Optical transmission medium, connector, adapter, optical module, and optical communication system

Abstract

Provided in the present application are an optical transmission medium, a connector, an adapter, an optical module, and an optical communication system. The optical transmission medium comprises a protective sheath and a plurality of optical fibers, wherein the plurality of optical fibers are arranged in the protective sheath; the protective sheath is thermally fused to the optical fibers adjacent to the protective sheath; and each two adjacent optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers are thermally fused. Therefore, by means of thermal fusion, the protective sheath is integrally connected to the plurality of optical fibers, which improves the fiber exit density while keeping the fiber core size of the optical fibers unchanged, and retains optical transmission characteristics of the optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers. Thus, the optical transmission medium of the present application has the characteristics of high density, small space occupancy ratio, high precision, high reliability and low cost.

Description

An optical transmission medium, connector, adapter, optical module, and optical communication system.

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411623814.0, filed on November 13, 2024, entitled "An optical transmission medium, connector, adapter, optical module and optical communication system", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to an optical transmission medium, connector, adapter, optical module and optical communication system. Background Technology

[0003] A fiber optic connector is a reusable passive device used to connect two or more optical fibers, or to connect optical cables to form a continuous optical path. Currently, in panel connectors (e.g., side-out connectors), there is a problem of low fiber density. To increase panel fiber density, one solution is to use multi-core fiber optic connectors, replacing the single-core fiber in the connector with a multi-core fiber. However, multi-core fibers still use the diameter of single-core fibers, and the core diameter of multi-core fibers is smaller than that of normal single-core fibers. This requires additional fan-in and fan-out patch cords, making it difficult to adapt to a complete network, limiting widespread application, and increasing costs. Therefore, how to increase panel fiber density while achieving full network compatibility is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an optical transmission medium, connector, adapter, optical module, and optical communication system, which increases the fiber density of the panel through a thermal fusion connection method to achieve full network compatibility.

[0005] Firstly, an optical transmission medium is provided, comprising a protective sleeve and multiple optical fibers, wherein: the multiple optical fibers are disposed within the protective sleeve; the protective sleeve and adjacent optical fibers are thermally fused together; and adjacent two optical fibers among the multiple optical fibers are thermally fused together. Thus, by thermally fusing the protective sleeve and multiple optical fibers to form a whole, this method increases the fiber density while maintaining the fiber core size unchanged and preserving the optical transmission characteristics of the multiple optical fibers. This makes the optical transmission medium of this application possess the characteristics of high density, small space occupation, high precision, high reliability, and low cost.

[0006] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the optical fibers in a plurality of optical fibers include a core and a cladding; the thermal fusion connection between the protective sheath and the adjacent optical fibers includes: a thermal fusion connection between the cladding of the protective sheath and the adjacent optical fibers; the thermal fusion connection between two adjacent optical fibers in a plurality of optical fibers includes: a thermal fusion connection between the cladding of two adjacent optical fibers in a plurality of optical fibers. That is, the optical fiber in this application is an optical fiber after the coating has been removed, or the optical fiber in this application has not been coated during the manufacturing process. Therefore, the cladding and protective sheath of the optical fiber, two materials with similar melting points, can be used for thermal fusion connection, reducing the processing and manufacturing difficulty of the optical transmission medium.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the protective sleeve and the cladding of multiple optical fibers are made of the same material. Therefore, the cladding and protective sleeve of the optical fiber can be directly fused together, reducing the difficulty of processing and manufacturing the optical transmission medium.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, wherein: the voids in the optical transmission medium are filled by a cladding comprising multiple optical fibers; and / or the voids in the optical transmission medium are filled with a glass material having a melting point of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius. That is, the cross-section of the optical transmission medium forms a complete unit. If voids exist in the cross-section of the optical transmission medium, low-melting-point glass can be used to fill the voids, making the optical transmission medium a glass block without any voids or pores.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, wherein: the plurality of optical fibers includes a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, the diameters of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber being smaller than the remaining optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers. The connection of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber can form a connecting line, that is, the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber can serve as a mark point, so that when the optical transmission medium is docked with another optical transmission medium, the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber can be used for calibration and alignment.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the tolerance of the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers before and after thermal fusion is less than or equal to 1 micrometer. Specifically, this tolerance can refer to the dimensional tolerance of the fiber core and / or fiber cladding. This ensures that the fiber core size remains unchanged and preserves the optical transmission characteristics of the multiple optical fibers, avoiding the need for additional fan-in / fan-out patch cords.

[0011] Secondly, an optical transmission medium is provided, comprising a tubular unit and multiple optical fibers. The tubular unit has multiple through-holes, each corresponding one-to-one with one of the optical fibers. Each optical fiber is positioned within its corresponding through-hole, and the fibers are thermally fused together with their corresponding through-holes. This thermal fusion method connects the tubular unit and the optical fibers to form a single unit, increasing fiber density while maintaining the fiber core size and preserving the optical transmission characteristics of the individual fibers. This results in an optical transmission medium that combines high density, small space requirement, high precision, high reliability, and low cost. Furthermore, the holes in the tubular unit improve the accuracy of the optical fiber placement.

[0012] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the optical fiber in the multiple optical fibers includes a core and a cladding; the optical fiber in the multiple optical fibers is thermally fused with the corresponding through-hole, including: the cladding of the optical fiber in the multiple optical fibers is thermally fused with the corresponding through-hole. Thus, the cladding of the optical fiber and the tubular unit, two materials with similar melting points, can be thermally fused together, reducing the difficulty of processing and fabricating the optical transmission medium.

[0013] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, wherein: the voids in the optical transmission medium are filled by a cladding comprising multiple optical fibers; and / or the voids in the optical transmission medium are filled with a glass material having a melting point of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius. That is, the cross-section of the optical transmission medium forms a complete whole. If voids exist in the cross-section of the optical transmission medium, low-melting-point glass can be used to fill the voids, making the optical transmission medium a glass block without any voids or pores.

[0014] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the tubular unit and the cladding of the multiple optical fibers are made of the same material. Therefore, the cladding and tubular unit of the optical fiber can be directly fused together, reducing the difficulty of fabricating the optical transmission medium.

[0015] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, wherein: the multiple optical fibers include a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, the diameters of the first and second optical fibers being smaller than the remaining optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers. The connection of the first and second optical fibers can form a connecting line, that is, the first and second optical fibers can serve as mark points, so that when the optical transmission medium is mated with another optical transmission medium, the first and second optical fibers can be used for calibration and alignment.

[0016] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the tolerance of the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers before and after thermal fusion is less than or equal to 1 micrometer. Specifically, this tolerance can refer to the dimensional tolerance of the fiber core and / or fiber cladding. This ensures that the fiber core size remains unchanged and preserves the optical transmission characteristics of the multiple optical fibers, avoiding the need for additional fan-in / fan-out patch cords.

[0017] Thirdly, an optical transmission medium is provided, comprising at least one optical transmission group, wherein the optical transmission group includes a limiting member and multiple optical fibers, wherein the limiting member has multiple slots, each corresponding one-to-one with a single optical fiber, and the optical fibers are disposed in their respective slots; wherein the optical fibers are thermally fused to their corresponding slots. Thus, by thermally fusing the limiting member and the multiple optical fibers to form a whole, this method increases the fiber output density while maintaining the fiber core size and preserving the optical transmission characteristics of the multiple optical fibers. This makes the optical transmission medium of this application possess the characteristics of high density, small space occupation, high precision, high reliability, and low cost.

[0018] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the groove is V-shaped. This improves the high reliability of fiber optic positioning.

[0019] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the optical fiber in the multiple optical fibers includes a core and a cladding; the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers are thermally fused with the corresponding groove, including: the cladding of the optical fiber in the multiple optical fibers is thermally fused with the corresponding groove. Thus, the cladding of the optical fiber and the tubular unit, two materials with similar melting points, can be thermally fused together, reducing the difficulty of processing and fabricating the optical transmission medium.

