An isolator and optical module

Abstract

The application discloses an isolator and an optical module. The isolator comprises a core and a magnetic block. The core comprises a polarizing polarizer, a Faraday plate and an analyzing polarizer arranged along an optical path. The magnetic block is used for providing a magnetic field for the Faraday plate. The core is arranged in the magnetic field of the magnetic block. A first mark is arranged on the core and used for identifying an entrance light surface and / or an exit light surface of the core. A second mark is arranged on the magnetic block and used for identifying an entrance light surface and / or an exit light surface of the isolator. The first mark arranged on the exit light surface of the core can clearly distinguish the entrance light surface and the exit light surface of the core. The second mark arranged on the magnetic block is associated with the polarity direction of the magnetic field. The machine can accurately identify the entrance light direction and the exit light direction of the isolator, which is beneficial to the automatic assembly of the core and the magnetic block of the isolator and the automatic mounting of the isolator into the optical module. Therefore, the assembling efficiency of the isolator itself and the mounting efficiency of the isolator into the optical module are effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of optical device technology, specifically to an isolator and an optical module. Background Technology

[0002] Optical isolators are crucial components in optical communication systems, used to achieve unidirectional transmission of optical signals and suppress backlight interference. The core of an optical isolator includes optical elements such as a polarizer, a Faraday crystal plate, and an analyzer. A magnetic field provided by a magnetic block acts on the Faraday crystal plate, rotating the polarization plane of the light and achieving isolation. In practical applications of optical communication, isolators are placed within optical modules, and their orientation needs to be precisely aligned with other components such as lasers and optical processing elements. However, current technologies lack clear markings for the light input and output directions of the isolator and its core. This necessitates manual judgment based on the degree of polishing of optical surfaces or differences in component dimensions, resulting in low assembly efficiency and potential mismatches between the core's light input / output directions and the magnetic block's polarity, as well as mismatches between the isolator's light input / output directions and the optical signal. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide an isolator and an optical module to solve the problems of low assembly efficiency and easy polarity misalignment in the prior art.

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of this application disclose the following technical solutions: In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an isolator, including a core, the core comprising a polarizing plate, a Faraday plate, and an analyzing plate disposed along an optical path, the isolator further comprising: A magnetic block is used to provide a magnetic field to the Faraday plate, and the core is placed in the magnetic field of the magnetic block; A first identifier is affixed to the core to identify the light-incoming surface and / or light-outgoing surface of the core; A second identifier is provided on the magnetic block to identify the light-inlet surface and / or light-outlet surface of the isolator.

[0005] In one embodiment of this application, the first identifier is a notch or missing corner near the edge of the light-emitting surface of the core, and the second identifier is one of the chamfer, rounded corner or groove or protrusion on the surface of the magnetic block. The second identifier passes through the magnetic block along the light path.

[0006] In one embodiment of this application, the cover plate is disposed on the upper surface of the magnetic block and located above the core, and the first mark is on the side of the core facing the cover plate.

[0007] In one embodiment of this application, the magnetic block is provided with a first sol portion and / or a fourth sol portion; The core has an adhesive surface that bonds to the magnetic block. The first sol portion is adjacent to the edge of the adhesive surface of the core and penetrates the magnetic block along the optical path direction to accommodate the adhesive overflowing from the bonding between the core and the magnetic block. The fourth sol portion is located on the lower edge of the magnetic block and penetrates the magnetic block along the optical path direction, serving to accommodate adhesive overflowing from the bonding of the magnetic block with the external device.

[0008] In one embodiment of this application, the upper part of the magnetic block is provided with a receiving cavity that runs through the optical path, the core is bonded to the bottom of the receiving cavity, and the second mark is provided on the edge of the upper end of the magnetic block.

[0009] In one embodiment of this application, the magnetic block is provided with a plurality of accommodating cavities, which are arranged side by side along the length direction of the magnetic block, the length direction being perpendicular to the optical path, and each accommodating cavity is provided with a corresponding core.

[0010] In one embodiment of this application, a substrate is further included, the core is disposed on the substrate, the lower part of the magnetic block is provided with an opening that extends through the optical path, the opening faces the core, the top surface of the core is bonded to the top surface of the opening, and the second mark is disposed on the edge of the upper end of the magnetic block.

