face, the cross-sectional area of the tapered optical waveguide channel gradually decreasing from the first connecting end face to the second connecting end face, the tapered optical waveguide channel being formed by photoresist after curing.

[0017] Preferably, the photoresist is injected into the body material in a flowable state along a desired path, and after solidification forms the body with the plurality of tapered optical waveguide channels embedded therein.

[0018] Preferably, the optical waveguide module is prepared by the following method:

[0019] A photoresin is injected into the body material in a flowable state (e.g. a glass in a molten state, or a gelatinous photo-curable resin that has not yet solidified) along a desired path and speed, and the body material and the photoresin are solidified to form the optical waveguide module.

[0020] The photoresin can be injected into the body material by a syringe.

[0021] The body can be solidified by cooling, or solidified by light.

[0022] The photoresin is injected along a straight path, and the injection speed is linearly decreased, thereby forming a tapered structure.

[0023] A third aspect of the present application provides a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device, comprising the following steps:

[0024] (1) injecting a photoresin into the body material in a flowable state along a desired path and speed, and solidifying the body material and the photoresin to form the optical waveguide module;

[0025] (2) connecting the multi-core fiber and the tapered fiber through the optical waveguide module, wherein the first connecting end face of the tapered optical waveguide channel of the optical waveguide module and the fiber core of the multi-core fiber are connected correspondingly, and the second connecting end face and the single-core fiber of the tapered fiber are connected correspondingly.

[0026] Preferably, in step (1), the injection port is inserted into one side of the body material, and is moved from one side to the other side while injecting, and the moving speed of the injection port is gradually decreased to form a tapered optical waveguide channel with gradually increasing cross-sectional area.

[0027] More preferably, in step (1), the body material is a photo-curable resin, and after injection, the body material and the photoresin are solidified by light to form the body and the tapered optical waveguide channel embedded in the body, respectively, and the ratio of the length of the tapered optical waveguide channel to the first connecting end face and the second connecting end face is greater than 10:1, respectively.

[0028] Preferably, the tapering optical fiber is prepared by the following steps: stripping the coating layer of a plurality of single-core optical fibers, inserting the plurality of single-core optical fibers into a sleeve according to the arrangement of the fiber cores of the multi-core optical fiber, heating and melting, tapering to both sides until the diameter of the middle part of the single-core fiber bundle is equal to the set diameter, and cutting the melted single-core fiber bundle at the middle part;

[0029] In step (2), the optical waveguide module is placed on the fixed base, the multi-core optical fiber is loaded into the first clamp and placed on the left adjusting rack, the tapering optical fiber is loaded into the second clamp and placed on the right adjusting rack, the multi-core optical fiber, the tapering optical waveguide channel and the tapering optical fiber are aligned, and the optical curing glue is applied at the connection between the first connecting end face of the tapering optical waveguide channel and the multi-core optical fiber and the connection between the first connecting end face and the tapering optical fiber, and then the optical curing is performed.

[0030] The above scheme is adopted in the present application, and the present application has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0031] The multi-core optical fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device of the present application can realize the alignment coupling of the multi-core optical fiber and the plurality of single-core optical fibers through the one-to-one correspondence connection of the fiber cores of the multi-core optical fiber and the plurality of single-core optical fibers through the tapering optical waveguide channels of the optical waveguide module, which reduces the preparation difficulty, improves the precision, has low loss, solves the mode field mismatching problem during coupling, and is suitable for batch production.

[0032] The manufacturing method of the present application injects photoresist into the bulk material to form an optical waveguide module embedded with a plurality of tapering optical waveguide channels, thereby realizing the alignment coupling of the multi-core optical fiber and the plurality of single-core optical fibers, which has low preparation difficulty and high coupling precision, does not need to chemically etch the cladding layer of the single-core optical fiber, and is suitable for batch production. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed in the embodiment description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0034] Figure 1 It is a connection diagram of the multi-core optical fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0035] Figure 2 It is a preparation diagram of the tapering optical fiber.

