Mode spot conversion apparatus and method

Abstract

A mode spot conversion apparatus and method. The mode spot conversion apparatus comprises: a single-mode optical emitter (201), which is used for emitting a single-mode optical signal; an optical converter (202), which is used for receiving the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical emitter (201), and performing mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal, so as to obtain a converted optical signal, wherein mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of a mode spot of the single-mode optical signal, such that the size of a mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of a mode spot of a multi-mode optical fiber (204); and an optical fiber connector (203), which is used for transmitting the received converted optical signal to the multi-mode optical fiber (204), such that the multi-mode optical fiber (204) transmits the converted optical signal. The mode spot conversion apparatus reduces transmission loss of the single-mode optical signal in the multi-mode optical fiber (204) by means of performing mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal, thereby effectively increasing the transmission distance of single-mode light in the multi-mode optical fiber (204), and effectively improving the transmission capability of the single-mode light in the multi-mode optical fiber (204).

Description

A mold spot conversion device and method Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of optical communications, and more specifically, to a mode spot conversion device and method. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the information society, a vast amount of information needs to be converged, which will generate a large demand for network interconnection. Fiber optic communication is an essential solution for achieving network interconnection. Since optical fiber, as a transmission medium, transmits optical signals, and typical data center or campus equipment can only recognize electrical signals, optical modules are needed to achieve optical-to-electrical conversion.

[0003] For short-distance, high-speed data communications less than 2 km, optical modules are often used to transmit optical signals, and multimode optical fiber is often used for transmission. However, optical signals experience certain losses and dispersion during fiber transmission. When the optical module transmits at a 10 Gbit / s rate, the transmission distance over multimode fiber is typically 100 to 300 meters. When the optical module transmits at a 25 Gbit / s rate, the transmission distance over multimode fiber drops to 70 to 100 meters. This makes the transmission distance of single-mode optical signals over multimode fiber insufficient to meet the short-distance, high-speed data communication requirements of data center and campus networks.

[0004] Therefore, how to increase the transmission distance of single-mode light in multimode optical fiber and how to improve the transmission capacity of single-mode light in multimode optical fiber are problems that need to be solved.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a mode spot conversion device and method. The device changes the size of the mode spot of a single-mode optical signal so that the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of a multimode optical fiber, thereby increasing the transmission distance of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber and effectively improving the transmission capacity of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a pattern spot conversion device, the device comprising:

[0008] A single-mode optical transmitter is used to transmit a single-mode optical signal; an optical converter connected to the single-mode optical transmitter is used to receive the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter and perform mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal, wherein the mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal so that the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber; and an optical fiber connector connected to the optical converter is used to transmit the received converted optical signal to the multimode optical fiber so that the multimode optical fiber transmits the converted optical signal.

[0009] The matching of the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal and the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber may mean that the sizes of the mode spots of the two are equal within an error range.

[0010] Illustratively, a fiber optic connector can connect the multimode optical fiber.

[0011] In the embodiment of the present application, the optical converter modifies the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal, so that the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber. This improves the coupling efficiency between the single-mode optical signal and the multimode optical fiber, reduces coupling loss, and thus increases the transmission distance of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber, improving the transmission capacity of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the optical fiber connector is a multimode optical fiber connector, and the optical converter includes:

[0013] At least one lens is used to perform mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal.

[0014] The at least one lens may be a single lens or a combination of multiple lenses.

[0015] Exemplarily, if the at least one lens is a single lens, one lens performs mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal; if it is a combined lens, the function of each lens in the combined lens may be slightly different. Some lenses may only realize the light collimation function so that the divergent optical signal can converge the energy, while some lenses need to realize both light collimation and mode spot conversion functions. In this way, after the combined lens acts on the single-mode optical signal, the converted optical signal can be obtained, and the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present application, the optical converter is at least one lens, which realizes the mode spot conversion function. In this way, only using the at least one lens, it is possible to change the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal, minimize the dispersion and loss of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber, thereby increasing the transmission distance of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber and improving the transmission capacity of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the single-mode optical transmitter and the at least one lens are both components of an optical module, and the single-mode optical transmitter is a light emitting diode or a laser.

[0018] The optical conversion device can be an optical module, which includes a single-mode optical transmitter, an optical converter, and an optical fiber connector. The single-mode optical transmitter transmits a single-mode optical signal. The at least one lens performs mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal. The converted optical signal is transmitted through the optical fiber connector. The optical fiber connector can be directly connected to the multimode optical fiber. The size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber.

[0019] In an embodiment of the present application, the mode spot conversion device can be an optical module. The single-mode optical transmitter is a light emitting diode or a laser serving as the light source in the optical module, which is used to transmit a single-mode optical signal. The at least one lens performs mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal that matches the size of the multimode optical fiber's mode spot. The converted optical signal is transmitted by the multimode optical fiber through the multimode optical fiber connector. This optical module can meet the needs of various multimode optical fibers and realize the transmission scenarios of the single-mode optical signal in various multimode optical fibers. The optical module with mode spot conversion function is simple, practical, compact and portable.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the above-mentioned optical fiber connector is a few-mode optical fiber connector or a beam-expanding optical fiber connector, and the optical converter includes: at least one lens, used to perform a first mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain an intermediate optical signal, the first mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal so that the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber; the few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber connected to the at least one lens, used to receive the intermediate optical signal from the at least one lens, and perform a second mode spot conversion on the intermediate optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal, the second mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal.

[0021] The at least one lens can be a single lens or a combination of lenses. When the at least one lens is a single lens, one lens performs mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal. When the at least one lens is a combination of lenses, the functions of each lens in the combination of lenses can be slightly different. Some lenses can only perform the light collimation function to converge the energy of the diverging optical signal, while some lenses need to perform both light collimation and mode spot conversion functions. In this way, after the combination of lenses acts on the single-mode optical signal, the converted optical signal can be obtained, and the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber.

