High-power multi-channel optical fiber head, optical switch and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a high-power multi-channel optical fiber head, an optical switch and a manufacturing method thereof, the high-power multi-channel optical fiber head comprises a microcapillary, a plurality of optical fibers and a baffle plate, cladding layers of the plurality of optical fibers are inserted into the microcapillary, a fiber core is arranged in the cladding layer of each optical fiber, a mounting hole is filled with glue, and the baffle plate is connected with the axial end face of the microcapillary. A plurality of light-transmitting holes are formed in the shielding plate in a penetrating mode in the light path direction, one light-transmitting hole is opposite to the axial end of one optical fiber, the diameter of the light-transmitting holes is smaller than that of the cladding, the diameter of the light-transmitting holes is larger than that of the fiber core, and the shielding plate covers the glue. Through the diameter arrangement of the light holes, it is ensured that light can be input or output from the fiber core, meanwhile, the glue and part of the cladding are covered with the shielding plate or the reflecting film, and therefore when the light moves and is switched, the swept path is blocked by the shielding plate or the reflecting film, and the light can be reflected outwards in the switching process through the arrangement of the reflecting film; and the temperature of a non-light-passing area corresponding to the glue is reduced, so that the tolerance power of the optical fiber head is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of optical devices, and in particular to a high-power multi-channel optical fiber head, an optical switch and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous growth of channel signal density and capacity requirements and the continuous expansion of wind measurement lidar technology, the power resistance requirements for high-power lasers are also increasing. Especially in high-power laser applications, when the laser is emitted and received through the optical fiber end face, the power density is extremely high, which can easily cause irreversible damage to the end face film layer, thereby causing the optical fiber head to burn out.

[0003] However, in the application of multi-channel optical switches, due to the limitations of processing convenience, switching speed, device size and corner devices, the optical fiber heads used usually adopt a multi-fiber tightly fixed structure and are bonded by glue. In the capillary of multi-core optical fiber, due to the large gap between the cores, a large amount of glue is filled, and the optical fiber is fixed by glue wrapped around the outer periphery of the cladding.

[0004] Reference Figure 1 When the MEMS optical switch needs to switch quickly for a long time, the output of light will not be interrupted during the switching process, so the focused spot of the light will inevitably act on the glue between the optical fiber channels, especially under high-power operation, which will accelerate the damage of the coating surface and cause the light-transmitting surface to seep and burn. Summary of the invention

[0005] The first object of the present invention is to provide a high-power multi-channel optical fiber head capable of protecting a non-light-transmitting area.

[0006] The second object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned optical fiber head.

[0007] A third object of the present invention is to provide an optical switch having the above optical fiber head.

[0008] In order to achieve the first purpose of the present invention, the present invention provides a high-power multi-channel fiber optic head, including a microtube and multiple optical fibers, the microtube extends along the light path direction and is provided with a mounting hole extending along the light path direction, the cladding of the multiple optical fibers is inserted into the mounting hole, each optical fiber has a core in the cladding, the mounting hole is filled with glue, the glue is wrapped around the outer periphery of the cladding of the multiple optical fibers, the axial end face of the microtube is flush with the axial end faces of the multiple optical fibers; the fiber optic head also includes a baffle, the baffle is connected to the axial end face of the microtube, the baffle is provided with multiple light-transmitting holes along the light path direction, one light-transmitting hole is opposite to the axial end of an optical fiber, the diameter of the light-transmitting hole is smaller than the diameter of the cladding, the diameter of the light-transmitting hole is larger than the diameter of the core, and the baffle covers the glue.

[0009] A further solution is that the shielding plate is plated with a reflective film on the outer end surface relative to the optical fiber, and the reflective film is penetrated by a through hole at a position corresponding to each light-transmitting hole.

[0010] In a further embodiment, the reflective film surrounds the radial outer periphery of each through hole.

[0011] In order to achieve the second object of the present invention, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an optical fiber head as described above, the manufacturing method comprising: Inserting the claddings of the plurality of optical fibers after removing the coating layers into the mounting holes, filling the mounting holes with glue, and wrapping and fixing the glue around the claddings of the plurality of optical fibers; A plurality of light-transmitting holes are arranged through the shielding plate, and the shielding plate is attached to the axial end surface of the microtube, with one light-transmitting hole being opposite to the axial end of one optical fiber.