[0036] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional diagram of the multi-core optical fiber.

[0037] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional diagram of the tapering optical fiber.

[0038] Figure 5 A perspective view of an optical waveguide module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 6 A schematic view of a first clamp;

[0040] Figure 7 A schematic view of a second clamp;

[0041] Figure 8 A flow chart of a manufacturing method of a multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 9 A flow chart of a manufacturing method of a multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] wherein,

[0044] 1. Multi-core fiber; 11. Cladding; 12. Fiber core;

[0045] 2. Optical waveguide module; 21. Body; 22. Tapered optical waveguide channel; 221. First connecting end face; 222. Second connecting end face;

[0046] 3. Tapered fiber; 31. Ferrule; 32. Single-core fiber; 321. Core; 322. Coating;

[0047] 4. First clamp; 5. Second clamp; 51. Upper clamp; 52. Lower clamp. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The preferred embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, so that the advantages and features of the present application can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art. It is noted that the description of the embodiments is for the purpose of helping understand the present application, but does not constitute a limitation of the present application.

[0049] Referring to Figures 1 to 7 The present embodiment provides a multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device, which includes a multi-core fiber 1, an optical waveguide module 2 and a tapered fiber 3, wherein the optical waveguide module 2 is arranged between the multi-core fiber 1 and the tapered fiber 3.

[0050] Further, as Figure 3As shown, the multi-core optical fiber 1 includes a cladding 11 and a plurality of optical fiber cores 12 arranged in the cladding 11, and there are a plurality of independent optical fiber cores 12 in the same cladding 11. Each optical fiber core 12 is an optical waveguide, that is, the function of one optical fiber core 12 is equivalent to that of a single-core optical fiber 32, and the multi-core optical fiber 1 has the advantages of low cost and high integration density of cabling. If the core distance is far, that is, the structure does not produce optical coupling, since the unit area integration density of the transmission line can be improved, in optical communication, such an optical fiber can be made into a ribbon optical cable with a plurality of cores. The number of optical fiber cores 12 can be 4-32 according to actual needs, and in the embodiment, the number of optical fiber cores 12 is 7. The core diameter of the optical fiber core 12 is 8 μm, the core spacing is 41 μm, and the cladding diameter is 150 μm.

[0051] The tapered optical fiber 3 includes a tapered sleeve 31 and a plurality of single-core optical fibers 32, and the sleeve 31 is sleeved on the plurality of single-core optical fibers 32. The core diameter of each single-core optical fiber 32 is 8.3 μm, and the cladding diameter is 125 μm. The sleeve 31 is specifically a quartz glass tube, which can be subjected to a tapering process, such as Figure 2 As shown, the middle part of the sleeve 31 becomes thin after tapering. As shown in Figure 4 As shown, each single-core optical fiber 32 can be used as an independent optical fiber, and each single-core optical fiber 32 has a core and a coating layer covering the core.

[0052] The optical waveguide module 2 further includes a body 21 and a plurality of parallel arranged tapered optical waveguide channels 22 arranged in the body 21, wherein the body 21 is made of glass, crystal or polymer, each tapered optical waveguide channel 22 has a first connecting end face 221 and a second connecting end face 222, the cross-sectional area of the tapered optical waveguide channel 22 gradually decreases from the first connecting end face 221 to the second connecting end face 222, the first connecting end face 221 is exposed from one side surface of the body 21, and the second connecting end face 222 is exposed from the other side surface of the body 21. The shape of the optical waveguide module 2 is a cube with a side length of 260 μm, and the core diameter of the second connecting end face 222 is 2.7 μm.