[0011] In one embodiment of this application, the substrate is provided with a second sol portion, the core has an adhesive surface for bonding with the substrate, the second sol portion is adjacent to the edge of the adhesive surface of the core and penetrates the substrate along the optical path direction, and is used to accommodate adhesive overflowing from the bonding between the substrate and the core.

[0012] In one embodiment of this application, a substrate is further included, the magnetic block and the core are disposed on the substrate, and the core is located on the side of the magnetic block, and the second mark is disposed on the surface of the magnetic block facing or away from the light-incident direction.

[0013] In one embodiment of this application, the core has an adhesive surface that is bonded to the substrate; The substrate is provided with a third sol portion, which is adjacent to the edge of the bonding surface of the core and penetrates the substrate along the optical path direction, for accommodating the adhesive overflowing from the bonding of the substrate and the magnetic block; And / or, the magnetic block is provided with a first sol portion, which is adjacent to the edge of the bonding surface of the core and extends through the magnetic block along the optical path direction, for accommodating adhesive overflowing from the bonding between the substrate and the magnetic block.

[0014] In one embodiment of this application, the edge of the substrate is provided with a third mark for identifying the light-incoming surface and / or light-outgoing surface of the isolator.

[0015] In one embodiment of this application, a plurality of cores are included, and the plurality of cores are respectively disposed on the upper surface of the magnetic block along the length direction of the magnetic block, the length direction being perpendicular to the optical path. A first identifier is disposed at the upper end of the core, and a second identifier penetrates the magnetic block in a vertical direction.

[0016] In one embodiment of this application, the surface of the magnetic block is provided with an epoxy coating.

[0017] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide an optical module, comprising: An optical transmitter is used to emit optical signals. The aforementioned isolator is disposed in the optical path of the optical signal. The isolator is used to transmit the optical signal unidirectionally, output the optical signal, and isolate the reverse transmission light that is opposite to the transmission direction of the optical signal.

[0018] In one embodiment of this application, an optical processing component is further included, disposed on one side of the light-emitting surface of the isolator, for receiving and modulating the optical signal; the core of the isolator also includes a half-wave plate, which is disposed in the optical path for rotating the polarization direction of the optical signal.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: By setting a first mark on the core to clearly distinguish the light-incoming surface and the light-outcoming surface of the core, and setting a second mark on the magnetic block to associate the magnetic field polarity direction, this application can facilitate the machine to accurately identify the light-incoming and light-outcoming directions of the isolator, avoid the technical problems of mismatch between the core and the magnetic block and the mismatch between the light-incoming and light-outcoming directions of the isolator and the optical signal, and facilitate the automated assembly of the isolator core and the magnetic block, as well as the automated mounting of the isolator into the optical module, thereby effectively improving the assembly efficiency of the isolator itself and the mounting efficiency of the isolator into the optical module. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 1 of this application; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Core sectional view; Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Embodiment 2 of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the multi-channel structure of Embodiment 3 of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the light-receiving surface of Embodiment 4 of this application; Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 5 of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the light-receiving surface of Embodiment Six of this application; Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of Embodiment Seven of this application; Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 8 of this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the optical module structure of this application.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Isolator; 11. First identifier; 12. Second identifier; 13. First sol section; 14. Second sol section; 15. Third sol section; 16. Fourth sol section; 17. Third identifier; 2. Core; 21. Polarizing filter; 22. Faraday film; 23. Analyzing polarizing filter; 24. Half-wave plate; 3. Magnetic block; 31. Receiving cavity; 32. Opening; 4. Cover plate; 5. Substrate; 61. Light emitter; 62. Light processing assembly; 63. Bonding platform; 64. Lens; 65. Other components. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. In addition, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for illustration and explanation of this application and are not intended to limit this application. In this application, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" generally refer to up, down, left, and right in the actual use or working state of the device, specifically the drawing directions in the accompanying drawings.

[0024] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," "stacked," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two elements or the interaction between two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] In the field of optical communication, isolators are crucial optical components in optical modules, used to achieve unidirectional transmission of optical signals and suppress backlight interference. With the continuous improvement of communication speeds, the requirements for optical module speeds are also increasing. When the increase in single-channel transmission rate is limited, the speed is often increased by increasing the number of channels within the optical module. Each channel typically requires at least one isolator. As the number of channels increases, the number of isolator cores that need to be assembled also increases, necessitating solutions to the assembly efficiency of isolators and the mounting efficiency of isolators within the optical module.