[0012] In order to achieve the first purpose of the present invention, a high-power multi-channel optical fiber head includes a microtube and multiple optical fibers, the microtube extends along the light path direction and is provided with a mounting hole extending along the light path direction, the cladding of the multiple optical fibers is inserted into the mounting hole, each optical fiber has a core in the cladding, the mounting hole is filled with glue, the glue is wrapped around the outer periphery of the cladding of the multiple optical fibers, the axial end face of the microtube is flush with the axial end faces of the multiple optical fibers; the optical fiber head also includes a reflective film, the reflective film is connected to the axial end face of the microtube, the reflective film is penetrated by a plurality of light-transmitting holes along the light path direction, one light-transmitting hole is opposite to the axial end of an optical fiber, the diameter of the light-transmitting hole is smaller than the diameter of the cladding, the diameter of the light-transmitting hole is larger than the diameter of the core, and the reflective film covers the glue.

[0013] In order to achieve the second object of the present invention, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an optical fiber head as described above, the manufacturing method comprising: Inserting the claddings of the plurality of optical fibers after removing the coating layers into the mounting holes, filling the mounting holes with glue, and wrapping and fixing the glue around the claddings of the plurality of optical fibers; Add temporary glue to the axial end face of the core of each optical fiber, and coat the axial end face of the microtube and the axial end faces of the multiple optical fibers with a reflective film; At the relative position of each fiber core, the temporary glue and the reflective film at the relative position are removed, and then a light-transmitting hole is formed at the relative position of each fiber core.

[0014] A further solution is that the coverage area of ​​the temporary glue is greater than or equal to the diameter of the fiber core and smaller than the diameter of the cladding.

[0015] It can be seen from the above that by making the temporary glue greater than or equal to the diameter of the fiber core and less than the diameter of the cladding, the stability of the coating can be improved.

[0016] In order to achieve the third purpose of the present invention, the present invention provides an optical switch, including a lens, a MEMS chip and an optical fiber head as described above, wherein a reflector is arranged on the MEMS chip, and the reflector can rotate on the MEMS chip, and light output from an optical fiber is input to the reflector on the MEMS chip after passing through the lens, and light reflected by the reflector is input to another optical fiber after passing through the lens.

[0017] A further solution is that the optical switch also includes a first mounting sleeve and a second mounting sleeve, the lens is mounted on the first mounting sleeve, the microtube is mounted on the second mounting sleeve, the first mounting sleeve is connected to the fixed base of the MEMS chip, the second mounting sleeve is connected to the first mounting sleeve, and the MEMS chip, lens and optical fiber head are arranged along the light path direction.

[0018] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the light-transmitting hole is larger than the diameter of the fiber core, thereby ensuring that light can be input or output from the fiber core, and the light-transmitting hole is smaller than the diameter of the cladding, and then a baffle or a reflective film is used to cover the glue and part of the cladding, so that when the light moves and switches, the path swept is blocked by the baffle or the reflective film, and the arrangement of the reflective film can be used to reflect the light outward, further reducing the temperature of the glue corresponding to the non-light-transmitting area, thereby effectively protecting the light-transmitting area of ​​the fiber core, and cooperating with the rotation of the MEMS chip, it can adapt to the solution of multi-core adjustable high-power multi-fiber pigtails and their collimators, and by protecting the end faces of multi-channel optical fibers, it can meet the application requirements of multi-channel optical switches in high-power environments. In terms of the manufacturing method, not only can the arrangement of the plate and the drilling hole be used, but also temporary glue can be applied to the position of the fiber core first, and then the reflective film can be plated, and then the temporary glue and reflective film at the position of the fiber core can be removed, and then a light-transmitting hole is formed at the relative position of each fiber core. The above two manufacturing methods can be manufactured efficiently and stably. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of optical path switching of a MEMS optical switch in the prior art.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of an optical switch embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a diagram of the internal structure of an optical switch embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of the first embodiment of the optical fiber head of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 It is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the optical fiber head of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the optical fiber head of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0026] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Enlarged view of point B in the middle.

[0027] Fig. 9 It is a structural diagram of the second embodiment of the optical fiber head of the present invention.

[0028] Fig.10 It is an exploded view of the second embodiment of the optical fiber head of the present invention.

[0029] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Reference Figures 2 to 8 The optical switch 1 includes a lens 27, a MEMS chip 26 and an optical fiber head 2. The optical fiber head 2 includes a microtube 21, a plurality of optical fibers 22 and a shielding plate 24. The microtube 21 extends along the optical path direction X and is provided with a mounting hole 211 extending along the optical path direction X. The cladding 222 of the plurality of optical fibers 22 is inserted into the mounting hole 211. The cladding 222 of each optical fiber 22 has a core 221. The mounting hole 211 is filled with glue 23. The glue 23 is wrapped around the outer periphery of the cladding 222 of the plurality of optical fibers 22. The axial end face of the microtube 21 is flush with the axial end faces of the plurality of optical fibers 22. The other axial end face of the microtube 21 fixes the plurality of pigtails 223 by glue 25.