[0053] Further, the tapered optical waveguide channels 22 are formed by the photoresist after curing. The photoresist is injected into the body material in a flowable state according to the intended path (for example, a straight line from the right side to the left side of the body), and after curing, the body 21 embedded with the plurality of tapered optical waveguide channels 22 is formed. Specifically, the photoresist is injected into the body material, thereby changing the refractive index and structure of the material, and by changing the trajectory and speed of injecting the photoresist, the structure and core diameter of the optical waveguide channel can be changed, so that the optical waveguide channel is similar to a pyramid, that is, the tapered optical waveguide channels 22 are formed inside the material. The core diameter of the first connecting end surface 221 of the tapered optical waveguide channels 22 and the arrangement manner correspond to the optical fiber cores 12, and the core diameter of the second connecting end surface 222 and the arrangement manner correspond to the single-core optical fibers 32. The optical fiber cores 12 and the first connecting end surface 221 of each core mode field match, thereby reducing the inter-core crosstalk and connection loss during coupling. The arrangement of the single-core optical fibers 32 needs to be consistent with the arrangement manner of the optical fiber cores 12, so that the single-core optical fibers 32 can be aligned and coupled with the second connecting end surface 222.

[0054] Referring to Figure 1 As shown, the optical fiber cores 12, the tapered optical waveguide channels 22, and the single-core optical fibers 32 correspond one by one, the first connecting end surface 221 of the tapered optical waveguide channels 22 is connected with the corresponding optical fiber core 12, and the second connecting end surface 222 is connected with the corresponding single-core optical fiber 32. Further, the first connecting end surface 221 and the optical fiber core 12 are connected after being coated with ultraviolet glue and cured, and the second connecting end surface 222 and the single-core optical fiber 32 are connected after being coated with ultraviolet glue and cured.

[0055] Referring to Figure 8 As shown, the embodiment also provides a manufacturing method of the multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device, including the following steps:

[0056] S1, the material of the body 21 is in a flowable state, the photoresist is injected into the material of the body 21 according to the set path and speed, and the material of the body 21 and the photoresist are cured to form the optical waveguide module 2;

[0057] S2, the tapered fiber 3 is prepared;

[0058] S3, the multi-core fiber 1 and the tapered fiber 3 are connected through the optical waveguide module 2, wherein the first connecting end surface 221 of the tapered optical waveguide channel 22 of the optical waveguide module 2 is connected with the optical fiber core 12 of the multi-core fiber 1 in correspondence, and the second connecting end surface 222 is connected with the single-core optical fiber 32 of the tapered fiber 3 in correspondence.

[0059] In step S1, the glue injection port is inserted into one side of the material of the body 21, the glue is injected while moving from one side of the body 21 to the other side, and the moving speed of the glue injection port is gradually reduced, so as to form the tapered optical waveguide channels 2 with gradually increasing cross-sectional areas.

[0060] In step S1, the material of the body 21 is a light-cured resin. After the glue injection, the material of the body 21 and the photoresist are subjected to light curing to form the body 21 and the tapered optical waveguide channel 22 embedded in the body 21, respectively. The length of the tapered optical waveguide channel 22 is greater than 10:1 with respect to the first connecting end face 221 and the second connecting end face 222, respectively. The first connecting end face 221 is connected to the optical fiber core 12 of the multicore optical fiber 1, and the second connecting end face 222 is connected to the single-core optical fiber 32 of the tapered fiber 3. The prepared multicore optical fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device is simple to prepare, has low loss, high precision, and low cost, and has other advantages.

[0061] In step S3, the optical waveguide module 2 is placed on the fixed base, the multicore optical fiber 1 is loaded into the first clamp 4 and placed on the left adjusting rack, the tapered fiber 3 is loaded into the second clamp 5 and placed on the right adjusting rack, the multicore optical fiber 1, the tapered optical waveguide channel 22 and the tapered fiber 3 are aligned, and the light-cured glue is applied at the connection between the first connecting end face 221 of the tapered optical waveguide channel 22 and the multicore optical fiber 1 and at the connection between the first connecting end face 221 and the tapered fiber 3, and then light curing is performed.