[0026] This application provides an isolator, such as Figure 1 As shown, the isolator 1 includes a core 2, a magnetic block 3, a first identifier 11, and a second identifier 12. The core 2 is used to achieve optical signal polarization adjustment and unidirectional transmission. Internally, along the optical path, a polarizing plate 21, a Faraday plate 22, and an analyzing polarizing plate 23 are arranged sequentially. The magnetic block 3 provides a magnetic field for the Faraday plate 22. The core 2 is placed within the magnetic field formed by the magnetic block 3, enabling the Faraday plate 22 to rotate the direction of optical polarization. The first identifier 11 is located on the core 2 to identify its own light-incoming surface and / or light-outgoing surface. The second identifier 12 is located on the magnetic block 3 to identify the light-incoming surface and / or light-outgoing surface of the isolator 1.

[0027] By setting a first identifier 11 on the core 2 to clearly distinguish the light-incoming and light-outcoming surfaces of the core 2, and setting a second identifier 12 on the magnetic block 3 to associate the magnetic field polarity direction, the machine can easily and accurately identify the light-incoming and light-outcoming directions of the isolator 1, avoiding technical problems such as mismatch between the core 2 and the magnetic block 3 and mismatch between the light-incoming and light-outcoming directions of the isolator 1 and the optical signal. Furthermore, it facilitates the automated assembly of the core 2 and the magnetic block 3 of the isolator 1, as well as the automated mounting of the isolator 1 into the optical module, thereby effectively improving the assembly efficiency of the isolator 1 itself and the mounting efficiency of the isolator 1 into the optical module.

[0028] The specific implementation methods of this application are illustrated below through examples: Example 1: like Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, the upper part of the magnetic block 3 is provided with a receiving cavity 31 that runs through the optical path, and the core 2 is fixed to the bottom of the receiving cavity 31 by an adhesive. In this embodiment, the core 2 also includes a half-wave plate 24, which is disposed in the optical path, and the side of the half-wave plate 24 away from the polarizer 23 is the light-emitting surface. A first mark 11 is disposed on the light-emitting surface to identify the light-incoming surface and / or the light-emitting surface of the core 2. A second mark 12 is disposed on the edge of the upper end of the magnetic block 3. The polarity of the magnetic block 3 matches the light-incoming and light-outcoming direction of the isolator 1. By detecting the position of the second mark 12, the polarity of the magnetic block 3 can be identified, and thus the light-incoming and light-outcoming direction of the isolator 1 can be identified.

[0029] Specifically, in this embodiment, the first identifier 11 is located on the edge of the core 2 near the light-emitting surface to identify the light-emitting surface of the core 2. For example, an angled physical mark can be formed by cutting the edge of the upper edge of the light-emitting surface, or a notch or notch can be formed, which facilitates the machine recognition device to clearly identify the first identifier 11. The machine can accurately identify the light-in and light-out direction of the core 2 by recognizing the first identifier 11 through machine vision. In some other embodiments, the first identifier 11 can also be located on the edge of the core 2 near the light-incident surface to identify the light-incident surface of the core 2.

[0030] In this embodiment, the second identifier 12 is located on the upper edge of the magnetic block 3, on the left side of the light-incoming direction of the isolator 1. That is, along the light-incoming direction, the second identifier 12 is located on the upper left side of the magnetic block 3, thereby achieving a fixed correspondence between the position of the second identifier 12 and the magnetic field direction of the magnetic block 3. During the assembly of the core 2 or the isolator 1, the polarity of the magnetic block 3 can be easily determined by machine vision identification of the second identifier 12, avoiding mismatch between the magnetic field polarity and the light path direction caused by the magnetic block 3 being installed backwards.

[0031] In this embodiment, the second identifier 12 is the chamfer of the upper edge of the magnetic block 3. For example, the second identifier 12 can be obtained by cutting the right-angled edge of the original magnetic block 3 into a bevel to form a chamfered structure that runs through the magnetic block 3 along the optical path.