[0020] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, at least two adjacent optical transmission groups within an optical transmission group are thermally fused together. Thus, multiple optical transmission groups are connected to form a whole through thermal fusion.

[0021] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, wherein: the multiple optical fibers include a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, the diameters of the first and second optical fibers being smaller than the remaining optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers. The connection of the first and second optical fibers can form a connecting line, that is, the first and second optical fibers can serve as mark points, so that when the optical transmission medium is docked with another optical transmission medium, the first and second optical fibers can be used for calibration and alignment.

[0022] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the limiting component and the cladding of the optical fiber are made of the same material. Therefore, the cladding and tubular unit of the optical fiber can be directly fused together, reducing the difficulty of fabricating and preparing the optical transmission medium.

[0023] In conjunction with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the tolerance of the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers before and after thermal fusion is less than or equal to 1 micrometer. Specifically, this tolerance can refer to the dimensional tolerance of the fiber core and / or fiber cladding. This ensures that the fiber core size remains unchanged and preserves the optical transmission characteristics of the multiple optical fibers, avoiding the need for additional fan-in / fan-out patch cords.

[0024] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, wherein: the voids in the optical transmission medium are filled by a cladding comprising multiple optical fibers; and / or the voids in the optical transmission medium are filled with a glass material having a melting point of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius. That is, the cross-section of the optical transmission medium forms a complete whole. If voids exist in the cross-section of the optical transmission medium, low-melting-point glass can be used to fill the voids, making the optical transmission medium a glass block without any voids or pores.

[0025] Fourthly, an optical transmission medium is provided, comprising multiple optical fibers stacked together, wherein two adjacent optical fibers are thermally fused together.

[0026] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers include a core and a cladding; the thermal fusion connection of two adjacent optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers includes: thermal fusion connection of the cladding of two adjacent optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers. Thus, by thermally fusing multiple optical fibers to form a whole, this method increases the fiber output density while maintaining the core size of the optical fibers unchanged and preserving the optical transmission characteristics of the multiple optical fibers. This makes the optical transmission medium of this application possess the characteristics of high density, small space occupation, high precision, high reliability, and low cost.

[0027] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, wherein: the multiple optical fibers include a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, the diameters of the first and second optical fibers being smaller than the remaining optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers. The connection of the first and second optical fibers can form a connecting line, that is, the first and second optical fibers can serve as mark points, so that when the optical transmission medium is mated with another optical transmission medium, the first and second optical fibers can be used for calibration and alignment.

[0028] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, multiple optical fibers are interleaved. This allows for the design of the distribution of multiple optical fibers and ensures the stability of their stacking during processing, thereby improving fabrication accuracy.

[0029] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, wherein: the multiple optical fibers include a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, the diameters of the first and second optical fibers being smaller than those of the remaining optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers. The tolerance of this optical fiber can specifically refer to the dimensional tolerances of the fiber core and / or the fiber cladding.

[0030] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, wherein: the voids in the optical transmission medium are filled by a cladding comprising multiple optical fibers; and / or the voids in the optical transmission medium are filled with a glass material having a melting point of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius. That is, the cross-section of the optical transmission medium forms a complete whole. If voids exist in the cross-section of the optical transmission medium, low-melting-point glass can be used to fill the voids, making the optical transmission medium a glass block without any voids or pores.

[0031] Fifthly, an optical transmission medium assembly is provided, comprising: multiple optical transmission media, wherein the optical transmission media among the multiple optical transmission media is the first aspect and any possible optical transmission media thereof, or the second aspect and any possible optical transmission media thereof, or the third aspect and any possible optical transmission media thereof, or the fourth aspect and any possible optical transmission media thereof, and adjacent optical transmission media are thermally fused together. Stacking a large number of optical fibers and thermally fusing them can reduce the precision of the optical transmission media. However, by first preparing a small-volume optical transmission medium and then further thermally fusing multiple optical transmission media to form a large-volume optical transmission medium, the optical fiber arrangement in the optical transmission medium can be ensured to be consistent with the preset situation, thereby ensuring improved optical transmission performance.

[0032] In a sixth aspect, an optical connector is provided, comprising a first aspect and any possible optical transmission medium thereof, or comprising a second aspect and any possible optical transmission medium thereof, or comprising a third aspect and any possible optical transmission medium thereof, or comprising a fourth aspect and any possible optical transmission medium thereof, or comprising a fifth aspect and any possible group of optical transmission media thereof.

[0033] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, wherein: the optical connector further includes a first fixing member, the first fixing member including a first calibration point and a second calibration point, the first calibration point and the second calibration point being located on a first straight line;

[0034] The optical transmission medium includes a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber. The diameters of the first and second optical fibers are smaller than those of the other optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers. The centers of the first and second optical fibers are located on a second straight line. The first and second straight lines are parallel, or coincident, or the angle between the first and second straight lines is less than a first value.

[0035] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the optical connector further includes a second fixing member, which includes a third calibration point and a fourth calibration point, the third and fourth calibration points being protrusions or recesses of the second fixing member; the third calibration point mates with the first calibration point, and the fourth calibration point mates with the second calibration point, so that the first fixing member is fixed in the second fixing member. This ensures that the absolute value of the relative rotation angle between the first and second fixing members is less than or equal to 0.5°, guaranteeing the mating accuracy of the optical connector.

[0036] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the optical connector further includes a pigtail, which is a segment of the optical transmission medium, comprising a core, cladding, and protective sleeve. The optical transmission medium of this application maintains the unchanged core size of the optical fiber and retains the optical transmission characteristics of multiple optical fibers, allowing it to be directly used as the pigtail of the optical connector, avoiding the need for additional fan-in / fan-out patch cords.

[0037] A seventh aspect provides an adapter comprising the first aspect and any possible optical transmission medium thereof, or comprising the second aspect and any possible optical transmission medium thereof, or comprising the third aspect and any possible optical transmission medium thereof, or comprising the fourth aspect and any possible optical transmission medium thereof, or comprising the fifth aspect and any possible group of optical transmission media thereof.

[0038] Eighthly, an adapter is provided, including an interface for inserting an optical connector of the sixth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0039] A ninth aspect provides an optical module comprising the first aspect and any possible optical transmission medium thereof, or comprising the second aspect and any possible optical transmission medium thereof, or comprising the third aspect and any possible optical transmission medium thereof, or comprising the fourth aspect and any possible optical transmission medium thereof, or comprising the fifth aspect and any possible group of optical transmission media thereof.

[0040] In a tenth aspect, an optical communication system is provided, including an optical communication device. The optical communication device includes one or more ports, and one or more ports are equipped with an optical connector as described in the sixth aspect or any possible implementation thereof. The optical communication device is any one of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) board, optical cross-connector, or router. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical transmission medium provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0042] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another optical transmission medium provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0043] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another optical transmission medium provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0044] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another optical transmission medium provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0045] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another optical transmission medium provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0046] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an optical transmission medium assembly provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0047] Figure 7 shows an optical connector provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0048] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an adapter provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0049] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an optical module provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0050] Figure 10 shows an optical communication system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0051] Figure 11 illustrates a method for preparing an optical transmission medium according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0054] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0055] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship relative to the orientation or position of the components shown in the drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts, used for relative description and clarification, and not to indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They can change accordingly depending on the orientation of the components in the drawings, and therefore should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0056] The terms “comprising” and “having” and any variations thereof used in the embodiments of this application shown below are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such processes, methods, products or devices.