[0062] More specifically, the first clamp 4 is a cuboid with a length of 5 mm, a width of 2 mm, and a height of 2 mm, and the middle hole has a diameter of about 265 μm. The second clamp 5 is a cuboid with a length of 5 mm, a width of 2 mm, and a height of 2 mm, and the hole has a diameter of about 380 μm. The second clamp 5 is divided into an upper clamp 51 and a lower clamp 52 for easy removal after curing.

[0063] In combination with FIGS. 1-3, Figure 2 and Figure 9 As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the tapered fiber 3 is prepared by the following steps: S201, stripping the coating layer of the plurality of single-core optical fibers; S202, inserting the plurality of single-core optical fibers into the sleeve according to the arrangement mode of the optical fiber cores of the multicore optical fiber; S203, heating and melting, and tapering to both sides until the diameter of the middle part of the single-core fiber bundle is equal to the set diameter; and S204, cutting the single-core fiber bundle after melting and tapering at the middle part. Specifically, the coating layer 322 of the plurality of single-core optical fibers 32 is stripped, the plurality of single-core optical fibers 32 are inserted into the glass capillary according to the arrangement mode of the optical fiber cores 12 of the multicore optical fiber 1, the number of the single-core optical fibers 32 is the same as the number of the optical fiber cores 12 of the multicore optical fiber 1, the arranged single-core fiber bundle is heated and melted, and tapering to both sides until the diameter of the middle part of the single-core fiber bundle is equal to the set diameter 2R', the single-core fiber bundle after melting and tapering is cut at the center, and the cross-sectional core diameter and the arrangement mode of the single-core fiber bundle are consistent with the end core diameter and the arrangement mode of the tapered optical waveguide 22.

[0064] Further, the number of single-core optical fibers 32 is the same as the number of optical fiber cores 12, the diameter of the single-core optical fiber bundle at the middle part is 123-125 μm, the single-core optical fiber bundle is cut at the middle part after the fusion taper, the core diameter and arrangement of the cross section of the single-core optical fiber bundle are consistent with the core diameter and arrangement of the second connecting end face 22, so that the single-core optical fiber bundle is matched with each core mode field of the second connecting end face 22, and the inter-core crosstalk and connection loss during coupling are reduced. The single-core optical fiber is an optical fiber that can only transmit one mode, the inter-mode dispersion is very small, but there is material dispersion and waveguide dispersion.

[0065] The manufacturing method of the multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device of the embodiment aims to reduce the insertion loss and inter-core crosstalk caused by the mismatch of the mode fields of the multi-core fiber 1 and the single-core optical fiber 32 during coupling. The connection method of the multi-core fiber 1, the optical waveguide module 2 and the tapered optical fiber 3 of the present application is as follows: a six-dimensional optical adjustment system is set, the alignment of the three is observed, the multi-core fiber 1, the optical waveguide module 2 and the tapered optical fiber 3 are fixed, the first connecting end face 221 and the second connecting end face 222 are cleaned and placed on the fixed base of the six-dimensional optical adjustment system, the first connecting end 221 is set on the left side, and the second connecting end face 222 is set on the right side. Then the multi-core fiber 1 is inserted into the first clamp 4 and placed on the six-dimensional optical adjustment rack on the side of the first connecting end face 221, and aligned with the probe head of the optical power meter, the tapered optical fiber 3 is placed on the groove of the lower clamp 52, then the clamp 51 is covered and fixed, then the second clamp 5 is placed on the six-dimensional optical adjustment rack on the side of the second connecting end face 222, and connected to the laser source. Then, the alignment of the three is observed by CCD, the six-dimensional optical adjustment racks on both sides are adjusted constantly, so that the insertion loss value of the optical power meter reaches the preset value. Finally, the ultraviolet glue is coated at the connection between the multi-core fiber 1 and the first connecting end face 221, and the ultraviolet glue is coated at the connection between the second connecting end face 222 and the tapered optical fiber 3, then the ultraviolet light is irradiated to make the ultraviolet glue solidify, after complete solidification, the first clamp 4 and the second clamp 5 are removed respectively, and the multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device is formed.