[0032] Although the light direction of the isolator 1 can be identified by the first identifier 11, the first identifier 11 may be obscured and unidentifiable when the core 2 is assembled onto the magnetic block 3 due to its small size. In this case, when assembling the isolator 1 into the optical module, the light direction of the isolator 1 can be determined by identifying the second identifier 12. This can effectively improve the mounting efficiency of the isolator 1 into the optical module.

[0033] Furthermore, because the receiving cavity 31 is opened in the upper part of the magnetic block 3, the upper part of the magnetic block 3 is cut off, resulting in a reduction in the area that can be picked up. When assembling the isolator 1 into a device such as an optical module, it is difficult for automated equipment to pick up the isolator 1 through the nozzle. Therefore, in this embodiment, a cover plate 4 is provided on the upper surface of the magnetic block 3, so that the automated equipment can pick up the cover plate 4 through the nozzle to move the isolator 1 and realize automated mounting. The cover plate 4 is located above the core 2, and the first mark 11 is on the side of the core 2 facing the cover plate 4. When the cover plate 4 obstructs the second mark 12, the cover plate 4 can be made transparent, for example, transparent glass or transparent ceramic, so that the first mark 11 and the second mark 12 can be detected normally through the transparent cover plate 4.

[0034] Specifically, the core 2 can be fixed to the bottom of the receiving cavity 31 with an adhesive to ensure that the optical path of the core 2 is strictly aligned with the magnetic field direction of the magnetic block 3. In this application, for easy identification, the first identifier 11 is located on the non-adhesive side of the core 2 to ensure that the first identifier 11 can be detected.

[0035] Furthermore, because the adhesive overflows due to the compression of the core 2, the surface of the core 2 becomes contaminated, affecting the propagation of the optical signal. To solve this problem, in this embodiment, the magnetic block 3 is provided with a first sol portion 13. The core 2 has an adhesive surface for bonding with the magnetic block 3. The first sol portion 13 is located near the edge of the adhesive surface of the core 2 and extends through the magnetic block 3 along the optical path direction, serving to accommodate the adhesive overflowing during the bonding of the core 2 and the magnetic block 3. This first sol portion 13 can receive the overflowing adhesive, preventing the adhesive from being squeezed and spreading towards the light-transmitting surface of the core 2, thereby preventing the adhesive from contaminating the light-incident or light-exiting surface of the core 2.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 1 In this embodiment, the first dissolving part is an arc-shaped groove, such as a circular groove, opened on the magnetic block 3 along the optical path direction.

[0037] In some embodiments, during assembly of the isolator 1, the magnetic block 3 is bonded to an external device using adhesive. The adhesive on the outside of the magnetic block 3 may overflow due to pressure, contaminating other external components near the isolator 1. To address this issue, in this embodiment, the magnetic block 3 is provided with a fourth sol portion 16. The fourth sol portion 16 is located on the lower edge of the magnetic block 3 and extends through the magnetic block 3 along the optical path, serving to accommodate the adhesive overflowing during bonding between the magnetic block 3 and the external device. This fourth sol portion 16 receives the overflowing adhesive, thereby preventing adhesive overflow and contamination of other external components.

[0038] In this embodiment, the fourth sol portion 16 is a chamfer or missing corner on one side of the lower end face of the magnetic block 3, and the fourth sol portion 16 is located on the side of the magnetic block 3 adjacent to other external components.

[0039] The surface of the magnetic block 3 in this application is coated with an epoxy layer. Specifically, in this embodiment, an epoxy resin coating is deposited on the surface of the magnetic block 3. The polar groups of the epoxy resin can generate strong electromagnetic attraction or chemical bonding with the magnetic block 3 material. At the same time, the epoxy coating can also increase the surface roughness of the magnetic block 3, increase the mechanical interlocking effect, thereby significantly enhancing the adhesion performance and making it less prone to falling off. The epoxy coating also has excellent corrosion resistance, high temperature performance, and diverse formulation adjustment capabilities, further improving the stability of the isolator 1 under process temperature and humidity. Moreover, the epoxy coating is more compatible with the aluminum nitride substrate 5, improving the adhesion performance with the aluminum nitride substrate 5 and having better adhesion stability.