[0057] In the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Embodiments or designs described as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. The use of the words "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0058] A fiber optic connector is a reusable passive device used to connect two or more optical fibers, or to connect optical cables to form a continuous optical path. Currently, in panel connectors (e.g., side-out connectors), there is a problem of low fiber density. To increase panel fiber density, one solution is to use multi-core fiber optic connectors, replacing the single-core fiber in the connector with a multi-core fiber. However, multi-core fibers still use the diameter of single-core fibers, and the core diameter of multi-core fibers is smaller than that of normal single-core fibers. This requires additional fan-in and fan-out patch cords, making it difficult to adapt to a complete network, limiting widespread application, and increasing costs. Therefore, how to increase panel fiber density while achieving full network compatibility is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0059] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide an optical transmission medium, connector, adapter, optical module, and optical communication system, which increase the fiber density of the panel through a thermal fusion connection method to achieve full network adaptation.

[0060] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an optical transmission medium provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the optical transmission medium includes a protective sleeve 120 and multiple optical fibers 110.

[0061] Figure 1(a) shows a front view of the optical transmission medium, and Figure 1(b) shows a side view of the optical transmission medium. As shown in the figures, the multiple optical fibers 110 are disposed within a protective sleeve 120. The protective sleeve 120 and the adjacent optical fibers of the protective sleeve 120 are thermally fused together, and adjacent two optical fibers among the multiple optical fibers 110 are thermally fused together. Thus, the protective sleeve 120 and the multiple optical fibers 110 are connected to form a whole by thermal fusion. This method increases the fiber output density while maintaining the fiber core size unchanged and preserving the optical transmission characteristics of the optical fibers among the multiple optical fibers 110. This makes the optical transmission medium of this application have the characteristics of high density, small space occupation, high precision, high reliability, and low cost.

[0062] As shown in Figure 1(c), the multiple optical fibers 110 include a core 130 and a cladding 140. The core 130 is used to transmit signal light. The cladding 140 has a lower refractive index than the core 130, causing total internal reflection of the signal light between the optical fiber and the cladding 140, confining the signal light within the core 130 for transmission. The aforementioned thermal fusion connection between the protective sleeve 120 and the adjacent optical fiber can be specifically understood as a thermal fusion connection between the cladding of the adjacent optical fiber and the protective sleeve 120. Similarly, the thermal fusion connection between two adjacent optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 110 can be specifically understood as a thermal fusion connection between the cladding of two adjacent optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 110. Alternatively, it can be understood that the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 110 do not include the coating 150; the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 110 are thermally fused together with the protective sleeve 120 or adjacent optical fibers via the cladding 140. That is, the portion of the optical fiber in this application that undergoes thermal fusion is the optical fiber after the coating layer 150 has been removed, or the portion of the optical fiber in this application that undergoes thermal fusion does not have the coating layer 150 prepared during the manufacturing process. Therefore, the cladding 140 and the protective sheath 120 of the optical fiber, two materials with similar melting points, can be thermally fused together, reducing the difficulty of processing and manufacturing the optical transmission medium. Furthermore, the portion of the optical fiber that is not thermally fused still includes the coating layer 150 to protect the fiber core 130 and the cladding 140.

[0063] The protective sleeve 120 and the cladding of the multiple optical fibers 110 are made of the same material. For example, the protective sleeve 120 and the cladding 140 can be made of glass, specifically silicon dioxide (SiO2). Alternatively, the protective sleeve 120 and the cladding 140 can also be made of plastic, such as fluorinated acrylic resin. Furthermore, the protective sleeve 120 and the cladding 140 can also be made of other transparent materials, depending on the specific circumstances. Therefore, the cladding 140 and the protective sleeve 120 of the optical fiber can be directly heat-fused together, reducing the difficulty of processing and manufacturing the optical transmission medium.

[0064] In some implementations, the gaps in the optical transmission medium are filled by a cladding consisting of multiple optical fibers. The cross-section of the optical transmission medium can be a glass block formed directly by thermal fusion, without any gaps or pores. That is, the cross-section of the optical transmission medium forms a complete, monolithic structure.

[0065] In some implementations, the voids in the optical transmission medium are filled with glass material with a melting point of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius. This means the cross-section of the optical transmission medium forms a complete unit. If voids exist in the cross-section of the optical transmission medium, low-melting-point glass can be used to fill them, making the optical transmission medium a glass block without any voids or pores.

[0066] In some implementations, in a first direction, at least one of multiple optical fibers 110 is arranged in the optical transmission medium. The difference between the sum of the dimensions of the at least one optical fiber and a first line segment is less than a first threshold. The first line segment is the connecting line between the two intersections of the first direction and the inner side of the protective sleeve 120. The first direction is at least the direction passing through the center of the optical transmission medium. That is, when the multiple optical fibers 110 fill into the protective sleeve 120, they match the capacity of the internal space of the protective sleeve 120, thereby allowing for the design of the distribution of the multiple optical fibers 110, improving the fabrication accuracy of the optical transmission medium while reducing the processing difficulty. The first threshold is determined according to actual conditions; for example, the first threshold can be 5 to 10 μm. The inner diameter of the protective sleeve 120 is greater than the sum of the dimensions of the at least one optical fiber.

[0067] In some implementations, multiple optical fibers 110 are arranged in an interleaved manner, thereby designing the distribution of the multiple optical fibers 110 and ensuring the stability of the stacking of the multiple optical fibers 110 during processing, thus improving the fabrication accuracy. In addition, the multiple optical fibers 110 can also be aligned or arranged in other ways, depending on the actual situation.

[0068] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 1(d), the multiple optical fibers 110 include a first optical fiber 151 and a second optical fiber 152, the diameters of which are smaller than the remaining fibers in the multiple optical fibers 110. The first optical fiber 151 and the second optical fiber 152 can be connected to form a connecting line, meaning they can serve as marker points. This allows the optical transmission medium to be aligned and calibrated when interfacing with another optical transmission medium. It should be understood that this application does not limit the actual number of fibers used as marker points in the multiple optical fibers; for example, there can be three or four marker points. Alternatively, only one marker point can be set, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0069] In some implementations, a segment of the optical transmission medium includes a fiber core, cladding, and protective sleeve. The optical transmission medium of this application maintains the same fiber core size and preserves the optical transmission characteristics of multiple fibers, allowing it to be directly used as a pigtail for optical connectors, avoiding the need for additional fan-in / fan-out patch cords.

[0070] In some implementations, the overall shape of the optical transmission medium is formed into a polygon after thermal fusion, which allows for better fixation when fabricating optical connectors, adapters, and other optical devices. Furthermore, multiple optical fibers can also be formed into a polygon after thermal fusion, depending on the specific fabrication requirements. In some implementations, after the optical transmission medium is formed into a polygon, the dimensional tolerance between its inscribed circle and the original optical transmission medium is less than or equal to 1 μm. This does not alter the optical transmission characteristics of the optical transmission medium. In some implementations, after the optical fibers in multiple optical fibers are formed into a polygon, the dimensional tolerance between their inscribed circles and the original optical fibers is less than or equal to 1 μm. This also does not alter the optical transmission characteristics of the optical transmission medium.

[0071] It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific shape of the optical fiber. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the optical fiber can be circular, equilateral polygon, or scalene polygon. In some implementations, the cross-sectional shapes of the multiple optical fibers 110 are different, thereby allowing for the design of the arrangement and optical transmission characteristics of the multiple optical fibers 110. Furthermore, this application does not limit the shape of the multiple optical fibers 110 after thermal fusion polymerization. In some implementations, the overall shape of the optical transmission medium can be circular, equilateral polygon, or scalene polygon, thereby allowing for shape design based on the specific application scenario of the optical transmission medium. In some implementations, as shown in Figure 1(e), the dimensions (e.g., diameter and / or length) of the multiple optical fibers 110 can be the same or different, thereby allowing for size design based on the specific application scenario of the optical transmission medium. Additionally, some optical fibers of the multiple optical fibers 110 may only serve to ensure the structural integrity of the optical transmission medium and not be used for optical transmission, as determined based on the actual situation.