[0031] The baffle plate 24 is connected to the axial end face of the microtube 21, and a plurality of light-transmitting holes 241 are arranged through the baffle plate 24 along the optical path direction X. One light-transmitting hole 241 is opposite to the axial end of an optical fiber 22, and the diameter of the light-transmitting hole 241 is smaller than the diameter of the cladding 222, and the diameter of the light-transmitting hole 241 is larger than the diameter of the core 221. The baffle plate 24 covers the glue 23.

[0032] The shielding plate 24 is plated with a reflective film on its outer end surface relative to the optical fiber 22 . The reflective film is penetrated by a through hole at a position corresponding to each light-transmitting hole 241 . The reflective film surrounds the radial periphery of each through hole.

[0033] The manufacturing method of the optical fiber head 2 comprises: First, the cladding 222 of the multiple optical fibers 22 after removing the coating layer is inserted into the mounting hole 211, and the mounting hole 211 is filled with glue 23. The glue 23 wraps and fixes the outer periphery of the cladding 222 of the multiple optical fibers 22. Then, it can be cut or polished to make the axial end face of the microtube 21 flush with the axial end faces of the multiple optical fibers 22.

[0034] Then, a plurality of light-transmitting holes 241 are provided through the shielding plate 24, which can be a stop made of hard materials such as glass or metal, and the shielding plate 24 is attached to the axial end face of the microtube 21, with one light-transmitting hole 241 facing the axial end of one optical fiber 22. For the arrangement of the reflective film, the outer end face of the shielding plate 24 can be coated by a coating machine, and then holes can be drilled to form a plurality of light-transmitting holes 241.

[0035] A reflector is provided on the MEMS chip 26 , and the reflector can rotate on the MEMS chip 26 . The light output by one optical fiber 22 is input to the reflector on the MEMS chip 26 after passing through the lens 27 , and the light reflected by the reflector is input to another optical fiber 22 after passing through the lens 27 .

[0036] The optical switch 1 further includes a first mounting sleeve 271 and a second mounting sleeve 212, the lens 27 is mounted on the first mounting sleeve 271, the microtube 21 is mounted on the second mounting sleeve 212, the first mounting sleeve 271 is connected to the fixed base 261 of the MEMS chip 26, the second mounting sleeve 212 is connected to the first mounting sleeve 271, and the MEMS chip 26, the lens 27 and the optical fiber head 2 are arranged along the optical path direction X. The outer sleeve 11 is sleeved outside the first mounting sleeve 271 and the second mounting sleeve 212, the outer sleeve 11 is connected to the first mounting sleeve 271, and the other axial end of the outer sleeve 11 is connected to the tail sleeve 12.

[0037] Reference Fig. 9 and Fig.10 On the basis of the above optical fiber head 2, the optical fiber head 2 can directly use a reflective film to block in addition to using the shielding plate 24. Specifically, the manufacturing method of the optical fiber head 2 includes the following steps.

[0038] First, the cladding 222 of the multiple optical fibers 22 after removing the coating layer is inserted into the mounting hole 211, and the mounting hole 211 is filled with glue 23. The glue 23 wraps and fixes the outer periphery of the cladding 222 of the multiple optical fibers 22. Then, it can be cut or polished to make the axial end face of the microtube 21 flush with the axial end faces of the multiple optical fibers 22.

[0039] Temporary glue is then added to the axial end face of the core 221 of each optical fiber 22. Preferably, the temporary glue covers the core area, which is larger than the diameter of the core, but the coverage area of ​​the temporary glue is smaller than the diameter of the cladding 222. Subsequently, a reflective film is coated on the axial end face of the microtube 21 and the axial end faces of the multiple optical fibers 22. The axial end face of the optical fiber 22 includes the axial end face of the cladding and the axial end face of the core. The reflective film 29 can be coated by a coating machine.

[0040] Then, the temporary glue and reflective film at the relative position of each fiber core 221 are removed, so that a light-transmitting hole 291 can be formed at the relative position of each fiber core 221, so that light in the fiber core area can pass normally, while other areas are blocked by the reflective film and light cannot pass through and is protected.