[0040] Example 2: like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the first identifier 11 is still located on the edge of the core 2 near the light-emitting surface, used to identify the light-incoming / light-outcoming surface of the core 2. Unlike Embodiment 1, in this embodiment, the second identifier 12 is a square groove located on the edge or surface of the magnetic block 3, and this groove extends through the magnetic block 3 along the light path. The square groove is formed on the upper edge or surface of the magnetic block 3, corresponding to the fixed polarity of the magnetic field of the magnetic block 3. For example, if it is formed along the left edge in the light-incoming direction, the groove cross-section is rectangular. Compared to the chamfered structure of Embodiment 1, the square groove structure of the second identifier 12 creates a more obvious and easily identifiable three-dimensional recess on the surface of the magnetic block 3.

[0041] Further reference Figure 3 As shown, unlike Embodiment 1, in this embodiment, the first sol portion 13 is a square groove formed on the magnetic block 3 along the optical path direction. The shape of the fourth sol portion 16 can also be adjusted according to actual needs; in this embodiment, the fourth sol portion 16 has a chamfer.

[0042] Example 3: like Figure 4 As shown, unlike Embodiment 1, this embodiment is a multi-channel isolator 1, including multiple receiving cavities 31 distributed along the length of the magnetic block 3, which is perpendicular to the optical path. Each receiving cavity 31 contains a corresponding core 2, which is fixed to the bottom of the receiving cavity 31 with adhesive. In the multi-channel structure, each core 2 independently corresponds to one optical signal channel, and a first identifier 11 provides directional positioning for each core 2. Automated equipment can identify the first identifier 11 of each core 2 through machine vision, determining the light-inlet and light-outlet surfaces of each core 2. When assembling multiple cores 2 into the receiving cavities 31 of the magnetic block 3, it ensures that the optical path direction of each core 2 is consistent, avoiding optical signal transmission failure of the corresponding channel due to reversed orientation of a single core 2.

[0043] In this embodiment, the arrangement of the first identifier 11, the first sol part 13, the fourth sol part 16 and the cover plate 4 can be referred to in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, and will not be repeated here.

[0044] Unlike Embodiment 1, in this embodiment, the second identifier 12 is located on the upper edge of the magnetic block 3 between adjacent cores 2. For the multi-channel structure, the second identifier 12 on the upper edge of the magnetic block 3 between adjacent cores 2 allows the machine to quickly identify the magnetic field polarity of the magnetic block 3. Based on the matching relationship between the magnetic field polarity of the magnetic block 3 and the light direction of the isolator 1, combined with the first identifier 11 on the light-emitting surface of the core 2, the machine can identify the optical path direction of the core 2 itself. At the same time, when assembling the core 2 in each channel, the second identifier 12 can be easily and quickly identified, thereby ensuring that the optical path direction of the core 2 in each channel is compatible with the magnetic field polarity of the magnetic block 3, thus ensuring the stability of the overall multi-channel unidirectional optical signal transmission function of the isolator 1.

[0045] In addition, this embodiment illustrates a dual-channel isolator 1. In other embodiments, it can also be applied to a four-channel isolator 1 or an isolator 1 with more than one channel.

[0046] Example 4: like Figure 5 As shown, unlike the embodiments described above, in this embodiment, the isolator 1 further includes a substrate 5, a core 2 is disposed on the substrate 5, the lower part of the magnetic block 3 is provided with an opening 32 that runs through the optical path, the opening 32 faces the core 2, the top surface of the core 2 is bonded to the top surface of the opening 32, and the second mark 12 is disposed on the edge of the upper end of the magnetic block 3.

[0047] Specifically, in this embodiment, the substrate 5 provides support for the core 2, and the substrate 5 can be made of glass or ceramic. The opening 32 at the bottom of the magnetic block 3 is adapted to the shape of the core 2, and the magnetic block 3 is fastened onto the core 2. In this case, when assembling the core 2 and the magnetic block 3, the magnetic field polarity between the light-emitting or light-receiving surface of the core 2 and the magnetic block 3 can also be determined by identifying the first mark 11 and the second mark 12. After the isolator 1 is assembled, the first mark 11 is blocked by the magnetic block 3, and the machine cannot visually identify the first mark 11. When the isolator 1 is mounted in application scenarios such as optical modules, the light-in and light-out direction of the isolator 1 can be identified by the second mark 12 on the upper edge of the magnetic block 3.

