Manufacturing method of hollow-core anti-resonance optical fiber patch cord

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a hollow-core anti-resonance optical fiber patch cord comprises the specific steps that the two ends of an HC-ARF with the length of 30 cm are cut into angles smaller than 1 degree through a precise cutting device, and it is ensured that the cut end faces are complete and free of cracks; welding the cut HC-ARF with a coreless optical fiber with the length of 10cm to prevent a cladding tube from collapsing; two-component epoxy resin glue is accurately injected into the ceramic ferrule, so that uniform filling of the glue is ensured, and mechanical support is provided; and penetrating the welded optical fiber assembly into a protective sleeve, inserting a ceramic ferrule, and carrying out end surface grinding after curing treatment to ensure that no edge breakage, no crack and no scratch exist. And the final product is strictly detected, and a dustproof cap is worn, so that the compact and attractive hollow-core anti-resonance optical fiber patch cord is formed. By optimizing the cutting, welding, glue injection and grinding processes, the stability and reliability of the connector are improved, the signal transmission loss is reduced, and the optical fiber connector is suitable for various optical fiber interfaces and has wide application prospects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of optical fiber production, in particular to a method for manufacturing a hollow-core anti-resonance optical fiber jumper. Background Art

[0002] Hollow Core Anti-Resonant Fiber (HC-ARF) uses a unique transverse cladding structure to allow light to propagate in the longitudinal air core, and has the advantages of low confinement loss, low nonlinearity, low dispersion, low delay, and high damage threshold. These characteristics make it an ideal choice for high-power laser energy transmission, fiber probes, and high-speed optical communications. It is widely used in sensing, nonlinear optics, high-power ultrafast lasers, and ultraviolet / infrared light transmission. However, due to international technology export controls, the acquisition of high-performance optical fiber products is subject to certain restrictions, affecting the development of related industries. Faced with this challenge, domestic and foreign research institutions and enterprises have increased their independent research and development efforts, promoting the rapid development of HC-ARF technology.

[0003] Although HC-ARF has many advantages, it still faces some shortcomings in practical applications. The existing HC-ARF connection technology is complex and time-consuming, and it is difficult to meet the needs of rapid integration and large-scale production. Traditional connection methods often require precise alignment and complex processes, resulting in high manufacturing costs and low efficiency. In addition, the stability and reliability of existing connectors need to be improved, especially in high power and harsh environments, where signal attenuation and connection failure are prone to problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above shortcomings, the present invention provides an efficient and stable hollow core anti-resonant optical fiber connector and a manufacturing method thereof to simplify the integration process, improve production efficiency, reduce manufacturing costs, and ensure that the performance of the optical fiber after connection is not affected. The connector should be easy to maintain, easy to install and disassemble, and have good compatibility, and be able to adapt to different types of HC-ARF and other standard optical fiber interfaces, thereby promoting the popularization and development of this advanced technology.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions to achieve: A method for manufacturing a hollow core anti-resonant optical fiber jumper, the method comprising the following steps: S1. Use a precision cutting device to cut both ends of a 30 cm long hollow-core antiresonant optical fiber, wherein the cutting angle is less than 1° and the cut end face is intact and free of cracks; S2, respectively, the two ends of the cut hollow-core anti-resonance optical fiber are fused with a coreless optical fiber with a length of 10 cm in a fusion splicer to ensure that the cladding tube in the hollow-core anti-resonance optical fiber does not collapse after fusion; S3. Prepare two-component epoxy resin glue and use a syringe to inject the glue from the entrance of the ceramic ferrule of the optical fiber connector to ensure that the glue is evenly mixed, pure and free of bubbles. When injecting the glue, ensure that the glue completely fills the gap inside the ceramic ferrule to fix the optical fiber and provide mechanical support; S4, inserting the hollow-core anti-resonance optical fiber and the coreless optical fiber assembly after the fusion splicing into a protective sleeve; then directly inserting the hollow-core anti-resonance optical fiber with the protective sleeve and the coreless optical fiber into the ceramic ferrule to obtain a composite optical fiber; S5, placing the composite optical fiber in a curing furnace for heating and curing, and taking it out and cooling it to room temperature after the curing is completed; S6. Use a fiber cutting tool to cut off the coreless optical fiber extending from the end face of the composite optical fiber ceramic ferrule, and assemble the connector parts; S7. Install the connector on the grinding disc, and use sandpaper of different mesh sizes to grind in the order of coarse grinding, medium grinding, fine grinding, and polishing. Each step needs to be evenly sprayed with pure water and cleaned; S8. Check the end face after grinding to ensure there is no chipping, cracking or scratching. Put a dust cap on the qualified product and get the final hollow-core anti-resonance fiber jumper.