[0066] The multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device based on the tapered optical fiber and the tapered optical waveguide of the embodiment aims to reduce the insertion loss and inter-core crosstalk when the multi-core fiber 1 and the plurality of single-core fibers 32 are coupled. The tapered optical waveguide is prepared by the glue injection method. The glue is injected into the material, such as glass, crystal and polymer, so as to change the refractive index and structure of the material. The structure and core diameter of the light guide channel can be changed by changing the trajectory and speed of the glue injection, and the light channel is similar to a pyramid. Then, a plurality of light guide channels are formed in the tapered optical waveguide. The core diameter and arrangement mode of one end of the tapered optical waveguide are consistent with the structure of the multi-core fiber, and the core diameter of the other end reaches the preset value 2R. Then, the single-core fiber bundle is prepared according to the arrangement mode of the multi-core fiber core, and is fused and tapered. The waist diameter of the tapered body reaches the preset diameter 2R'. The single-core fiber bundle is vertically cut at the center. Finally, one end of the optical waveguide channel is connected with the multi-core fiber 1, and the other end is connected with the single-core fiber bundle after the fusion and tapering, so as to form the multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out device which is relatively simple to prepare.

[0067] The alignment coupling of the multi-core fiber 1 and the plurality of single-core fibers 32 can be realized, and the alignment coupling is realized in the cold connection mode, which has the advantages of simple operation, high precision and low loss. Compared with other methods for preparing the single-core fiber bundle by chemical corrosion, the method of the embodiment does not need to chemically corrode the cladding of the single-core fiber, which reduces the preparation difficulty and improves the precision. Moreover, the core diameters and arrangement modes of the two ends of the tapered optical waveguide are consistent with the core diameters and arrangement modes of the multi-core fiber 1 and the single-core fiber bundle, respectively, which solves the problem of mode field mismatching during the coupling and is suitable for mass production.

[0068] As shown in the specification and claims, the terms "comprise" and "include" only indicate the inclusion of the steps and elements explicitly identified, and the steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list. The term "and / or" used herein includes any combination of one or more related listed items.

[0069] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, when a certain feature is referred to as "fixed" or "connected" to another feature, it can be directly fixed or connected to the other feature, or indirectly fixed or connected to the other feature. In addition, the up, down, left, right and other descriptions used in the present application are only relative to the relative positions of the components of the present application in the drawings, which can be referred to the drawings Figure 1 .

[0070] It can be further understood that "multiple" in the present disclosure means two or more, and other quantifiers are similar. The "and / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can mean that A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone.

[0071] It is further to be understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to describe various information, but the information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other, and do not indicate a particular order or importance. In fact, the expressions "first", "second", etc. can be used interchangeably. For example, the first information can also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information can also be referred to as the first information without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0072] The above embodiments are only to illustrate the technical concept and characteristics of the present application, and are a preferred embodiment, the purpose of which is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present application and to implement it, and cannot limit the protection scope of the present application. Any equivalent transformation or modification made in accordance with the principles of the present application should be covered within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A multicore fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device comprising a multicore fiber and a tapered fiber, the multicore fiber comprising a cladding and a plurality of fiber cores disposed within the cladding, the tapered fiber comprising a tapered jacket and a plurality of single core fibers, the jacket being jacketed over the plurality of single core fibers, characterized in that: The multi-core fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device further comprises an optical waveguide module arranged between the multi-core fiber and the tapered fiber, the optical waveguide module comprising a body and a plurality of parallel arranged tapered optical waveguide channels arranged in the body, each of the tapered optical waveguide channels having a first connecting end face and a second connecting end face, the cross-sectional area of the tapered optical waveguide channel gradually decreasing from the first connecting end face to the second connecting end face, the tapered optical waveguide channel being formed by a photoresist after curing, the photoresist being injected into the body material in a flowable state along a desired path, and the body being formed after curing with the plurality of tapered optical waveguide channels embedded therein, wherein a glue injection port is inserted into one side of the body material, the glue injection port is moved from one side of the body to the other side while injecting glue, and the moving speed of the glue injection port is gradually reduced to form a tapered optical waveguide channel with gradually increasing cross-sectional area; the optical fiber core, the tapered optical waveguide channel and the single-core fiber correspond one-to-one, the first connecting end face of the tapered optical waveguide channel is connected with the corresponding optical fiber core, the second connecting end face is connected with the corresponding single-core fiber of the tapered fiber, the area of the first connecting end face is larger than the area of the second connecting end face, and the thinner end of the tapered fiber is connected with the optical waveguide module.