[0048] The core 2 is connected to the magnetic block 3 and the substrate 5 via adhesive. Since the adhesive can overflow due to compression, it can contaminate the surface of the core 2 and affect the propagation of the optical signal. To solve this problem, the magnetic block 3 in this embodiment is provided with a first sol portion 13. The core 2 has an adhesive surface for bonding with the magnetic block 3. The first sol portion 13 is located near the edge of the adhesive surface of the core 2 and extends through the magnetic block 3 along the optical path, serving to accommodate the adhesive overflowing during the bonding process between the core 2 and the magnetic block 3. This first sol portion 13 can receive the overflowing adhesive, preventing it from being squeezed and spreading towards the light-transmitting surface of the core 2, thereby preventing adhesive contamination of the light-incident or light-exiting surface of the core 2.

[0049] In this embodiment, the substrate 5 is provided with a second sol portion 14, and the core 2 has an adhesive surface for bonding with the substrate 5. The second sol portion 14 is located near the edge of the adhesive surface of the core 2 and extends through the substrate 5 along the optical path direction to accommodate adhesive overflowing from the bonding between the substrate 5 and the core 2. The second sol portion 14 can receive the overflowing adhesive, preventing the adhesive from being squeezed and diffused towards the light-transmitting surface of the core 2, thereby preventing the adhesive from contaminating the light-incident or light-exiting surface of the core 2.

[0050] In this embodiment, the first sol portion 13 and the second sol portion 14 are groove-shaped structures, such as circular grooves, square grooves or inclined grooves.

[0051] Example 5: like Figure 6 As shown, unlike the embodiments described above, in this embodiment, the isolator 1 further includes a substrate 5, a magnetic block 3 and a core 2 disposed on the substrate 5, and the core 2 is located on the side of the magnetic block 3. The second mark 12 is disposed on the surface of the magnetic block 3 facing or away from the light-incoming direction.

[0052] Specifically, each magnetic block 3 has a core 2 on both sides, with the two cores 2 respectively close to the two sides of the magnetic block 3. This embodiment illustrates a dual-channel isolator 1, which only requires one magnetic block 3.

[0053] In this embodiment, the second identifier 12 is disposed on the surface of the magnetic block 3 corresponding to the direction of light input / output and penetrates perpendicularly through the magnetic block 3. By identifying the position of the second identifier 12, the polarity of the magnetic field of the magnetic block 3 can be directly determined, thereby determining the direction of light input / output of the isolator 1. In this embodiment, the second identifier 12 is disposed on the front surface of the isolator 1 in the direction of light input. That is, along the direction of light input, the second identifier 12 is located on the front surface of the magnetic block 3, thereby achieving a fixed correspondence between the position of the second identifier 12 and the direction of the magnetic field of the magnetic block 3. During the assembly of the core 2 or the isolator 1, the polarity of the magnetic block 3 and the direction of light input / output of the isolator 1 can be conveniently determined by machine vision identification of the second identifier 12, avoiding mismatch between the magnetic field polarity and the light path direction caused by the magnetic block 3 being installed backwards.

[0054] In addition, in this embodiment, both the core 2 and the magnetic block 3 are bonded to the substrate 5 with adhesive. Since the adhesive overflows due to the pressure of the magnetic block 3, the surface of the core 2 becomes contaminated, affecting the propagation of the optical signal. To solve this problem, in this embodiment, the substrate 5 is provided with a third sol portion 15. The third sol portion 15 is located on both sides of the bonding surface between the substrate 5 and the magnetic block 3, and penetrates the substrate 5 along the optical path direction to accommodate the adhesive overflowing from the bonding between the substrate 5 and the magnetic block 3.

[0055] Example 6: like Figure 7 As shown, unlike Embodiment 5, this embodiment includes a plurality of magnetic blocks 3 distributed along the length of the substrate 5, and each magnetic block 3 has a core 2 on both sides.

[0056] Due to the presence of multiple magnetic blocks 3, the overall volume is relatively large, but the area available for picking up is small on the upper part of the isolator 1. When assembling the isolator 1 into a device such as an optical module, automated equipment has difficulty picking up the isolator 1 through the nozzle. Therefore, in this embodiment, a cover plate 4 is provided on the upper surface of the magnetic blocks 3, which facilitates the automated equipment to pick up the cover plate 4 through the nozzle to move the isolator 1 and achieve automated mounting. The cover plate 4 is located above the core 2, and the first mark 11 is on the side of the core 2 facing the cover plate 4. When the cover plate 4 obstructs the second mark 12, the cover plate 4 can be made transparent, for example, transparent glass or transparent ceramic, so that the first mark 11 and the second mark 12 can be detected normally through the transparent cover plate 4.