[0041] When the channel of the optical switch is switched, the light path is switched by the deflection of the MEMS chip, and then the light moves. The path swept by the light is blocked by the baffle or the reflective film, and the arrangement of the reflective film can be used to reflect the light outward, so that the light cannot directly shine on the glue area, reducing the temperature of the glue corresponding to the non-light-transmitting area, thereby effectively protecting the light-transmitting area of ​​the fiber core and effectively improving the power tolerance of the optical fiber head.

Claims

1. A high-power multi-channel optical fiber head, comprising a microtube and a plurality of optical fibers, characterized in that: The microtube extends along the optical path and is provided with a mounting hole extending along the optical path. The claddings of multiple optical fibers are inserted into the mounting holes. Each of the optical fibers has a core in its cladding. The mounting holes are filled with glue, which is wrapped around the outer periphery of the claddings of the multiple optical fibers. The axial end face of the microtube is flush with the axial end faces of the multiple optical fibers. The optical fiber head also includes a baffle plate, which is connected to the axial end face of the microtube, and has multiple light-transmitting holes penetrating the baffle plate along the direction of the optical path. One of the light-transmitting holes is opposite to the axial end of one of the optical fibers, and the diameter of the light-transmitting hole is smaller than the diameter of the cladding, and the diameter of the light-transmitting hole is larger than the diameter of the fiber core. The baffle plate covers the glue.

2. The optical fiber head according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shielding plate is plated with a reflective film on the outer end surface relative to the optical fiber, and the reflective film is penetrated by a through hole at a position corresponding to each of the light-transmitting holes.

3. The optical fiber head according to claim 2, characterized in that: The reflective film surrounds the radial outer periphery of each of the through holes.

4. The method for manufacturing an optical fiber head according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The production method comprises: Inserting the claddings of the plurality of optical fibers after removing the coating layers into the installation hole, and filling the installation hole with glue, wherein the glue wraps and fixes the outer periphery of the claddings of the plurality of optical fibers; The shielding plate is provided with a plurality of light-transmitting holes, and the shielding plate is attached to the axial end surface of the microtube, with one light-transmitting hole facing the axial end of one optical fiber.

5. A high-power multi-channel optical fiber head, comprising a microtube and a plurality of optical fibers, characterized in that: The microtube extends along the optical path and is provided with a mounting hole extending along the optical path. The claddings of multiple optical fibers are inserted into the mounting holes. Each of the optical fibers has a core in its cladding. The mounting holes are filled with glue, which is wrapped around the outer periphery of the claddings of the multiple optical fibers. The axial end face of the microtube is flush with the axial end faces of the multiple optical fibers. The optical fiber head also includes a reflective film, which is connected to the axial end face of the microtube. The reflective film is provided with a plurality of light-transmitting holes along the direction of the optical path. One of the light-transmitting holes is opposite to the axial end of one of the optical fibers. The diameter of the light-transmitting hole is smaller than the diameter of the cladding, and the diameter of the light-transmitting hole is larger than the diameter of the core. The reflective film covers the glue.

6. The method for manufacturing an optical fiber head according to claim 5, characterized in that: The production method comprises: Inserting the claddings of the plurality of optical fibers after removing the coating layers into the installation hole, and filling the installation hole with glue, wherein the glue wraps and fixes the outer periphery of the claddings of the plurality of optical fibers; Adding temporary glue to the axial end face of the core of each optical fiber, and coating the axial end face of the microtube and the axial end faces of the plurality of optical fibers with a reflective film; At the relative position of each fiber core, the temporary glue and the reflective film at the relative position are removed, and then the light-transmitting hole is formed at the relative position of each fiber core.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The coverage area of ​​the temporary glue is greater than or equal to the diameter of the fiber core and smaller than the diameter of the cladding.

8. An optical switch, characterized in that It comprises a lens, a MEMS chip and an optical fiber head as described in claims 1-3 and 5 above, wherein a reflector is arranged on the MEMS chip and the reflector can rotate on the MEMS chip, light output from one optical fiber passes through the lens and is input to the reflector on the MEMS chip, and light reflected by the reflector passes through the lens and is input to another optical fiber.

9. The optical switch according to claim 8, characterized in that: The optical switch also includes a first mounting sleeve and a second mounting sleeve, the lens is mounted on the first mounting sleeve, the microtube is mounted on the second mounting sleeve, the first mounting sleeve is connected to a fixed base of the MEMS chip, the second mounting sleeve is connected to the first mounting sleeve, and the MEMS chip, the lens and the optical fiber head are arranged along the optical path direction.

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