[0006] In a preferred solution, in step S1 and step S2, the core diameter of the hollow-core antiresonant optical fiber is 45±2um, and the outer diameter of the hollow-core antiresonant optical fiber is 270±20um; the cladding diameter of the coreless optical fiber is 300±2um, and the coating diameter is 450±1um.

[0007] In a preferred solution, in step S1, the bare fiber length reserved after the hollow-core antiresonant optical fiber is cut is within 0.5 cm; in step S6, the bare fiber length reserved for the coreless optical fiber is 0.5 cm; in step S7, after the composite optical fiber is polished, ensure that the length of the remaining coreless optical fiber is within 1.5 mm.

[0008] In a preferred solution, in step S5, the temperature of the heating and curing is 80° C.-85° C., and the time is controlled at 30 min-40 min.

[0009] In the preferred solution, the specific operation steps of step S4 are as follows: S4.1. Put the hollow-core anti-resonance fiber and coreless fiber assembly after fusion into a white protective sleeve with a suitable inner diameter to prevent the external environment from affecting the optical fiber and ensure that the optical fiber remains stable during subsequent processing; S4.2. After inserting the protective cover, check whether the optical fiber is correctly centered and not twisted or bent, and ensure that the straightness of the optical fiber is not affected; S4.3. Insert the hollow-core anti-resonant optical fiber with a protective sleeve and the coreless optical fiber assembly into the ceramic ferrule, so that the length of the optical fiber passing through the ceramic ferrule is ≥1 cm, so that the optical fiber will not retract during the subsequent thermal curing process; during the insertion process, ensure that the optical fiber enters the ceramic ferrule smoothly to avoid causing additional pressure or damage to the optical fiber, and ensure that the gap between the optical fiber and the ceramic ferrule is completely filled with the glue injected previously; S4.4. After inserting the ceramic ferrule, further check the position of the optical fiber to ensure that the optical fiber is correctly positioned in the ceramic ferrule and the end face of the optical fiber is flush with the end face of the ceramic ferrule.

[0010] In the preferred solution, the specific operation steps of step S7 are as follows: S7.1. Install the connector on the grinding disc. After assembly, check whether the ferrule passes through the ferrule fixing hole of the grinding disc and can move elastically to ensure that the ferrule will not shift due to vibration during the grinding process; S7.2. Select suitable grinding sandpaper and stick it on the corresponding grinding pad. Make sure the sandpaper is pasted in the correct direction and that it is flat and free of bubbles after pasting to ensure that the grinding surface is uniform. S7.3. Place the grinding pad with sandpaper on the grinding machine, and adjust the speed and grinding time of the grinding machine according to the parameters; S7.4. During the grinding process, evenly spray pure water on the grinding paper to keep the grinding surface moist, reduce friction heat, and prevent the fiber end face from overheating and damage; S7.5. After each stage of grinding, use pure water to thoroughly clean the ferrule end face, grinding disc and sandpaper to remove residual grinding particles and avoid cross contamination; S7.6. Carry out the grinding in the order of coarse grinding, medium grinding, fine grinding and polishing, gradually improving the grinding accuracy to ensure that the final end surface is smooth and has no obvious scratches; S7.7. During the grinding process, regularly check the end surface quality, use a microscope to magnify and observe the end surface condition, and adjust the grinding parameters in time to ensure that the grinding process is under control; S7.8. After the final grinding is completed, use a high-power microscope to check the end surface quality to ensure that there is no chipping, cracking, or scratches; S7.9. Clean the end face after grinding. Use dust-free paper dipped in an appropriate amount of alcohol to gently wipe it to remove any residual moisture and impurities, ensuring that the end face is clean and tidy.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the optical fiber polishing parameters in step S7.3 are as follows: Coarse grinding: use 600 mesh grinding paper, grinding time is 6 minutes, grinding speed is 75 rpm; Medium grinding: use 4000 mesh grinding paper, grinding time is 3 minutes, grinding speed is 75 rpm; Fine grinding: Use 8000 mesh grinding paper, grinding time is 6 minutes, grinding speed is 75 rpm; Polishing: Use 12000 mesh abrasive paper, the grinding time is 10 minutes, and the grinding speed is 75 rpm.