[0072] Furthermore, this application does not limit the specific form of the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 110. For example, the multiple optical fibers 110 may include single-mode optical fibers and / or multimode optical fibers. Furthermore, this application does not limit the overall dimensions of the optical fibers and the optical transmission medium in the multiple optical fibers 110. For example, the multiple optical fibers 110 may include single-mode optical fibers with a core diameter of 8 to 10 μm and a cladding diameter of 50 to 200 μm. After the optical transmission medium is fabricated, the core and / or cladding diameters of the single-mode optical fibers do not change; that is, the tolerance of the core and / or cladding of the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 110 before and after thermal fusion is less than or equal to 1 μm. For example, the multiple optical fibers 110 may include multimode optical fibers with a core diameter of 50 μm to 1 mm and a cladding diameter of 60 μm to 2 mm. After the optical transmission medium is prepared, the diameter of the core and / or cladding of the multimode fiber does not change, that is, the tolerance of the fiber core and / or cladding in the multiple fibers 110 before and after thermal fusion is less than or equal to 1 μm.

[0073] Furthermore, this application does not limit the specific number of optical fibers included in the optical transmission medium; the specific number of optical fibers can be greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 5000. In some implementations, the number of optical fibers included in the optical transmission medium is greater than or equal to 500 and less than or equal to 5000. Currently, multi-core optical fibers can only contain dozens of fiber cores; using the solution of this application, the fiber output density of the panel can be significantly increased.

[0074] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another optical transmission medium provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the optical transmission medium includes a tubular unit 210 and multiple optical fibers 220.

[0075] The tubular unit 210 has multiple through holes, each corresponding to one of the multiple optical fibers 220. The tubular unit 210 can also be referred to as a "substrate," "pillar," etc., depending on the specific application. The tubular unit 210 can be fabricated by drilling holes in a solid glass pillar using laser or etching.

[0076] In this design, the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 220 are disposed within corresponding through-holes, and the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 220 are thermally fused to the corresponding through-holes. Thus, the tubular unit 210 and the multiple optical fibers 220 are connected to form a whole through thermal fusion. This method increases the fiber output density while maintaining the fiber core size and preserving the optical transmission characteristics of the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 220. This results in the optical transmission medium of this application possessing the characteristics of high density, small space occupation, high precision, high reliability, and low cost. Furthermore, the holes in the tubular unit 210 can improve the accuracy of the optical fiber placement.

[0077] Similar to the description in Figure 1(c), the multiple optical fibers 220 include an optical fiber consisting of a core and a cladding, as described in Figure 1(c). The core is used to transmit signal light. The cladding has a lower refractive index than the core, causing total internal reflection of the signal light between the fiber and the cladding, confining the signal light within the core for transmission. Specifically, the thermal fusion connection between the optical fiber and the corresponding through-hole in the multiple optical fibers 220 can be understood as the thermal fusion connection between the cladding and the corresponding through-hole in the optical fiber. That is, the thermally fused portion of the optical fiber in this application is the fiber after the coating has been removed, or the thermally fused portion of the optical fiber in this application has not had a coating prepared during the manufacturing process. Therefore, the cladding and the tubular unit 210, two materials with similar melting points, can be used for thermal fusion connection, reducing the processing difficulty of the optical transmission medium. Furthermore, the portion of the optical fiber that has not been thermally fused still includes a coating to protect the fiber core and cladding.

[0078] In this design, the tubular unit 210 and the cladding of the multiple optical fibers 220 are made of the same material. For example, the tubular unit 210 and the cladding can be made of glass, specifically silicon dioxide (SiO2). Alternatively, the tubular unit 210 and the cladding can be made of plastic, such as fluorinated acrylic resin. Furthermore, the tubular unit 210 and the cladding can also be made of other transparent materials, depending on the specific circumstances. This allows for direct thermal fusion bonding of the optical fiber cladding and the tubular unit 210, reducing the complexity of the optical transmission medium fabrication.

[0079] In some implementations, the gaps in the optical transmission medium are filled by a cladding consisting of multiple optical fibers. The cross-section of the optical transmission medium can be a glass block formed directly by thermal fusion, without any gaps or pores. That is, the cross-section of the optical transmission medium forms a complete, monolithic structure.

[0080] In some implementations, the voids in the optical transmission medium are filled with glass material with a melting point of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius. This means the cross-section of the optical transmission medium forms a complete unit. If voids exist in the cross-section of the optical transmission medium, low-melting-point glass can be used to fill them, making the optical transmission medium a glass block without any voids or pores.

[0081] In some implementations, the difference between the diameter of the optical fibers 220 and the diameter of the holes included in the tubular unit 210 is less than a second threshold. That is, when the multiple optical fibers 220 fill the corresponding holes, they match the capacity of the internal space of the corresponding holes. This allows for the design of the distribution of the multiple optical fibers 220, improving the accuracy of the optical transmission medium fabrication while reducing the difficulty of processing. The second threshold is determined based on actual conditions; for example, it can be 0.2-2 μm.

[0082] It should be understood that this application does not design the specific locations of the multiple holes in the tubular unit 210. In some implementations, the multiple holes are arranged in an alternating manner, and correspondingly, the multiple optical fibers 220 are arranged in an alternating manner. In addition, the multiple holes and the corresponding multiple optical fibers 220 can also be aligned or arranged in other ways, depending on the actual situation.

[0083] In some implementations, the multiple optical fibers 220 include a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the other optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 220. The first and second optical fibers can be connected to form a connector line; that is, the first and second optical fibers can serve as marker points, allowing for alignment and calibration when the optical transmission medium is mated with another optical transmission medium. It should be understood that this application does not limit the actual number of optical fibers serving as marker points in the multiple optical fibers; for example, there can be three or four marker points. Alternatively, only one marker point can be set, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0084] In some implementations, a segment of the optical transmission medium includes a fiber core, cladding, and protective sleeve. The optical transmission medium of this application maintains the same fiber core size and preserves the optical transmission characteristics of multiple fibers, allowing it to be directly used as a pigtail for optical connectors, avoiding the need for additional fan-in / fan-out patch cords.

[0085] In some implementations, the overall shape of the optical transmission medium is formed into a polygon after thermal fusion, which allows for better fixation when fabricating optical connectors, adapters, and other optical devices. Furthermore, multiple optical fibers can also be formed into a polygon after thermal fusion, depending on the specific fabrication requirements. In some implementations, after the optical transmission medium is formed into a polygon, the dimensional tolerance between its inscribed circle and the original optical transmission medium is less than or equal to 1 μm. This does not alter the optical transmission characteristics of the optical transmission medium. In some implementations, after the optical fibers in multiple optical fibers are formed into a polygon, the dimensional tolerance between their inscribed circles and the original optical fibers is less than or equal to 1 μm. This also does not alter the optical transmission characteristics of the optical transmission medium.

[0086] It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific shape of the holes and the corresponding optical fibers. In some implementations, the cross-sectional shapes of the multiple optical fibers 220 are different, such as circular, equilateral polygon, or scalene polygon, thereby allowing for the design of the arrangement and optical transmission characteristics of the multiple optical fibers 220. Furthermore, this application does not limit the shape of the multiple optical fibers 220 after thermal fusion polymerization. In some implementations, the overall shape of the optical transmission medium can be circular, equilateral polygon, or scalene polygon, allowing for shape design based on the specific application scenario of the optical transmission medium. In some implementations, the dimensions (e.g., diameter and / or length) of the multiple optical fibers 220 can be the same or different, allowing for size design based on the specific application scenario of the optical transmission medium. Additionally, some optical fibers of the multiple optical fibers 220 may only serve to ensure the structural integrity of the optical transmission medium and not be used for optical transmission, as determined based on the actual situation.

[0087] In some implementations, the overall shape of the optical transmission medium is formed into a polygon after thermal fusion, which allows for better fixation when fabricating optical devices such as optical connectors and adapters. Furthermore, multiple optical fibers can also be formed into a polygon after thermal fusion, depending on the specific fabrication requirements.