[0057] Example 7: like Figure 8 As shown, unlike Embodiment Six, this embodiment includes a third identifier 17 on the substrate 5. The third identifier 17 is located on the edge of the substrate 5 and extends through the substrate 5 along the light path. The shape of the third identifier 17 can be customized according to actual needs, for example, it can be one of chamfered, rounded, or square groove. When the first identifier 11 and the second identifier 12 are obscured by a structure such as a cover plate 4, the light direction of the isolator 1 can be identified by recognizing the third identifier 17.

[0058] In this embodiment, the magnetic block 3 may also be provided with a first sol portion 13, and a third sol portion 15 may be provided on the substrate 5. The provision of the first sol portion 13 and the third sol portion 15 can be referred to the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0059] Example 8: like Figure 9 As shown, unlike Embodiment 1, in this embodiment, the magnetic block 3 is a rectangular block. This embodiment includes multiple cores 2, which are respectively disposed on the upper surface of the magnetic block 3 along its length direction, wherein the length direction of the magnetic block 3 is perpendicular to the optical path. A first identifier 11 is disposed at the upper end of the core 2 to identify the light input and output direction of the core 2. A second identifier 12 penetrates the magnetic block 3 along its vertical edge, and its position corresponds to the magnetic field polarity of the magnetic block 3, while also being used to identify the overall light input and output direction of the entire multi-channel isolator 1.

[0060] During assembly of the isolator 1, the magnetic block 3 is bonded to the external device with adhesive. The adhesive on the outside of the magnetic block 3 can overflow due to pressure, contaminating other external components near the isolator 1. To solve this problem, in this embodiment, the magnetic block 3 is provided with a fourth sol portion 16. The fourth sol portion 16 is located on the lower edge of the magnetic block 3 and extends through the magnetic block 3 along the optical path, serving to accommodate the adhesive overflowing from the bonding of the magnetic block 3 to the external device. This fourth sol portion 16 can receive the overflowing adhesive, thereby preventing adhesive overflow and contamination of other external components.

[0061] like Figure 10 As shown, this application also provides an optical module, including an optical transmitter 61 and an isolator 1 of any of the above embodiments.

[0062] Among them, the light emitter 61 is used to emit light signals.

[0063] Isolator 1 is placed in the optical path of the optical signal and is used to transmit the optical signal unidirectionally, so as to output the optical signal and isolate the reverse transmission light that is opposite to the direction of optical signal transmission.

[0064] In some embodiments, the optical module further includes an optical processing component 62 disposed on one side of the light-emitting surface of the isolator 1, for receiving and modulating optical signals. In this embodiment, the core 2 of the isolator 1 further includes a half-wave plate 24 disposed in the optical path.

[0065] For details, please refer to Figure 10 In this embodiment, isolator 1 is disposed between light emitter 61 and light processing assembly 62. A collimating lens 64 is provided between isolator 1 and light emitter 61. Light emitter 61, isolator 1, lens 64, and light processing assembly 62 are all mounted on bonding platform 63 using adhesive. When mounting isolator 1, the light input and output directions of isolator 1 can be accurately identified using first identifier 11 and second identifier 12, ensuring accurate assembly of isolator 1. In this embodiment, light processing assembly 62 may include a wavelength division multiplexer to perform multiplexing processing on the optical signals emitted by multiple light emitters 61.

[0066] In some other embodiments, the optical processing component 62 may include a coupling lens 64 and a photonic integrated chip. The optical signal is coupled into the photonic integrated chip through the coupling lens 64, and then the optical signal is modulated and / or combined by the photonic integrated chip.

[0067] In some embodiments, other devices 65, such as resistors and capacitors, are also provided on the side of the bonding platform 63 located on the isolator 1. By providing the fourth sol section 16, this application can effectively receive the adhesive overflowing from the bonding platform 63 and the isolator 1, preventing contamination of other devices 65 on the bonding platform 63.