[0012] A method for manufacturing a hollow core anti-resonant optical fiber jumper, the method has the following advantages: 1. The present invention uses a precision cutting device to cut both ends of the hollow-core anti-resonant optical fiber, with a cutting angle of less than 1° and a complete and crack-free cut end face, thereby ensuring the flatness and optical performance of the optical fiber end face. During the fusion process, special attention is paid to preventing the cladding tube in the hollow-core anti-resonant optical fiber from collapsing, thereby ensuring the integrity of the internal structure of the optical fiber and reducing the loss during signal transmission; 2. Use two-component epoxy resin glue and accurately inject it into the ceramic ferrule through a syringe to ensure that the glue is evenly mixed, pure and free of bubbles. When injecting glue, the gap inside the ceramic ferrule is completely filled, which not only fixes the optical fiber, but also provides the necessary mechanical support, enhances the stability and reliability of the connector, and reduces the risk of connection failure caused by external vibration or impact; 3. The present invention strictly controls the core diameter, outer diameter and coating diameter of hollow-core anti-resonant optical fiber and coreless optical fiber to ensure the dimensional consistency of the optical fiber. In particular, during the cutting and fusion process, the reserved bare optical fiber length is accurately controlled within 0.5 cm, ensuring the smooth subsequent assembly. After the final grinding is completed, the remaining length of the coreless optical fiber is controlled within 1.5 mm, further ensuring the compactness and aesthetics of the connector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments: Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the patent operation steps of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the patented composite optical fiber of the present invention.