[0022] Exemplarily, the at least one lens includes only one lens, which changes the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal to obtain the intermediate optical signal, so that the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal matches the size of the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam optical fiber.

[0023] Exemplarily, the at least one lens includes two lenses, the first lens only performs light collimation to obtain a collimated light signal, and the second lens changes the size of the mode spot of the collimated light signal to obtain the intermediate light signal, so that the size of the mode spot of the intermediate light signal matches the size of the few-mode fiber or the expanded beam fiber.

[0024] Exemplarily, the at least one lens includes two lenses, the first lens performs light collimation and changes the size of the pattern spot of the collimated light signal to obtain a first light signal, and the second lens performs light collimation on the first light signal and changes the size of the pattern spot of the first light signal to obtain the intermediate light signal.

[0025] In an embodiment of the present application, the at least one lens in the optical converter, the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam optical fiber all have a mode spot conversion function; this combination method can not only aggregate the optical signal to reduce the energy loss of the optical signal, but also effectively obtain the converted optical signal that matches the mode spot size of the multimode optical fiber, effectively improving the transmission efficiency of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber, and the use of the lens and the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam optical fiber can, to a certain extent, meet the scenarios that are beneficial to the lens and the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam optical fiber.

[0026] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the above-mentioned optical fiber connector is a few-mode optical fiber connector or a beam-expanding optical fiber connector, and the optical converter includes: at least one lens, used to collimate the single-mode optical signal to obtain a collimated optical signal; the few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber connected to the at least one lens, used to receive the collimated optical signal from the at least one lens, and perform a third mode spot conversion on the collimated optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal, wherein the third mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the collimated optical signal.

[0027] The at least one lens only needs to focus the optical signal through light collimation to reduce the loss of optical energy.

[0028] In an embodiment of the present application, the optical converter is composed of the at least one lens and the few-mode fiber or the expanded beam fiber, wherein the at least one lens only performs light collimation for converging the optical signal, and the few-mode fiber or the expanded beam fiber is used for mode spot conversion. This combination can concentrate the energy of the optical signal as much as possible before the mode spot conversion, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the optical signal, and the use of the lens and the few-mode fiber or the expanded beam fiber can, to a certain extent, meet the scenarios that have favorable requirements for the lens and the few-mode fiber or the expanded beam fiber.

[0029] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the single-mode optical transmitter, the at least one lens, and the few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber are all components of an optical module, and the single-mode optical transmitter is a light-emitting diode or a laser.

[0030] The light-emitting diode or the laser, the at least one lens, the few-mode fiber or the beam-expanding fiber, and the optical fiber connector together constitute an optical module, wherein the light-emitting diode or the laser is a light source, the at least one lens and the few-mode fiber or the beam-expanding fiber are optical converters that perform mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal, and finally the converted optical signal is transmitted out by the multimode optical fiber through the optical fiber connector.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present application, the method of forming an optical module by combining the light-emitting diode or the laser, the optical fiber connector, the at least one lens, and the few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber is not only compact, convenient, and easy to carry, but also can effectively realize the scenario of the single-mode optical signal being transmitted in the multimode optical fiber.

[0032] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the length of the few-mode fiber or the beam-expanding fiber is greater than 10 mm.

[0033] In the embodiment of the present application, using the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam optical fiber with a length greater than 10 mm can, to a certain extent, effectively ensure that the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal can match the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber to the greatest extent.

[0034] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the above-mentioned optical converter includes: a few-mode optical fiber or a beam-expanding optical fiber, which is used to receive the single-mode optical signal from the above-mentioned single-mode optical transmitter and perform mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal.

[0035] In the embodiment of the present application, the optical converter only uses the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam optical fiber to perform mode spot conversion to obtain the converted optical signal. This not only simplifies the mode spot conversion process but also reduces the use of components to a certain extent, while also improving the transmission capability of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber.

[0036] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the above-mentioned single-mode optical transmitter is an optical module, and the device also includes: a multimode optical fiber connected to the optical fiber connector, for transmitting the converted optical signal; and a multimode optical receiver connected to the multimode optical fiber, for receiving the converted optical signal transmitted from the multimode optical fiber.

[0037] The single-mode optical transmitter can be an optical module with a pigtail or a pluggable optical module.

[0038] The multimode optical fiber receiver is used to receive the converted optical signal, and can be a single-mode optical module or a multimode optical module.

[0039] In the embodiment of the present application, the single-mode optical module transmits the single-mode optical signal, the optical converter performs mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal, and the converted optical signal is transmitted through the multimode optical fiber and received by either the multimode optical module or the single-mode optical module. This opens up a wider range of applications for the optical spot conversion device, including use in communication systems, primarily in scenarios where multimode optical fibers transmit single-mode optical signals.

[0040] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the multimode optical fiber includes at least one section of multimode optical fiber and a multimode optical fiber connector, and the at least one section of multimode optical fiber is connected to each other through the multimode optical fiber connector.

[0041] The multimode optical fiber can be formed by connecting multiple sections of multimode optical fibers of different lengths with the multimode optical fiber connector, wherein the multimode optical fiber connector is used to connect between any two sections of multimode optical fibers.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present application, a combination of multiple multimode optical fibers of different lengths is used to transmit optical signals. This not only improves the reuse rate of multimode optical fibers and multimode optical fiber connectors in actual application scenarios to a certain extent, but also saves costs to a certain extent.