[0088] Furthermore, this application does not limit the specific form of the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 210. For example, the multiple optical fibers 210 may include single-mode optical fibers and / or multimode optical fibers. Furthermore, this application does not limit the overall dimensions of the optical fibers and the optical transmission medium in the multiple optical fibers 210. For example, the multiple optical fibers 210 may include single-mode optical fibers with a core diameter of 8 to 10 μm and a cladding diameter of 50 to 200 μm. After the optical transmission medium is fabricated, the core and / or cladding diameters of the single-mode optical fibers do not change; that is, the tolerance of the core and / or cladding of the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 210 before and after thermal fusion is less than or equal to 1 μm. For example, the multiple optical fibers 210 may include multimode optical fibers with a core diameter of 50 μm to 1 mm and a cladding diameter of 60 μm to 2 mm. After the optical transmission medium is prepared, the diameter of the core and / or cladding of the multimode fiber does not change. That is, the tolerance of the core and / or cladding of the multimode fiber 210 before and after thermal fusion is less than or equal to 1 μm.

[0089] Furthermore, this application does not limit the specific number of optical fibers included in the optical transmission medium; the specific number of optical fibers can be greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 5000. In some implementations, the number of optical fibers included in the optical transmission medium is greater than or equal to 500 and less than or equal to 5000. Currently, multi-core optical fibers can only contain dozens of fiber cores; using the solution of this application, the fiber output density of the panel can be significantly increased.

[0090] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another optical transmission medium provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 3, the optical transmission medium includes at least one optical transmission group.

[0091] As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), at least one optical transmission group includes a limiting member 320 and multiple optical fibers 310. The limiting member 320 has multiple slots, each corresponding to one of the multiple optical fibers 310, with the fibers positioned within their respective slots. Thus, the limiting member 320 and the multiple optical fibers 310 are connected as a whole by thermal fusion. This method increases fiber density while maintaining the fiber core size and preserving the optical transmission characteristics of the fibers 310. This results in the optical transmission medium of this application possessing the characteristics of high density, small space occupation, high precision, high reliability, and low cost. In some implementations, the slots are V-shaped, and the limiting member 320 can also be called a "V-groove," thereby improving the high reliability of fiber positioning.

[0092] In this configuration, the optical fibers 310 are thermally fused to the corresponding grooves. For example, when the groove is V-shaped, it includes a first surface and a second surface. When the optical fibers are thermally fused to the corresponding grooves, one side of the optical fiber is thermally fused to the first surface, and the other side of the optical fiber is thermally fused to the second surface.

[0093] As shown in Figure 3(b), when at least one optical transmission group comprises multiple optical transmission groups, the multiple optical transmission groups are stacked. Adjacent optical transmission groups are thermally fused together. For example, when an optical fiber in one optical transmission group is adjacent to a limiting member 320 in another optical transmission group, the optical fiber in the one optical transmission group and the limiting member 320 in the other optical transmission group are thermally fused together. As another example, when a limiting member 320 in one optical transmission group is adjacent to a limiting member 320 in another optical transmission group, the limiting member 320 in the one optical transmission group and the limiting member 320 in the other optical transmission group are thermally fused together. This is determined based on the actual stacking arrangement of the multiple optical transmission groups.

[0094] Similar to the description in Figure 1(c), the multiple optical fibers 310 include a core and a cladding. The core is used to transmit signal light. The refractive index of the cladding is lower than that of the core, causing total internal reflection of the signal light between the fiber and the cladding, confining the signal light to the core for transmission. Specifically, the thermal fusion connection between the optical fibers 310 and the corresponding groove can be understood as the thermal fusion connection of the cladding of the optical fibers 310 with the corresponding groove. That is, the thermally fused portion of the optical fiber in this application is the fiber after the coating layer has been removed, or the thermally fused portion of the optical fiber in this application has not had a coating layer prepared during the manufacturing process. Therefore, the thermal fusion connection can be achieved using two materials with similar melting points, the cladding and the tubular unit, reducing the difficulty of processing and manufacturing the optical transmission medium. Furthermore, the portion of the optical fiber that has not been thermally fused still includes a coating layer to protect the fiber core and cladding.

[0095] In this design, the limiting component 320 and the cladding of the optical fiber are made of the same material. For example, the limiting component 320 and the cladding can be made of glass, specifically silicon dioxide (SiO2). Alternatively, the limiting component 320 and the cladding can also be made of plastic, such as fluorinated acrylic resin. Furthermore, the limiting component 320 and the cladding can also be made of other transparent materials, depending on the specific circumstances. Therefore, the cladding and the limiting component 320 of the optical fiber can be directly fused together, reducing the difficulty of processing and manufacturing the optical transmission medium.

[0096] In some implementations, the optical transmission medium also includes a protective sleeve 330, at least one optical transmission group is disposed within the protective sleeve 330, and the protective sleeve 330 is thermally fused with adjacent optical transmission groups to form a whole.

[0097] In some implementations, the gaps in the optical transmission medium are filled by a cladding consisting of multiple optical fibers. The cross-section of the optical transmission medium can be a glass block formed directly by thermal fusion, without any gaps or pores. That is, the cross-section of the optical transmission medium forms a complete, monolithic structure.

[0098] In some implementations, the voids in the optical transmission medium are filled with glass material with a melting point of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius. This means the cross-section of the optical transmission medium forms a complete unit. If voids exist in the cross-section of the optical transmission medium, low-melting-point glass can be used to fill them, making the optical transmission medium a glass block without any voids or pores.

[0099] In some implementations, the multiple optical fibers 310 include a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the other optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 310. The first and second optical fibers can be connected to form a connector line; that is, the first and second optical fibers can serve as marker points, allowing for alignment and calibration when the optical transmission medium is mated with another optical transmission medium. It should be understood that this application does not limit the actual number of optical fibers serving as marker points in the multiple optical fibers; for example, there can be three or four marker points. Alternatively, only one marker point can be set, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0100] In some implementations, a segment of the optical transmission medium includes a fiber core, cladding, and protective sleeve. The optical transmission medium of this application maintains the same fiber core size and preserves the optical transmission characteristics of multiple fibers, allowing it to be directly used as a pigtail for optical connectors, avoiding the need for additional fan-in / fan-out patch cords.

[0101] In some implementations, the overall shape of the optical transmission medium is formed into a polygon after thermal fusion, which allows for better fixation when fabricating optical connectors, adapters, and other optical devices. Furthermore, multiple optical fibers can also be formed into a polygon after thermal fusion, depending on the specific fabrication requirements. In some implementations, after the optical transmission medium is formed into a polygon, the dimensional tolerance between its inscribed circle and the original optical transmission medium is less than or equal to 1 μm. This does not alter the optical transmission characteristics of the optical transmission medium. In some implementations, after the optical fibers in multiple optical fibers are formed into a polygon, the dimensional tolerance between their inscribed circles and the original optical fibers is less than or equal to 1 μm. This also does not alter the optical transmission characteristics of the optical transmission medium.

[0102] It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific shape of the optical fibers. In some implementations, the cross-sectional shapes of the multiple optical fibers 310 are different, such as circular, equilateral polygon, or scalene polygon, thereby allowing for the design of the arrangement and optical transmission characteristics of the multiple optical fibers 310. Furthermore, this application does not limit the shape of the multiple optical fibers 310 after thermal fusion polymerization. In some implementations, the overall shape of the optical transmission medium can be circular, equilateral polygon, or scalene polygon, allowing for shape design based on the specific application scenario of the optical transmission medium. In some implementations, the dimensions (e.g., diameter and / or length) of the multiple optical fibers 310 can be the same or different, allowing for size design based on the specific application scenario of the optical transmission medium. Additionally, some optical fibers of the multiple optical fibers 310 may only serve to ensure the structural integrity of the optical transmission medium and not be used for optical transmission, as determined based on the actual situation.