[0014] In the figure: hollow-core anti-resonant optical fiber 1, coreless optical fiber 2, protective sleeve 3, ceramic ferrule 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Embodiment 1: Method for manufacturing hollow core anti-resonant optical fiber jumper This embodiment describes in detail a method for manufacturing a hollow core anti-resonant fiber (HC-ARF) jumper. The specific steps are as follows: S1. Precision cutting: Use a high-precision automatic cutting device to cut a 30cm long hollow-core anti-resonant optical fiber. The cutting angle is strictly controlled to less than 1° to ensure that the cut end face is intact and free of cracks. After cutting, check the quality of the optical fiber end face to ensure that it is flat and smooth to ensure the quality of subsequent fusion splicing; S2. Welding: The two ends of the cut hollow-core anti-resonance fiber are respectively fused with a 10cm long coreless fiber in a fusion splicer. During the fusion process, special attention should be paid to prevent the cladding tube in the hollow-core anti-resonance fiber from collapsing. By adjusting the fusion parameters and process, ensure that the fiber connection after fusion is firm and without any damage. After the fusion is completed, check the quality of the fusion point again to ensure that it meets the requirements; S3, glue injection: Prepare two-component epoxy resin glue and use a syringe to slowly inject the glue from the entrance of the ceramic ferrule of the optical fiber connector. When injecting the glue, make sure that the glue is evenly mixed, pure and free of bubbles, and completely fill the gap inside the ceramic ferrule to fix the optical fiber and provide mechanical support. After the glue is injected, let it stand for a while to allow the glue to initially solidify to avoid displacement during subsequent operations; S4, protection and assembly: S4.1 Put the hollow-core anti-resonance fiber and coreless fiber assembly after fusion into a white protective sleeve with a suitable inner diameter to prevent the external environment from affecting the fiber and ensure that the fiber remains stable during subsequent processing; S4.2 After inserting the protective sleeve, carefully check whether the optical fiber is correctly centered and not twisted or bent to ensure that the straightness of the optical fiber is not affected; S4.3 Insert the hollow-core anti-resonant fiber with protective sleeve and the coreless fiber assembly into the ceramic ferrule, so that the length of the fiber passing through the ceramic ferrule is ≥1cm, so that the fiber will not retract during the subsequent thermal curing process. During the insertion process, ensure that the fiber enters the ceramic ferrule smoothly to avoid additional pressure or damage to the fiber, and ensure that the gap between the fiber and the ceramic ferrule is completely filled with the glue injected previously; S4.4 After inserting the ceramic ferrule, further check the position of the optical fiber to ensure that the optical fiber is correctly positioned in the ceramic ferrule and the end face of the optical fiber is flush with the end face of the ceramic ferrule; S5. Curing: Place the composite optical fiber in a curing furnace with a preset temperature of 80℃-85℃ for heating and curing, and the time is controlled within 30min-40min. During the curing process, regularly check the temperature and time settings of the curing furnace to ensure that the curing process proceeds smoothly. After curing is completed, take out the composite optical fiber and cool it naturally to room temperature; S6, cutting and assembly: Use a dedicated fiber cutting tool to cut off the coreless fiber protruding from the end face of the composite fiber ceramic ferrule, ensuring that the end face is flat after cutting. Then, assemble the connector parts according to the standard process to ensure that all parts fit tightly and the connection is firm; S7, grinding: S7.1 Install the connector on the grinding disc. After assembly, check whether the ferrule passes through the ferrule fixing hole of the grinding disc and can move flexibly to ensure that the ferrule will not shift due to vibration during the grinding process; S7.2 Select appropriate grinding sandpaper and stick it on the corresponding grinding pad. Make sure the sandpaper is pasted in the correct direction and that it is flat and free of bubbles after pasting to ensure that the grinding surface is uniform. S7.3 Place the grinding pad with sandpaper on the grinding machine and adjust the grinding speed and grinding time according to the following parameters: Coarse grinding: use 600 mesh grinding paper, grinding time is 6 minutes, grinding speed is 75 rpm; Medium grinding: use 4000 mesh grinding paper, grinding time is 3 minutes, grinding speed is 75 rpm; Fine grinding: Use 8000 mesh grinding paper, grinding time is 6 minutes, grinding speed is 75 rpm; Polishing: Use 12000 mesh abrasive paper, the grinding time is 10 minutes, and the grinding speed is 75 rpm; S7.4 During the grinding process, spray pure water evenly on the grinding paper to keep the grinding surface moist, reduce friction heat, and prevent the fiber end face from overheating and damage; S7.5 After each stage of grinding, use pure water to thoroughly clean the ferrule end face, grinding disc and sandpaper to remove residual grinding particles and avoid cross contamination; S7.6 Carry out the grinding in the order of coarse grinding, medium grinding, fine grinding and polishing, gradually improving the grinding accuracy to ensure that the final end surface is smooth and has no obvious scratches; S7.7 During the grinding process, regularly use a microscope to magnify and observe the end surface, and adjust the grinding parameters in time to ensure that the grinding process is under control; S7.8 After the final grinding is completed, use a high-power microscope to check the end surface quality to ensure that there is no chipping, cracking, or scratches; S7.9 Clean the end surface after grinding. Use dust-free paper dipped in an appropriate amount of alcohol to gently wipe it to remove any remaining moisture and impurities to ensure that the end surface is clean and tidy. S8, testing and packaging: Use professional equipment to inspect the end face after grinding to ensure that there is no broken edge, cracking, or scratches. Qualified products are covered with dust caps to obtain the final hollow-core anti-resonance fiber jumper. Unqualified products need to be re-grinded or discarded to ensure that product quality meets standards.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a hollow core anti-resonant optical fiber jumper, characterized in that: The preparation method comprises the following steps: S1. Use a precision cutting device to cut both ends of a 30 cm long hollow-core antiresonant optical fiber, wherein the cutting angle is less than 1° and the cut end face is intact and free of cracks; S2, respectively, the two ends of the cut hollow-core anti-resonance optical fiber are fused with a coreless optical fiber with a length of 10 cm in a fusion splicer to ensure that the cladding tube in the hollow-core anti-resonance optical fiber does not collapse after fusion; S3. Prepare two-component epoxy resin glue and use a syringe to inject the glue from the entrance of the ceramic ferrule of the optical fiber connector to ensure that the glue is evenly mixed, pure and free of bubbles. When injecting the glue, ensure that the glue completely fills the gap inside the ceramic ferrule to fix the optical fiber and provide mechanical support; S4, inserting the hollow-core anti-resonance optical fiber and the coreless optical fiber assembly after the fusion splicing into a protective sleeve; then directly inserting the hollow-core anti-resonance optical fiber with the protective sleeve and the coreless optical fiber into the ceramic ferrule to obtain a composite optical fiber; S5, placing the composite optical fiber in a curing furnace for heating and curing, and taking it out and cooling it to room temperature after the curing is completed; S6. Use a fiber cutting tool to cut off the coreless optical fiber extending from the end face of the composite optical fiber ceramic ferrule, and assemble the connector parts; S7. Install the connector on the grinding disc, and use sandpaper of different mesh sizes to grind in the order of coarse grinding, medium grinding, fine grinding, and polishing. Each step needs to be evenly sprayed with pure water and cleaned; S8. Check the end face after grinding to ensure there is no chipping, cracking or scratching. Put a dust cap on the qualified product and get the final hollow-core anti-resonance fiber jumper.