[0043] In a second aspect, a mode spot conversion method is provided, which includes: a single-mode optical transmitter transmits a single-mode optical signal; an optical converter receives the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter, and performs mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal, where mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal so that the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber; and an optical fiber connector transmits the received converted optical signal to the multimode optical fiber so that the multimode optical fiber transmits the converted optical signal.

[0044] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the optical fiber connector is a multimode optical fiber connector, and the optical converter is at least one lens.

[0045] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the above-mentioned optical fiber connector is a few-mode optical fiber connector or an expanded beam optical fiber connector, and the above-mentioned optical converter is composed of at least one lens and a few-mode optical fiber or an expanded beam optical fiber; the optical converter receives the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter, and performs a mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal, specifically including: the at least one lens receives the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter, and performs a first mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain an intermediate optical signal, the first mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal so that the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam optical fiber; the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam optical fiber receives the intermediate optical signal from the at least one lens, and performs a second mode spot conversion on the intermediate optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal, the second mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal.

[0046] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the above-mentioned optical fiber connector is a few-mode optical fiber connector or a beam-expanding optical fiber connector, and the above-mentioned optical converter is composed of at least one lens, and a few-mode optical fiber or a beam-expanding optical fiber; the optical converter receives the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter, and performs mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal, specifically including: the at least one lens receives the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter, and performs optical collimation on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a collimated optical signal; the few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber receives the collimated optical signal, and performs a third mode spot conversion on the collimated optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal, and the third mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the collimated optical signal.

[0047] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the optical converter is a few-mode fiber or a beam-expanding fiber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] FIG1( a ) and FIG1( b ) are schematic diagrams of the application of two single-mode optical signals in a multimode optical fiber according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0049] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the pattern spot conversion device provided in this embodiment.

[0050] FIG3( a ) is a schematic structural diagram of a mode spot conversion device in which the single-mode optical transmitter provided in this embodiment is a pluggable optical module.

[0051] FIG3( b ) is a schematic structural diagram of a mode spot conversion device in which the single-mode optical transmitter provided by this embodiment is a pigtail optical module.

[0052] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a mode spot conversion device in which the optical converter provided by this embodiment is a few-mode fiber expansion or beam expansion fiber.

[0053] FIG5( a ) is a schematic structural diagram of a pattern spot conversion device provided in this embodiment, in which the light converter is a lens.

[0054] FIG5( b ) is a schematic structural diagram of a pattern spot conversion device in which the light converter provided by this embodiment is a plurality of lenses.

[0055] FIG5( c ) is a schematic structural diagram of a mode spot conversion device in which the optical converter provided by this embodiment is a lens and a few-mode fiber or a beam-expanding fiber.

[0056] FIG5(d) is a schematic structural diagram of a mode spot conversion device in which the optical converter provided by this embodiment comprises multiple lenses and a few-mode fiber or a beam-expanding fiber.

[0057] FIG6 is another schematic structural diagram of the pattern spot conversion device provided in this embodiment.

[0058] FIG7 is another schematic structural diagram of a mode spot conversion device provided by this embodiment in which the optical converter is a few-mode fiber or a beam-expanding fiber.

[0059] FIG8( a ) is another schematic structural diagram of a pattern spot conversion device provided in this embodiment, in which the light converter is a lens.

[0060] FIG8( b ) is another schematic structural diagram of a pattern spot conversion device provided in this embodiment in which the light converter is a plurality of lenses.

[0061] FIG8( c ) shows another structural schematic diagram of a mode spot conversion device provided by this embodiment in which the optical converter is a lens and a few-mode fiber or a beam expander.

[0062] FIG8( d ) is another schematic structural diagram of a mode spot conversion device in which the optical converter provided by this embodiment is a plurality of lenses and a few-mode fiber or a beam-expanding fiber.

[0063] FIG9 is a schematic flow chart of a method for performing pattern spot conversion provided by this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] The following describes embodiments of the present application in detail, and examples of the embodiments of the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended only to explain the present application and are not to be construed as limiting the present application.

[0065] The terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. (if any) in this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances.

[0066] In the embodiments of the present application, "and / or" is merely a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship. In addition, "at least one of A, B, and C" means that (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C) can exist.

[0067] In order to make the technical problems solved by this application, the technical solutions adopted and the technical effects achieved clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments.

[0068] In order to increase the transmission distance of single-mode optical signals in the multi-mode optical fiber field, some new technologies have emerged in the existing technology. One of the solutions is to use a refractive lens to converge the divergent light signal of the light source. The converged light signal passes through an optically transparent molded material and is incident on the diffraction surface. The diffraction surface shapes the received converged light signal and outputs it through the optical fiber connector. This solution can achieve a maximum transmission distance of 250 meters for single-mode light and supports a maximum of 4 optical fiber connectors. This solution increases the transmission distance of single-mode light to a certain extent, but it still cannot meet the current mainstream scenario of 300-meter multi-mode optical fiber transmission requirements, and this solution cannot meet the demand for reuse of optical fiber connectors in campus scenarios. In addition, Source Photonics has applied for patent CN215641957U, "Fiber Optic Connector with Mode Spot Conversion." The disclosed solution includes: a connector body containing an inner core and an interface for connecting to a multimode fiber. The inner core defines an optical transmission channel. The mode fields at either end of the optical transmission channel are a first mode field and a second mode field, respectively. The second mode field is larger than the first mode field. One end of the second mode field is connected to the interface, and the second mode field is the same size as the fundamental mode of the multimode fiber. Simply put, a light beam enters the first mode field, passes through the connector body, and is converted to the second mode field, matching the mode field of the fiber at the output end. This solution is a mode spot converter, which to some extent solves current problems, but the specific effectiveness remains to be verified.