[0103] Furthermore, this application does not limit the specific form of the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 310. For example, the multiple optical fibers 310 may include single-mode optical fibers and / or multimode optical fibers. Furthermore, this application does not limit the overall dimensions of the optical fibers and the optical transmission medium in the multiple optical fibers 310. For example, the multiple optical fibers 310 may include single-mode optical fibers with a core diameter of 8 to 10 μm and a cladding diameter of 50 to 200 μm. After the optical transmission medium is fabricated, the core and / or cladding diameters of the single-mode optical fibers do not change; that is, the tolerance of the core and / or cladding of the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 310 before and after thermal fusion is less than or equal to 1 μm. For example, the multiple optical fibers 310 may include multimode optical fibers with a core diameter of 50 μm to 1 mm and a cladding diameter of 60 μm to 2 mm. After the optical transmission medium is prepared, the diameter of the core and / or cladding of the multimode fiber does not change, that is, the tolerance of the fiber core and / or cladding in the multiple fibers 310 before and after thermal fusion is less than or equal to 1 μm.

[0104] Furthermore, this application does not limit the specific number of optical fibers included in the optical transmission medium; the specific number of optical fibers can be greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 5000. In some implementations, the number of optical fibers included in the optical transmission medium is greater than or equal to 500 and less than or equal to 5000. Currently, multi-core optical fibers can only contain dozens of fiber cores; using the solution of this application, the fiber output density of the panel can be significantly increased.

[0105] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another optical transmission medium provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the optical transmission medium includes multiple optical fibers 410 stacked together.

[0106] In this invention, two adjacent optical fibers 410 are thermally fused together. Thus, multiple optical fibers 410 are connected into a single unit through thermal fusion. This method increases fiber density while maintaining the fiber core size and preserving the optical transmission characteristics of the multiple optical fibers 410. This results in an optical transmission medium that combines high density, small space occupation, high precision, high reliability, and low cost.

[0107] The multiple optical fibers 410 include a core and a cladding. The core is used to transmit signal light. The cladding has a lower refractive index than the core, causing total internal reflection of the signal light between the fiber and the cladding, confining the signal light within the core for transmission. The fusion bonding between adjacent optical fibers 410 can be specifically understood as the fusion bonding between the claddings of adjacent optical fibers 410. Alternatively, it can be understood that the optical fibers 410 do not include a coating; the optical fibers are fusion-bonded to a protective sheath or adjacent optical fibers via the cladding. In other words, the optical fibers in this application are optical fibers with the coating removed, or optical fibers in this application are not coated during manufacturing. Therefore, the cladding and protective sheath, two materials with similar melting points, can be used for fusion bonding, reducing the processing difficulty of the optical transmission medium.

[0108] In some implementations, the gaps in the optical transmission medium are filled by a cladding consisting of multiple optical fibers. The cross-section of the optical transmission medium can be a glass block formed directly by thermal fusion, without any gaps or pores. That is, the cross-section of the optical transmission medium forms a complete, monolithic structure.

[0109] In some implementations, the voids in the optical transmission medium are filled with glass material with a melting point of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius. This means the cross-section of the optical transmission medium forms a complete unit. If voids exist in the cross-section of the optical transmission medium, low-melting-point glass can be used to fill them, making the optical transmission medium a glass block without any voids or pores.

[0110] In some implementations, multiple optical fibers 410 are arranged in an interleaved manner, thereby designing the distribution of the multiple optical fibers 410 and ensuring the stability of the stacking of the multiple optical fibers 410 during processing, thus improving the fabrication accuracy. In addition, the multiple optical fibers 410 can also be aligned or arranged in other ways, depending on the actual situation.

[0111] In some implementations, the multiple optical fibers 410 include a first optical fiber 411 and a second optical fiber 412, the diameters of which are smaller than the remaining fibers in the multiple optical fibers 410. The first optical fiber 411 and the second optical fiber 412 can be connected to form a connector line; that is, the first optical fiber 411 and the second optical fiber 412 can serve as marker points, allowing for alignment and calibration when the optical transmission medium is connected to another optical transmission medium. It should be understood that this application does not limit the actual number of fibers serving as marker points in the multiple optical fibers; for example, there can be three or four marker points. Alternatively, only one marker point can be set, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0112] In some implementations, a segment of the optical transmission medium includes a fiber core, cladding, and protective sleeve. The optical transmission medium of this application maintains the same fiber core size and preserves the optical transmission characteristics of multiple fibers, allowing it to be directly used as a pigtail for optical connectors, avoiding the need for additional fan-in / fan-out patch cords.

[0113] In some implementations, the overall shape of the optical transmission medium is formed into a polygon after thermal fusion, which allows for better fixation when fabricating optical connectors, adapters, and other optical devices. Furthermore, multiple optical fibers can also be formed into a polygon after thermal fusion, depending on the specific fabrication requirements. In some implementations, after the optical transmission medium is formed into a polygon, the dimensional tolerance between its inscribed circle and the original optical transmission medium is less than or equal to 1 μm. This does not alter the optical transmission characteristics of the optical transmission medium. In some implementations, after the optical fibers in multiple optical fibers are formed into a polygon, the dimensional tolerance between their inscribed circles and the original optical fibers is less than or equal to 1 μm. This also does not alter the optical transmission characteristics of the optical transmission medium.

[0114] It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific shape of the optical fibers. In some implementations, the cross-sectional shapes of the multiple optical fibers 410 are different, such as circular, equilateral polygon, or scalene polygon, thereby allowing for the design of the arrangement and optical transmission characteristics of the multiple optical fibers 410. Furthermore, this application does not limit the shape of the multiple optical fibers 410 after thermal fusion polymerization. In some implementations, the overall shape of the optical transmission medium can be circular, equilateral polygon, or scalene polygon, allowing for shape design based on the specific application scenario of the optical transmission medium. In some implementations, the dimensions (e.g., diameter and / or length) of the multiple optical fibers 410 can be the same or different, allowing for size design based on the specific application scenario of the optical transmission medium. Additionally, some optical fibers of the multiple optical fibers 410 may only serve to ensure the structural integrity of the optical transmission medium and not be used for optical transmission, as determined based on the actual situation.

[0115] Furthermore, this application does not limit the specific form of the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 410. For example, the multiple optical fibers 410 may include single-mode optical fibers and / or multimode optical fibers. Furthermore, this application does not limit the overall dimensions of the optical fibers and the optical transmission medium in the multiple optical fibers 410. For example, the multiple optical fibers 410 may include single-mode optical fibers with a core diameter of 8 to 10 μm and a cladding diameter of 50 to 200 μm. After the optical transmission medium is fabricated, the core and / or cladding diameters of the single-mode optical fibers do not change; that is, the tolerance of the core and / or cladding of the optical fibers in the multiple optical fibers 410 before and after thermal fusion is less than or equal to 1 μm. For example, the multiple optical fibers 410 may include multimode optical fibers with a core diameter of 50 μm to 1 mm and a cladding diameter of 60 μm to 2 mm. After the optical transmission medium is prepared, the diameter of the core and / or cladding of the multimode fiber does not change, that is, the tolerance of the fiber core and / or cladding in the multiple fibers 410 before and after thermal fusion is less than or equal to 1 μm.

[0116] Furthermore, this application does not limit the specific number of optical fibers included in the optical transmission medium; the specific number of optical fibers can be greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 5000. In some implementations, the number of optical fibers included in the optical transmission medium is greater than or equal to 500 and less than or equal to 5000. Currently, multi-core optical fibers can only contain dozens of fiber cores; using the solution of this application, the fiber output density of the panel can be significantly increased.

[0117] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another optical transmission medium provided in an embodiment of this application. The optical transmission medium 510 shown in Figure 5 can be the optical transmission medium shown in Figures 1 to 4. For ease of explanation, the optical transmission medium described in Figure 1 is used as an example in Figure 5.