2. The multicore fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first connecting end face and the optical fiber core are connected after being coated with ultraviolet glue and cured, and the second connecting end face and the single-core fiber are connected after being coated with ultraviolet glue and cured.

3. The multicore fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device of claim 1, wherein, The body is made of glass or polymer.

4. The multicore fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device of claim 1, wherein, The first connecting end face is exposed from one side surface of the body, and the second connecting end face is exposed from the other side surface of the body.

5. An optical waveguide module, characterized by, The optical waveguide module comprises a body and a plurality of parallel arranged tapered optical waveguide channels arranged in the body, each of the tapered optical waveguide channels having a first connecting end face and a second connecting end face, the cross-sectional area of the tapered optical waveguide channel gradually decreasing from the first connecting end face to the second connecting end face, the tapered optical waveguide channel being formed by a photoresist after curing, the photoresist being injected into the body material in a flowable state along a desired path, and the body being formed after curing with the plurality of tapered optical waveguide channels embedded therein, wherein a glue injection port is inserted into one side of the body material, the glue injection port is moved from one side of the body to the other side while injecting glue, and the moving speed of the glue injection port is gradually reduced to form a tapered optical waveguide channel with gradually increasing cross-sectional area.

6. A method of manufacturing a multicore fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by, The method comprises the following steps: (1) The material of the body is in a flowable state, the photoresist is injected into the material of the body along a set path and speed, and the material of the body and the photoresist are cured to form the optical waveguide module; (2) The multi-core fiber and the tapered fiber are connected through the optical waveguide module, wherein the first connecting end face of the tapered optical waveguide channel of the optical waveguide module is connected with the optical fiber core of the multi-core fiber in correspondence, and the second connecting end face is connected with the single-core fiber of the tapered fiber in correspondence; In step (1), the glue injection port is inserted into one side of the material of the body, and moves from one side to the other side of the body while injecting glue, and the moving speed of the glue injection port is gradually reduced to form a tapered optical waveguide channel with gradually increasing cross-sectional area.

7. The method of manufacturing a multicore fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device according to claim 6, wherein In step (1), the material of the body is photocurable resin, and after the glue injection, the material of the body and the photoresist are subjected to light curing to form the body and the tapered optical waveguide channel embedded in the body, respectively.

8. The method of manufacturing a multicore fiber fan-in fan-out coupling device according to claim 6, wherein The tapered fiber is prepared by the following steps: stripping the coating layer of a plurality of single-core optical fibers, inserting the plurality of single-core optical fibers into the sleeve according to the arrangement mode of the fiber cores of the multicore optical fiber, heating and melting, tapering to both sides until the diameter of the middle part of the single-core fiber bundle is equal to the set diameter, and cutting the single-core fiber bundle after melting and tapering at the middle part; In step (2), the optical waveguide module is placed on the fixed base, the multicore optical fiber is loaded into the first clamp and placed on the left adjusting rack, the tapered fiber is loaded into the second clamp and placed on the right adjusting rack, the multicore optical fiber, the tapered optical waveguide channel and the tapered fiber are aligned, and the first connecting end surface of the tapered optical waveguide channel and the connecting part of the multicore optical fiber, and the first connecting end surface of the tapered optical waveguide channel and the connecting part of the tapered fiber are coated with photocurable glue, and light curing is performed.

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