[0069] In order to increase the transmission distance of single-mode optical signals in multimode optical fiber scenarios, improve the transmission capacity of single-mode optical signals in multimode optical fibers, and realize the reuse of existing multimode optical fibers and optical fiber connectors, the present application provides a mode spot conversion device and method, which are described in detail as follows.

[0070] First, some professional terms that may be used in the following embodiments are introduced.

[0071] Optical modules are generally composed of electronic components, functional circuits, and optical interfaces. Optoelectronic components include both transmitting and receiving components. Simply put, an optical module converts electrical signals into optical signals at the transmitting end. After transmission via optical fiber, the optical signals are then converted back into electrical signals at the receiving end. Functionally, optical modules include optical receiving modules, optical transmitting modules, integrated optical transceiver modules, and optical forwarding modules. Single-mode optical modules are suitable for long-distance transmission, while multi-mode optical modules are suitable for short-distance transmission. Optical modules are used as the carrier for transmission between switches and devices and are more efficient and secure than transceivers.

[0072] Single-mode optical modules: Single-mode optical fiber uses a solid-state laser as its light source; the "single-mode" in optical modules actually refers only to the type of optical fiber. Single-mode optical modules are used with single-mode optical fiber and utilize a laser diode (LD) or an LED with a narrow spectral linewidth as their light source. They can transmit extremely high-bandwidth data signals, thus enabling long transmission distances. Single-mode optical modules are primarily used in long-distance, relatively high-speed transmission lines, such as long-haul trunk lines and metropolitan area network construction.

[0073] Multimode optical modules: Multimode optical fibers use light-emitting diodes as light sources. These optical modules, when combined with optical devices and multimode optical fibers to achieve optimal transmission characteristics, are called multimode optical modules. They can transmit multiple modes of light. However, due to the large intermodal dispersion, which limits the frequency of digital signal transmission, multimode optical modules are generally used for short-distance transmission. Multimode optical modules are often used in networks with relatively low transmission rates and short transmission distances, such as local area networks (LANs). These networks typically have numerous nodes, connectors, and detours, as well as a high number of connectors and couplers, and require a large number of light sources per unit fiber length. Using multimode optical modules can effectively reduce network costs.

[0074] Laser: A device that can emit laser light. Based on the working medium, lasers can be divided into four categories: gas lasers, solid-state lasers, semiconductor lasers, and dye lasers.

[0075] Fiber optic pigtails: As highly stable devices with extremely low insertion loss and reflection loss, they are primarily used to connect fiber couplers, transmission equipment, and optical fiber (ODF) racks. Fiber optic pigtails, also known as pigtail cables, are cables with a connector on one end and a blank end. The blank end can be connected to the fiber core of another cable through fusion splicing. Fiber optic pigtails are also often found in fiber optic terminal boxes, connecting optical cables to fiber optic transceivers. Fiber optic pigtails are categorized as multimode and single-mode.

[0076] Expanded beam fiber, also known as lensed fiber (thermally diffused fiber), is simply a fiber that is heated at high temperatures to expand its core diameter, thereby increasing coupling efficiency. TEC fiber is primarily used to reduce coupling losses caused by optical misalignment between two different SM fiber cores, as well as optical calibration errors during assembly of laser diodes and optical components. Thermally diffused fiber is a type of expanded beam fiber. Generally, lensed fibers are typically formed into a lens-like shape on the optoelectronic end face, such as by sintering into a spherical shape, etching (because germanium-containing areas corrode slowly), or arc discharge techniques.

[0077] Few-mode fiber: A single-core optical fiber with a larger mode field area than ordinary single-mode optical fiber, allowing a small number of optical fiber modes to be transmitted together in the optical fiber.

[0078] Single-mode fiber: This fiber has a very thin central glass core (typically 9 or 10 μm in diameter) and only supports a single transmission mode. Single-mode fiber exhibits relatively low transmission loss and dispersion. Low transmission loss allows signals to travel longer distances within the fiber, while low dispersion facilitates high-speed, high-capacity data transmission. Therefore, single-mode fiber is commonly used in communications devices, especially high-capacity ones. Single-mode fiber is used in long-distance, high-capacity fiber-optic communications, fiber-optic local area networks, and various fiber-optic sensors.

[0079] Multimode fiber: Fiber that transmits multiple modes at a given operating wavelength. Based on its refractive index distribution, it is categorized as either step-index or graded-index. Common multimode fiber has a numerical aperture of 0.2±0.02 and a core diameter / outer diameter ratio of 50μm / 125μm. Its transmission parameters are bandwidth and loss. Because multimode fiber transmits hundreds of modes, each with different propagation constants and group velocities, it exhibits narrow bandwidth, high dispersion, and high loss, making it suitable only for short- to medium-distance, low-capacity fiber-optic communication devices.

[0080] Lens: An optical component made of a transparent material with a spherical surface. A lens is composed of several lenses and can be made of plastic or glass. Glass lenses are more expensive than plastic lenses. Common camera lens configurations include: 1P, 2P, 1G1P, 1G2P, 2G2P, and 4G. The more lenses, the higher the cost.

[0081] Mode spot conversion: The mode field diameter of a multimode fiber is approximately 50μm, while the mode field diameter of a conventional single-mode fiber is approximately 9μm. This significant mismatch between the two modes results in significant coupling loss. To improve the coupling efficiency between single-mode light and the fiber, and thus enhance the transmission capability of single-mode light in multimode fiber, conventional mode spot conversion primarily enlarges the small single-mode light spot to a size that matches the fiber's mode field, thereby increasing coupling efficiency and transmission capability.

[0082] Optical loss: Loss is the loss of light energy due to absorption, scattering and leakage of the medium when light is transmitted in the optical fiber. This energy is dissipated at a certain rate as the transmission distance increases.