[0118] The optical transmission medium 510 also includes a lens 520 for beam collimation. In some implementations, as shown in FIG5(a), the optical transmission medium 510 may include a single lens 520 for collimating the beams emitted by all the optical fibers included in the optical transmission medium 510. The area of ​​the lens 520 may correspond to the area of ​​the cross-section of the optical transmission medium 510. In some implementations, as shown in FIG5(b), the optical transmission medium 510 may include multiple lenses 520, each corresponding to one of the multiple optical fibers included in the optical transmission medium 510, and the lens 520 among the multiple lenses 520 is used to collimate the beams emitted by the corresponding optical fiber.

[0119] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an optical transmission medium assembly provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the optical transmission medium assembly includes multiple optical transmission media described in Figures 1 to 4.

[0120] As shown in Figure 6, two adjacent optical transmission media are thermally fused together in multiple transmission media. Since the optical transmission media provided in this application requires heating for fabrication, directly fabricating a large-volume optical transmission media can easily lead to lower accuracy. For example, the optical transmission media shown in Figure 4 is formed using closely packed optical fibers; stacking a large number of fibers and thermally fusing them would reduce the accuracy of the optical transmission media. However, by first fabricating a small-volume optical transmission media and then further thermally fusing multiple optical transmission media 610 to form a large-volume optical transmission media, the fiber arrangement in the optical transmission media can be ensured to be consistent with the preset situation, thus ensuring improved optical transmission performance.

[0121] In some implementations, multiple optical transmission media 610 are arranged in an alternating manner, thereby designing the distribution of the multiple optical transmission media 610 and ensuring the stability of the stacking of the multiple optical transmission media 610 during processing, thus improving the fabrication accuracy. In addition, the multiple optical transmission media 610 can also be aligned or arranged in other ways, depending on the actual situation.

[0122] In some implementations, the first and second optical fibers included in the optical transmission media of multiple optical transmission media 610 can be used as mark points. This ensures that the arrangement of optical fibers in the optical transmission media is consistent with the preset situation when multiple optical transmission media 610 are thermally fused, thereby ensuring improved optical transmission performance.

[0123] In some implementations, the optical transmission medium assembly may further include lenses for beam collimation. In some implementations, the optical transmission medium may include a single lens for collimating the beams emitted by all the optical fibers included in the optical transmission medium assembly. In some implementations, the optical transmission medium assembly may include multiple lenses, each corresponding to one of the multiple optical transmission media 610, with the lenses among these lenses used to collimate the beams emitted by the corresponding optical transmission medium. In some implementations, the optical transmission medium assembly may include multiple lenses, each corresponding to one of the multiple optical fibers included in the optical transmission medium assembly, with the lenses among these lenses used to collimate the beams emitted by the corresponding optical fibers.

[0124] In the optical transmission medium group shown in Figure 6, when the optical transmission medium among the multiple optical transmission media is the optical transmission medium shown in Figure 1 or Figure 4, the cross-sectional area of ​​the optical transmission medium should be less than or equal to 20 × 20 mm. 2 When the optical transmission medium in a multi-mode optical transmission medium is the one shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3, the cross-sectional area of ​​the optical transmission medium should be less than or equal to 50 × 50 mm. 2 This ensures that the optical fiber arrangement in the optical transmission medium is consistent with the preset configuration, thereby guaranteeing improved optical transmission performance.

[0125] It should be understood that, as shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), the shapes of the multiple optical transmission media 610 can be the same or different, depending on the actual situation. For example, the shape of the optical transmission media in the multiple optical transmission media 610 can be specifically a circle, an equilateral polygon, an irregular polygon, etc., thereby designing the optical transmission characteristics. Furthermore, this application does not limit the shape of the multiple optical transmission media 610 after thermal polymerization. In some implementations, the overall shape of the optical transmission media can be a circle, an equilateral polygon, an irregular polygon, etc., thereby designing the shape according to the specific application scenario of the optical transmission media. In some implementations, the dimensions (e.g., diameter and / or length) of the optical transmission media in the multiple optical transmission media 610 can be the same or different, thereby designing the dimensions according to the specific application scenario of the optical transmission media. Furthermore, the optical transmission media in the multiple optical transmission media 610 may only serve to ensure the structural integrity of the optical transmission media and not be used for optical transmission, depending on the actual situation. In addition, the optical fiber structures included in the multiple optical transmission media 610 can be the same or different, and the number of optical fibers can be the same or different; specific cases are not listed here.

[0126] In addition, embodiments of this application also provide an optical connector, an optical adapter, and an optical module, including an optical transmission medium as shown in Figures 1 to 5, or an optical transmission medium group as shown in Figure 6.

[0127] Figure 7 shows an optical connector provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0128] Figure 7(a) shows one type of optical connector. In addition, optical connectors can be of various types, including transparent connectors (LC), mechanical transfer (MT), square connectors (SC), ferrule connectors (FC), multi-fiber push-on (MPO), mechanical push-on (MT-push-on, MTP), mini connectors (MC), miniature units (MU), and straight trip (ST). Among these, the MT type uses mechanical transfer with multiple pins (e.g., 2-96 pins). The LC type uses a modular latching mechanism for easy operation. The FC type uses a metal sleeve for external reinforcement and a screw thread for fastening. An MPO connector indicates that it can be used via push-pull insertion. MTP connectors and MPO connectors are compatible. The SC type connector has a rectangular housing, and its pins and coupling sleeves have the same structure and dimensions as the FC type. It uses a push-pull pin fastening method. In addition, the optical connector can also be a fiber array (FA) type.

[0129] The optical connector contains an optical transmission medium as shown in Figures 1 to 5 for transmitting signal light. Alternatively, the optical connector may contain an optical transmission medium assembly as shown in Figure 6.

[0130] For example, as shown in Figure 7(b), when the optical connector is of type MT or type FA, the optical connector may include an optical connector with N×M holes. The tolerance of the hole diameter can be set to 1µm, and the minimum spacing between the holes can be set to 0.125mm. Each hole in N×M may or may not be equipped with an optical transmission medium as shown in Figures 1 to 5, or an optical transmission medium group as shown in Figure 6.

[0131] Furthermore, for single-fiber connectors, such as LC, FC, and SC types, the inner diameter of the connector tube can be increased accordingly based on the cross-sectional diameter of the optical transmission medium or optical transmission medium assembly. For example, the tolerance of the inner diameter can be set to 1µm. The single hole can also contain the optical transmission medium as shown in Figures 1 to 5, or the optical transmission medium assembly as shown in Figure 6.

[0132] In one implementation, the optical connector also includes a ferrule having a through hole in which an optical transmission medium or an optical transmission medium assembly is disposed.

[0133] As another implementation, as shown in Figure 7(c), the optical connector further includes an outer sleeve 730, in which an optical transmission medium or an optical transmission medium assembly 710 is disposed. Furthermore, the optical connector may also include a buffer sleeve 720, which is disposed between the outer sleeve 730 and the optical transmission medium or optical transmission medium assembly 710. That is, the optical transmission medium or optical transmission medium assembly 710 is first disposed in the buffer sleeve 720, and then the buffer sleeve 720 is disposed in the outer sleeve 730 of the optical connector.

[0134] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 7(d), a fixing component is also provided on the outside of the optical connector to secure it and prevent rotation. This fixing component can be a flange, such as flanges 751 and 752 in the figure. Flanges 751 and 752 can be used together; after the optical transmission medium is first placed on flange 752, flange 752 can be inserted into flange 751. When the optical transmission medium or optical transmission medium assembly includes the aforementioned first and second optical fibers, the emitted light from the first and second optical fibers can be used as marker points to accurately position the optical transmission medium or optical transmission medium assembly. In some implementations, the positioning of the optical transmission medium or optical transmission medium assembly can be performed under a microscope.

[0135] The fixture and the optical transmission medium can be precisely positioned using the following relationship:

[0136] The optical connector also includes a first fixing member, which includes a first calibration point and a second calibration point, located on a first straight line. The calibration point can be a recess or a protrusion in the first fixing member, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0137] The optical transmission medium includes a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber. The diameters of the first and second optical fibers are smaller than those of the other optical fibers in the plurality of fibers. The centers of the first and second optical fibers are located on a second straight line. The first and second straight lines are parallel, coincident, or have an angle less than a first value, which can be 1 degree. This prevents the optical connector from rotating, ensuring that the absolute value of the rotation angle of the optical connector is less than or equal to 0.5°.