[0068] The isolator and optical module provided in this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principle and implementation of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core idea of ​​this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation and application scope based on the idea of ​​this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. An isolator, characterized in that, The isolator includes a core comprising a polarizing plate, a Faraday plate, and an analyzing plate arranged along the optical path. A magnetic block is used to provide a magnetic field to the Faraday plate, and the core is placed in the magnetic field of the magnetic block; A first identifier is affixed to the core to identify the light-incoming surface and / or light-outgoing surface of the core; A second identifier is provided on the magnetic block to identify the light-inlet surface and / or light-outlet surface of the isolator.

2. The isolator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first identifier is a notch or missing corner near the edge of the light-emitting surface of the core. The second identifier is one of the chamfers, rounded corners or grooves or protrusions on the surface of the magnetic block. The second identifier passes through the magnetic block along the light path.

3. The isolator according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a transparent cover plate disposed on the upper surface of the magnet and located above the core, with the first mark on the side of the core facing the cover plate.

4. The isolator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetic block is provided with a first sol section and / or a fourth sol section; The core has an adhesive surface that bonds to the magnetic block. The first sol portion is adjacent to the edge of the adhesive surface of the core and penetrates the magnetic block along the optical path direction to accommodate the adhesive overflowing from the bonding between the core and the magnetic block. The fourth sol portion is located on the lower edge of the magnetic block and penetrates the magnetic block along the optical path direction, serving to accommodate adhesive overflowing from the bonding of the magnetic block with the external device.

5. The isolator according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The upper part of the magnetic block is provided with a receiving cavity that runs through the optical path, the core is bonded to the bottom of the receiving cavity, and the second mark is provided on the edge of the upper end of the magnetic block.

6. The isolator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The magnetic block has multiple cavities, which are arranged side by side along the length of the magnetic block and perpendicular to the optical path. Each cavity contains a corresponding core.

7. The isolator according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a substrate, the core is disposed on the substrate, the lower part of the magnetic block has an opening that runs through the optical path, the opening faces the core, the top surface of the core is bonded to the top surface of the opening, and the second mark is disposed on the edge of the upper end of the magnetic block.

8. The isolator according to claim 7, characterized in that, The substrate is provided with a second sol portion, and the core has an adhesive surface that is bonded to the substrate. The second sol portion is adjacent to the edge of the adhesive surface of the core and penetrates the substrate along the optical path direction to accommodate adhesive overflowing from the bonding between the substrate and the core.

9. The isolator according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, It also includes a substrate, the magnetic block and the core are disposed on the substrate, and the core is located on the side of the magnetic block, and the second mark is disposed on the surface of the magnetic block facing or away from the light-incoming direction.

10. The isolator according to claim 9, characterized in that, The core has an adhesive surface that is bonded to the substrate; The substrate is provided with a third sol portion, which is adjacent to the edge of the bonding surface of the core and penetrates the substrate along the optical path direction, for accommodating the adhesive overflowing from the bonding of the substrate and the magnetic block; And / or, the magnetic block is provided with a first sol portion, which is adjacent to the edge of the bonding surface of the core and extends through the magnetic block along the optical path direction, for accommodating adhesive overflowing from the bonding between the substrate and the magnetic block.

11. The isolator according to claim 9, characterized in that, The substrate has a third mark on its edge to identify the light-inlet surface and / or light-outlet surface of the isolator.

12. The isolator according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes multiple cores, each of which is disposed on the upper surface of the magnetic block along the length direction of the magnetic block, the length direction being perpendicular to the optical path. The first identifier is disposed at the upper end of the core, and the second identifier penetrates the magnetic block vertically.

13. The isolator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the magnetic block is coated with an epoxy layer.

14. An optical module, characterized in that, include: An optical transmitter is used to emit optical signals. The isolator as described in any one of claims 1-13 is disposed in the optical path of the optical signal, and the isolator is used to transmit the optical signal unidirectionally, so as to output the optical signal and isolate the reverse transmission light opposite to the transmission direction of the optical signal.

15. The optical module according to claim 14, characterized in that, It also includes an optical processing component, located on one side of the light-emitting surface of the isolator, for receiving and modulating the optical signal; the core of the isolator also includes a half-wave plate, which is located in the optical path and is used to rotate the polarization direction of the optical signal.

Images