[0083] Optical dispersion: Dispersion occurs primarily because electromagnetic waves of different wavelengths propagate at different speeds in the same medium. This causes the different wavelength components of the optical signal to arrive at the receiver at different times due to the accumulation of transmission distances, resulting in pulse broadening and the inability to distinguish signal values.

[0084] Transmission distance: The transmission distance of optical fiber modules is divided into three types: short distance, medium distance, and long distance. Generally speaking, 2 km or less is considered short distance, 10-20 km is considered medium distance, and 30 km, 40 km, and above are considered long distance.

[0085] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0086] Figures 1(a) and 1(b) are schematic diagrams of the application of two single-mode optical signals in multimode optical fibers provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1(a) is a data center network application scenario, and Figure 1(b) is a campus network application scenario.

[0087] With technological advancements and social development, data centers have become the engine of modern life. The ever-increasing volume of network information is transmitted and stored at high speeds through data centers. Today's data centers are no longer simply single computer rooms; they are vast clusters of data centers comprised of multiple rooms. For the normal operation of internet services, data centers must operate collaboratively. The massive amount of information flowing between data centers simultaneously creates the need for data center interconnection networks, and fiber-optic communication is a necessary solution for achieving this interconnection. Unlike traditional telecommunications access network transmission equipment, data center interconnection must achieve higher and more intensive transmission of information, requiring switching equipment with higher speeds, lower power consumption, and greater miniaturization. A key factor in achieving these performance goals is the optical communication module. Information networks primarily use optical fiber as the transmission medium, transmitting optical signals. However, conventional equipment can only interpret electrical signals, and optical modules are the core components that perform the photoelectric conversion.

[0088] Data center communication optical modules can be divided into three categories according to the connection type:

[0089] ①Inside the data center, mainly used for information storage, generation and mining;

[0090] ②Data center interconnection, mainly used for data replication, software and device upgrades;

[0091] ③ From data center to users, from accessing the cloud to our daily use, such as watching videos, browsing articles, sending and receiving emails, etc.

[0092] As we all know, optical fiber can be categorized by transmission mode into single-mode and multimode. The primary difference between the two types of fiber lies in their nominal diameter: multimode fiber has a nominal diameter of 50 to 62.5 microns, while single-mode fiber has a nominal diameter of 9 to 10 microns. Multimode fiber has a narrow transmission bandwidth, while single-mode fiber has a wide bandwidth. Therefore, multimode transmission distances are generally limited to a few kilometers, while single-mode can reach up to 70 kilometers. Therefore, the choice of optical fiber depends on the actual needs of the data center. Generally, data centers have relatively centralized internal equipment, located within a few buildings within the same campus, and therefore utilize multimode fiber and multimode optical modules. However, when connecting data centers to longer-distance metropolitan area networks (MANs) or carrier networks, or when connecting to other data centers across multiple locations, single-mode fiber and single-mode optical modules are generally required.

[0093] Similarly, in a campus network, communications within the campus are mostly short distances, and multi-mode optical fiber and multi-mode optical modules are generally used. When the campus is connected to a more distant metropolitan area network or operator for communication, and when connecting between campuses across regions, single-mode optical fiber and single-mode optical modules are mostly used due to the longer distances.

[0094] The data center network architecture shown in Figure 1(a), also known as the spine-leaf architecture, is a data center network topology consisting of two switch layers—spine and leaf—and an access layer (TOR). The spine switches can be considered the core switches in a traditional three-tier architecture, except that the spine switches here are no longer the large chassis-based switches of the three-tier architecture, but high-port-density switches. The leaf switches are the access layer, providing network connectivity to terminals and servers and also uplinking to the spine switches. A TOR (Top of Rack) switch is also located in the access layer. TOR (Top of Rack) refers to deploying one or two switches in each server cabinet. Servers are directly connected to the switches in that cabinet, enabling interconnection between servers and switches within the cabinet. The leaf-spine topology is designed to address the rapid growth of traffic and the continuous expansion of data center scale, meeting the need for high-speed interconnection within the data center that cannot be met by the traditional three-tier network topology. In the spine-leaf architecture, the spine and leaf layers are connected using single-mode fiber, while the leaf and TOR layers are connected using multimode fiber.

[0095] The campus network architecture shown in Figure 1(b) is a traditional three-layer network architecture consisting of a core layer, aggregation layer, access layer, and servers. The core layer primarily serves as the network's high-speed switching backbone; the aggregation layer focuses on providing policy-based connectivity and is located between the access layer and the core layer; and the access layer is responsible for connecting workstations, including computers and access points, to the network / servers. Single-mode fiber is used to connect the core and aggregation layers, while multimode fiber or single-mode fiber is used to connect the aggregation and access layers. The scenario described here primarily uses multimode fiber, and the deployment length of multimode fiber is typically 300 meters.

[0096] As optical signals travel over optical fibers, they experience optical loss and dispersion as the distance increases. These loss and dispersion become more severe over longer distances. Furthermore, as the transmission rate of optical modules increases, the transmission distance of optical signals over multimode fiber decreases. For example, at a 10 Gbit / s transmission rate, the transmission distance over multimode fiber is typically 100 to 300 meters. However, at a 25 Gbit / s transmission rate, the transmission distance drops to 70 to 100 meters. This is far from meeting the needs of short-distance, high-speed data communications over multimode fiber in data center and campus networks.

[0097] Figure 1(a) is used to represent the data center network architecture, in which multimode optical fiber is used to transmit optical signals between the Leaf switch and the TOR switch. Therefore, in order to increase the propagation distance of the optical signal in the multimode optical fiber and improve the transmission capacity of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber, the present application proposes to use a mode spot conversion device in the Leaf switch, and use the mode spot conversion device to convert the single-mode optical signal into a mode field size to obtain an optical signal that matches the mode field size of the multimode optical fiber. The specific implementation method of the mode spot conversion device can be referred to the relevant embodiments below.