2. The method for manufacturing a hollow core anti-resonant optical fiber jumper according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S1 and step S2, the core diameter of the hollow-core antiresonant optical fiber is 45±2um, and the outer diameter of the hollow-core antiresonant optical fiber is 270±20um; the cladding diameter of the coreless optical fiber is 300±2um, and the coating diameter is 450±1um.

3. The method for manufacturing a hollow core anti-resonant optical fiber jumper according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S1, the bare fiber length reserved after the hollow-core antiresonant fiber is cut is within 0.5 cm; in step S6, the bare fiber length reserved for the coreless fiber is 0.5 cm, and in step S7, after the composite fiber is polished, the length of the remaining coreless fiber is ensured to be within 1.5 mm.

4. The method for manufacturing a hollow core anti-resonant optical fiber jumper according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S5, the temperature of the heating curing is 80°C-85°C, and the time is controlled at 30min-40min.

5. The method for manufacturing a hollow core anti-resonant optical fiber jumper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific operation steps of step S4 are as follows: S4.

1. Put the hollow-core anti-resonance fiber and coreless fiber assembly after fusion into a white protective sleeve with a suitable inner diameter to prevent the external environment from affecting the optical fiber and ensure that the optical fiber remains stable during subsequent processing; S4.

2. After inserting the protective cover, check whether the optical fiber is correctly centered and not twisted or bent, and ensure that the straightness of the optical fiber is not affected; S4.

3. Insert the hollow-core anti-resonant optical fiber with a protective sleeve and the coreless optical fiber assembly into the ceramic ferrule, so that the length of the optical fiber passing through the ceramic ferrule is ≥1 cm, so that the optical fiber will not retract during the subsequent thermal curing process; during the insertion process, ensure that the optical fiber enters the ceramic ferrule smoothly to avoid causing additional pressure or damage to the optical fiber, and ensure that the gap between the optical fiber and the ceramic ferrule is completely filled with the glue injected previously; S4.

4. After inserting the ceramic ferrule, further check the position of the optical fiber to ensure that the optical fiber is correctly positioned in the ceramic ferrule and the end face of the optical fiber is flush with the end face of the ceramic ferrule.

6. The method for manufacturing a hollow core anti-resonant optical fiber jumper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific operation steps of step S7 are as follows: S7.

1. Install the connector on the grinding disc. After assembly, check whether the ferrule passes through the ferrule fixing hole of the grinding disc and can move elastically to ensure that the ferrule will not shift due to vibration during the grinding process; S7.

2. Select suitable grinding sandpaper and stick it on the corresponding grinding pad. Make sure the sandpaper is pasted in the correct direction and that it is flat and free of bubbles after pasting to ensure that the grinding surface is uniform. S7.

3. Place the grinding pad with sandpaper on the grinding machine, and adjust the speed and grinding time of the grinding machine according to the parameters; S7.

4. During the grinding process, evenly spray pure water on the grinding paper to keep the grinding surface moist, reduce friction heat, and prevent the fiber end face from overheating and damage; S7.

5. After each stage of grinding, use pure water to thoroughly clean the ferrule end face, grinding disc and sandpaper to remove residual grinding particles and avoid cross contamination; S7.

6. Carry out the grinding in the order of coarse grinding, medium grinding, fine grinding and polishing, gradually improving the grinding accuracy to ensure that the final end surface is smooth and has no obvious scratches; S7.

7. During the grinding process, regularly check the end surface quality, use a microscope to magnify and observe the end surface condition, and adjust the grinding parameters in time to ensure that the grinding process is under control; S7.

8. After the final grinding is completed, use a high-power microscope to check the end surface quality to ensure that there is no chipping, cracking, or scratches; S7.

9. Clean the end face after grinding. Use dust-free paper dipped in an appropriate amount of alcohol to gently wipe it to remove any residual moisture and impurities, ensuring that the end face is clean and tidy.

7. The method for manufacturing a hollow core anti-resonant optical fiber jumper according to claim 6, characterized in that: The optical fiber polishing parameters of step S7.3 are as follows: Coarse grinding: use 600 mesh grinding paper, grinding time is 6 minutes, grinding speed is 75 rpm; Medium grinding: use 4000 mesh grinding paper, grinding time is 3 minutes, grinding speed is 75 rpm; Fine grinding: Use 8000 mesh grinding paper, grinding time is 6 minutes, grinding speed is 75 rpm; Polishing: Use 12000 mesh abrasive paper, the grinding time is 10 minutes, and the grinding speed is 75 rpm.

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