[0098] Figure 1(b) is used to represent the campus network architecture, in which multimode optical fiber is used to connect the aggregation layer switch and the access layer switch. The present application proposes the use of a mode spot conversion device at the aggregation layer switch layer. The mode spot conversion device is applied at the aggregation layer to realize mode spot conversion so that the size of the mode spot of the output converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber. The specific implementation method of the mode spot conversion device can refer to the relevant embodiments below.

[0099] It should be noted that the above-mentioned use of the pattern conversion device in the Leaf switch and the aggregation layer switch is only an example, and the present application does not limit the use of the pattern conversion device in other layer switches.

[0100] Figure 2 shows the structure of the mode spot conversion device provided by the present application. Specifically, the mode spot conversion device includes a single-mode optical transmitter 201, an optical converter 202, and an optical fiber connector 203. The single-mode optical transmitter 201 is used to transmit a single-mode optical signal and generally includes a laser or a light-emitting diode. The specific product form may be a pluggable optical module or an optical module with a pigtail. The optical converter 202 is used to perform mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal. The converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot in the multimode optical fiber. The optical fiber connector 203 connected to the optical converter 202 is used to transmit the received converted optical signal to the multimode optical fiber, so that the multimode optical fiber transmits the converted optical signal.

[0101] Since the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber, the coupling loss between the single-mode optical signal and the multimode optical fiber is reduced, thereby increasing the transmission distance of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber and improving the transmission capacity of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber; the optical fiber connector 203 is usually a multimode optical fiber connector, which is used to connect multimode optical fibers. In short, the mode spot conversion device is simple, easy to use, efficient and fast.

[0102] FIG3( a ) shows the structure of a single-mode optical transmitter 201 provided in the present application. Specifically, the single-mode optical transmitter 201 is a pluggable optical module, which is used to transmit a single-mode optical signal and directly transmit the single-mode optical signal to the optical converter 202 .

[0103] Figure 3(b) shows the structure of another single-mode optical transmitter 201 provided in the present application. Specifically, the single-mode optical transmitter 201 is an optical module with a pigtail, which is used to transmit a single-mode optical signal. The single-mode optical signal is transmitted to the optical converter 202 through the "pigtail", that is, the single-mode optical fiber.

[0104] Figure 4 illustrates the structure of the optical converter 202 in the mode spot conversion device of an embodiment of the present application. The optical converter is specifically a few-mode fiber or an expanded beam fiber. In the case where the optical converter 202 is a few-mode fiber or an expanded beam fiber, the single-mode optical transmitter 201 is used to transmit a single-mode optical signal. Typically, the transmitter may include a laser or a light-emitting diode (LED). The specific product form may be a pluggable single module or an optical module with a pigtail. The few-mode fiber or the expanded beam fiber is used to perform mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal. The size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot in the multimode fiber. The optical fiber connector 203 connected to the optical converter 202 is used to transmit the received converted optical signal to the multimode fiber, so that the multimode fiber transmits the converted optical signal.

[0105] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) show the structure of the optical converter 202 in the pattern spot conversion device provided in this application. The optical converter 202 is specifically at least one lens. Specifically, Figure 5(a) shows the case of one lens, and Figure 5(b) shows the case of multiple lenses.

[0106] For the above two situations of at least one lens, the at least one lens is used to perform mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal, and the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot in the multimode optical fiber. Each lens in the at least one lens may have different functions, wherein some lenses may only have the function of light collimation and output the input optical signal in a collimated manner, some lenses may only realize the function of mode spot conversion, and some lenses may realize both the function of light collimation and the function of mode spot conversion. The combination of the at least one lens can change the size of the mode spot of the input single-mode optical signal to match the size of the mode spot in the multimode optical fiber. The first mode spot conversion is achieved by the at least one lens, wherein the first mode spot conversion refers to enlarging the size of the fundamental mode spot of the single-mode optical signal to match the size of the mode field in the few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber. In other words, the at least one lens is used to change the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal to obtain an intermediate optical signal, so that the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal matches the size of the mode spot in the few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber.

[0107] Figures 5(c) and 5(d) show the structure of the optical converter 202 in the mode spot conversion device provided in the present application. The optical converter 202 includes at least one lens and an implementation method of a few-mode optical fiber or a beam-expanding optical fiber, wherein at least one lens can still be a lens or a combination of multiple lenses (two or more).

[0108] In this implementation, at least one lens and the few-mode fiber or the expanded beam fiber can also have two functional combinations; the first functional combination is: at least one lens is used to perform optical collimation on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a collimated optical signal; the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam fiber performs a third mode spot conversion on the collimated optical signal, that is, changes the size of the mode spot of the collimated optical signal to match the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber; the second functional combination is: at least one lens is used to perform a first mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain an intermediate optical signal, the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam fiber; the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam fiber performs a second mode spot conversion on the intermediate optical signal to change the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal to match the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber.

[0109] The converted optical signal is transmitted by the multimode optical fiber through the optical fiber connector 203;

[0110] This device can effectively increase the transmission distance of single-mode light in multi-mode optical fiber and effectively improve the transmission capacity of single-mode optical signals in multi-mode optical fiber.

[0111] FIG6 shows the structure of a mode spot conversion device provided in the present application. The mode spot conversion device includes a single-mode optical transmitter 201 , an optical converter 202 , an optical fiber connector 203 , a multi-mode optical fiber 204 and a multi-mode optical receiver 205 .

[0112] The single-mode optical transmitter 201 is used to transmit a single-mode optical signal. The single-mode optical transmitter 201 is an optical module, which can be a hot-swappable single-mode optical module or a single-mode optical module with a pigtail. The optical converter 202 is used to perform mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal. The converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot in the multimode optical fiber. The optical fiber connector 203 connected to the optical converter 202 is used to transmit the received converted optical signal to the multimode optical fiber, so that the multimode optical fiber transmits the converted optical signal. The multimode optical fiber 204 receives the converted optical signal through the multimode optical fiber connector 203 and transmits the converted optical signal. The multimode optical receiver 205 receives the converted optical signal from the multimode optical fiber.

[0113] The optical converter 202 and the multimode optical fiber 204 are connected using an optical fiber connector 203. The multimode optical fiber 204 can be composed of multiple sections of multimode optical fiber of different lengths and multimode optical fiber connectors. The multimode optical receiver 205 can be a single-mode optical module or a multimode optical module for receiving the converted optical signal.

[0114] As described above, the optical converter 202 implements mode spot conversion for single-mode light, and by enlarging the size of the fundamental mode spot of the single-mode optical signal to match the size of the mode field in the multimode optical fiber, the transmission distance of the single-mode light in the multimode optical fiber is effectively increased, and the transmission capacity of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode optical fiber is effectively improved.

[0115] In combination with the structure of the mode spot conversion device shown in FIG6 , in one implementation of the present application, the optical converter 202 may be a few-mode fiber or a beam-expanding fiber. In this case, the structure of the mode spot conversion device is shown in FIG7 .

[0116] The single-mode optical transmitter 201 transmits a single-mode optical signal. The single-mode optical transmitter 201 is an optical module, which can be a hot-swappable single-mode optical module or a single-mode optical module with a pigtail. The few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam optical fiber is used to perform mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal, and the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot in the multimode optical fiber. The optical fiber connector 203 connected to the optical converter 202 is used to transmit the received converted optical signal to the multimode optical fiber, so that the multimode optical fiber transmits the converted optical signal. The multimode optical fiber receives the converted optical signal through the multimode optical fiber connector and transmits the converted optical signal. The multimode optical receiver receives the converted optical signal from the multimode optical fiber.

[0117] The optical converter 202 is connected to the multimode optical fiber using an optical fiber connector 203. The multimode optical fiber can be composed of multiple sections of multimode optical fiber of different lengths and multimode optical fiber connectors. The multimode optical receiver can be a single-mode optical module or a multimode optical module for receiving the converted optical signal.

[0118] In combination with the structure of the pattern spot conversion device shown in Figure 6, in another implementation of the present application, the light converter 202 may include at least one lens, wherein the at least one lens may be a lens or a combination of multiple lenses (two or more). At this time, the structure of the pattern spot conversion device is shown in Figure 8(a) or Figure 8(b).

[0119] In the above two cases of at least one lens, the at least one lens is used to perform mode spot conversion on a single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal, and the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot in the multimode optical fiber. Each lens in the at least one lens may have different functions, wherein some lenses may only have the function of light collimation and output a collimated input optical signal, some lenses may only perform the function of mode spot conversion, and some lenses may perform both the functions of light collimation and mode spot conversion. The combination of the at least one lens is sufficient to change the size of the mode spot of the input single-mode optical signal to match the size of the mode spot in the multimode optical fiber.

[0120] In combination with the structure of the mode spot conversion device shown in Figure 6, in one implementation of the present application, the optical converter 202 includes at least one lens and a few-mode optical fiber or a beam-expanding optical fiber, wherein the at least one lens can be a lens or a combination of multiple lenses (two or more). At this time, the structure of the mode spot conversion device is as shown in Figure 8(c) or Figure 8(d).

[0121] In this implementation, at least one lens and the few-mode fiber or the expanded beam fiber can also have two functional combinations; the first functional combination is: at least one lens is used to perform optical collimation on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a collimated optical signal; the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam fiber performs a third mode spot conversion on the collimated optical signal, that is, changes the size of the mode spot of the collimated optical signal to match the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber; the second functional combination is: at least one lens is used to perform a first mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain an intermediate optical signal, the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam fiber; the few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam fiber performs a second mode spot conversion on the intermediate optical signal to change the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal to match the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber.

[0122] The multimode optical fiber receives the converted optical signal through a multimode optical fiber connector and transmits the converted optical signal. The optical converter 202 and the multimode optical fiber are connected using an optical fiber connector 203. The multimode optical fiber can be composed of multiple sections of multimode optical fiber of different lengths and multimode optical fiber connectors. The multimode optical receiver can be a single-mode optical module or a multimode optical module for receiving the converted optical signal.

[0123] In summary, the role of the lens is to expand the size of the fundamental mode spot of the single-mode optical signal so that it matches the size of the mode field in the few-mode fiber or the expanded beam fiber. The role of the few-mode fiber or the expanded beam fiber is to further expand the size of the fundamental mode spot of the optical signal so that it matches the size of the mode field of the multimode fiber, thereby effectively increasing the transmission distance of the single-mode light in the multimode fiber and effectively improving the transmission capacity of the single-mode optical signal in the multimode fiber.

[0124] FIG9 shows a schematic flow chart of a pattern spot conversion method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0125] Exemplarily, the method 200 of the embodiment of the present application may be executed by the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 .

[0126] Exemplarily, the method 200 of the embodiment of the present application may be executed by the apparatus shown in FIG. 6 .

[0127] As shown in FIG9 , the method 200 includes the following steps:

[0128] 210 , obtain a single-mode optical signal from a single-mode optical transmitter.

[0129] Exemplarily, the single-mode optical transmitter may be a pluggable optical module or an optical module with a pigtail.

[0130] 220. The optical converter performs mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal and obtains a converted optical signal. The mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal so that the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber.

[0131] Exemplarily, the optical converter may be a few-mode fiber or a beam-expanding fiber, which performs mode-spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal.

[0132] Exemplarily, the optical converter may be at least one lens, which performs mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal, wherein the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber.

[0133] Exemplarily, the optical converter can be at least one lens and a few-mode optical fiber or a beam-expanding optical fiber. The at least one lens receives the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter and performs optical collimation on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a collimated optical signal. The few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber receives the collimated optical signal and performs a third mode spot conversion on the collimated optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal. The third mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the collimated optical signal.

[0134] Exemplarily, the optical converter can be at least one lens and a few-mode fiber or an expanded beam fiber. The at least one lens receives the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter and performs a first mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain an intermediate optical signal. The first mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal so that the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the few-mode fiber or the expanded beam fiber. The few-mode fiber or the expanded beam fiber receives the intermediate optical signal from the at least one lens and performs a second mode spot conversion on the intermediate optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal. The second mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal. 230. The optical fiber connector transmits the converted optical signal, and the converted optical signal is transmitted through the optical fiber connector. Exemplarily, the converted optical signal can be transmitted through the optical fiber connector and transmitted by a multimode optical fiber, and finally received by a multimode optical receiver.

[0135] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0136] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0137] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0138] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0139] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0140] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0141] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A pattern spot conversion device, characterized in that: include: A single-mode optical transmitter, used for transmitting a single-mode optical signal; an optical converter connected to the single-mode optical transmitter, configured to receive the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter, and perform mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal, wherein the mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal so that the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber; and, The optical fiber connector connected to the optical converter is used to transmit the received converted optical signal to the multi-mode optical fiber, so that the multi-mode optical fiber transmits the converted optical signal.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The optical fiber connector is a multimode optical fiber connector, and the optical converter comprises: At least one lens is used to perform the mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The single-mode optical transmitter and the at least one lens are both components of an optical module, and the single-mode optical transmitter is a light emitting diode or a laser.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The optical fiber connector is a few-mode optical fiber connector or an expanded beam optical fiber connector, and the optical converter comprises: at least one lens, configured to perform a first mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain an intermediate optical signal, wherein the first mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal so that the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the few-mode optical fiber or the beam expansion optical fiber; The few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber connected to the at least one lens is used to receive the intermediate optical signal from the at least one lens, and perform a second mode spot conversion on the intermediate optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal, wherein the second mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The optical fiber connector is a few-mode optical fiber connector or an expanded beam optical fiber connector, and the optical converter comprises: at least one lens, used to perform optical collimation on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a collimated optical signal; The few-mode optical fiber or the expanded beam optical fiber connected to the at least one lens is used to receive the collimated optical signal from the at least one lens, and perform a third mode spot conversion on the collimated optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal, wherein the third mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the collimated optical signal.

6. The device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that The single-mode optical transmitter, the at least one lens, and the few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber are all components of an optical module, and the single-mode optical transmitter is a light emitting diode or a laser.

7. The device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: The length of the few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber is greater than 10 mm.

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The optical converter comprises: The few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber is used to receive the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter and perform the mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal.

9. The device according to claim 2, 4, 5 or 8, characterized in that The single-mode optical transmitter is an optical module, and the device further includes: The multimode optical fiber connected to the optical fiber connector is used to transmit the converted optical signal; The multimode optical receiver connected to the multimode optical fiber is used to receive the converted optical signal transmitted from the multimode optical fiber.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that The multimode optical fiber includes at least one section of multimode optical fiber and a multimode optical fiber connector, and the at least one section of multimode optical fiber is connected to each other through the multimode optical fiber connector.

11. A method for converting a pattern spot, characterized in that: include: The single-mode optical transmitter transmits a single-mode optical signal; The optical converter receives the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter, and performs mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal, wherein the mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal so that the size of the mode spot of the converted optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the multimode optical fiber; The optical fiber connector transmits the received converted optical signal to the multi-mode optical fiber, so that the multi-mode optical fiber transmits the converted optical signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The optical fiber connector is a multimode optical fiber connector, and the optical converter is at least one lens.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The optical fiber connector is a few-mode optical fiber connector or a beam-expanding optical fiber connector, and the optical converter is composed of at least one lens and a few-mode optical fiber or a beam-expanding optical fiber. The optical converter receives the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter, and performs mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal, specifically comprising: The at least one lens receives the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter, and performs a first mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain an intermediate optical signal, wherein the first mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the single-mode optical signal so that the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal matches the size of the mode spot of the few-mode optical fiber or the beam expansion optical fiber; The few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber receives the intermediate optical signal from the at least one lens, and performs a second mode spot conversion on the intermediate optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal, wherein the second mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the intermediate optical signal.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The optical fiber connector is a few-mode optical fiber connector or a beam-expanding optical fiber connector, and the optical converter is composed of at least one lens and a few-mode optical fiber or a beam-expanding optical fiber. The optical converter receives the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter, and performs mode spot conversion on the single-mode optical signal to obtain a converted optical signal, specifically comprising: The at least one lens receives the single-mode optical signal from the single-mode optical transmitter and optically collimates the single-mode optical signal to obtain a collimated optical signal; The few-mode optical fiber or the beam-expanding optical fiber receives the collimated optical signal and performs a third mode spot conversion on the collimated optical signal to obtain the converted optical signal, wherein the third mode spot conversion refers to changing the size of the mode spot of the collimated optical signal.

15. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The optical converter is a few-mode optical fiber or a beam-expanding optical fiber.

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