[0138] The optical connector also includes a second fixing member, which comprises a third calibration point and a fourth calibration point. The third and fourth calibration points are either protrusions or recesses of the second fixing member. The third calibration point mates with the first calibration point, and the fourth calibration point mates with the second calibration point, thereby fixing the first fixing member within the second fixing member. The third and fourth calibration points are located on a third straight line, and the angle between the second and third straight lines is less than a second value. This second value can be 1 degree. This ensures that the absolute value of the relative rotation angle between the first and second fixing members is less than or equal to 0.5°, guaranteeing the mating accuracy of the optical connector.

[0139] The second fixing member engages with the outer sleeve of the optical connector, and the position of the second fixing member relative to the outer sleeve is fixed. This prevents the second fixing member from rotating within the outer sleeve. Furthermore, the housing and specific interface configuration of the tube connector can be determined based on the above type. For example, the housing may also include components such as pins, switches, inserts, spring bodies, and limit bodies. The interface may specifically refer to a male or female connector, depending on the actual situation.

[0140] It should be understood that the first fixing member may also include calibration points other than the first and second calibration points, and the second fixing member may also include calibration points other than the third and fourth calibration points, depending on the actual situation. In some implementations, the first fixing member includes "X-shaped" calibration points, that is, the diagonal and central areas of the edge of the first fixing member are provided with protrusions and recesses as calibration points. Similarly, the second fixing member mates with the first fixing member, and the diagonal and central areas of the edge of the second fixing member are also provided with protrusions and recesses as calibration points. This further ensures the mating accuracy of the optical connector.

[0141] In some implementations, the optical connector also includes a pigtail, which is a segment of the optical transmission medium, comprising a core, cladding, and protective sleeve. The optical transmission medium in this application maintains the unchanged core size of the optical fiber and retains the optical transmission characteristics of multiple optical fibers, allowing it to be directly used as the pigtail of the optical connector, avoiding the need for additional fan-in / fan-out patch cords.

[0142] In addition, optical connectors may also include fiber optic pigtail protective sleeves, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0143] The optical connector in this application can be used to directly interface with another optical connector, in which case the other optical connector contains the same optical transmission medium or optical transmission medium group as the aforementioned optical connector. Alternatively, the optical connector in this application can also interface with another optical connector via an adapter, in which case the other optical connector contains the same optical transmission medium or optical transmission medium group as the aforementioned optical connector. In some implementations, the adapter may also contain the same optical transmission medium or optical transmission medium group as the aforementioned optical connector.

[0144] The optical connectors used in this application can significantly increase fiber density and reduce the fiber output area on the board. The manufacturing process is simple, components are readily available, higher fiber array density can be achieved, scalability is strong, assembly is simple, and cost is low.

[0145] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an adapter provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0146] The adapter shown in Figure 8 can be used to mate with the optical connector shown in Figure 7. That is, the adapter includes one or more interfaces for inserting the optical connector.

[0147] The adapter, as shown in Figure 8, may include the optical transmission media shown in Figures 1 to 5, or the optical transmission media group shown in Figure 6, to interface with the optical connector. This reduces the manufacturing complexity of the adapter, increases capacity, and achieves higher fiber array density.

[0148] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an optical module provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0149] The optical module described in Figure 9 may include the optical transmission medium shown in Figures 1 to 5, or the optical transmission medium group shown in Figure 6. For example, as shown in Figure 9, the optical module includes a ferrule 910, in which an optical transmission medium or an optical transmission medium group is disposed. This achieves higher fiber array density and reduces fiber exit area.

[0150] The optical module can be a pluggable optical module, such as a small form-factor pluggable (SFP), enhanced SFP, rate-boosting SFP+, 10GSFP, SFP29, quad-channel SFP, etc., depending on the actual situation.

[0151] Figure 10 shows an optical communication system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0152] The optical communication system includes an optical communication device 1010, which can be any one of a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) board, an optical cross-connector, or a router. The optical communication device 1010 includes one or more ports, and one or more of these ports is connected to an optical connector 1020 as shown in Figure 7.

[0153] Specifically, the optical communication system can refer to a "chassis," such as a transmission network chassis, an AI supercomputing chassis, or a data center chassis. These scenarios often involve large-capacity architectures with limited space on the panel side. The optical connectors used in this application can effectively increase capacity while reducing the size of modules and various expansion products.

[0154] Furthermore, this application also provides a preparation method for preparing the optical transmission medium shown in Figures 1 to 6 or the optical transmission medium assembly shown in Figure 7. It should be understood that the description of the method embodiments corresponds to the above embodiments. Therefore, for details not described in detail, please refer to the above sections; for brevity, some details are not repeated.

[0155] Figure 11 illustrates a method for preparing an optical transmission medium according to an embodiment of this application.

[0156] As shown in Figure 11(a), a variable diameter uniform speed furnace can be used as a method to achieve thermal fusion. Taking the preparation of the optical transmission medium shown in Figure 1 as an example, multiple optical fibers can first be placed inside a protective sleeve, and then preheated and evacuated. For each segment, heating temperature, pressure and other parameters are set, so that it rotates and moves at a uniform speed along the length of the protective sleeve, thereby softening the multiple optical fibers and the protective sleeve at a suitable temperature and thus fusing them tightly together.

[0157] As shown in Figure 11(b), as another way to achieve hot melting, upper and lower molds can be used to achieve it by glass molding.

[0158] Taking the preparation of the optical transmission medium shown in Figure 1 as an example, multiple optical fibers can be placed inside a protective sleeve, preheated and evacuated, and then the protective sleeve can be placed in a designed glass molding die. Parameters such as temperature, pressure, and displacement can be set so that the multiple optical fibers and the protective sleeve soften at a suitable temperature and fuse together tightly.

[0159] It should be understood that, as shown in Figure 11, during the heating and pressurization of the raw materials, the deformation of materials such as optical fibers and protective sleeves can be adjusted, for example, changing the cross-section of the optical fiber from a circle to a polygon. This further simplifies the subsequent polishing steps of the optical transmission medium.

[0160] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples 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 implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art 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.

[0161] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0162] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0163] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. 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 the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0164] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0165] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0166] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An optical transmission medium, characterized by, Includes a protective sleeve and multiple optical fibers, among which: The multiple optical fibers are disposed inside the protective sleeve; The protective sleeve is thermally fused with the optical fiber adjacent to the protective sleeve. Furthermore, two adjacent optical fibers among the multiple optical fibers are thermally fused together.

2. The optical transmission medium according to claim 1, characterized in that, The optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers include a core and a cladding; The thermal fusion connection between the protective sleeve and the optical fiber adjacent to the protective sleeve includes: thermal fusion connection between the cladding layers of the protective sleeve and the optical fiber adjacent to the protective sleeve. The thermal fusion connection between two adjacent optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers includes: thermal fusion connection between the cladding layers of two adjacent optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers.

3. The optical transmission medium of claim 1 or 2, wherein, in: The gaps in the optical transmission medium are filled by the cladding of the plurality of optical fibers; or The voids in the optical transmission medium are filled with glass material, the glass material having a melting point of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius.

4. The optical transmission medium of any one of claims 1-3, wherein, in: The plurality of optical fibers includes a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, wherein the diameters of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are smaller than those of the other optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers.

5. The optical transmission medium of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The tolerance of the optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers before and after heat fusion is less than or equal to 1 micrometer.

6. An optical transmission medium, characterized by, It includes tubular units and multiple optical fibers, wherein: The tubular unit is provided with multiple through holes, and each of the multiple through holes corresponds to one of the multiple optical fibers. In this configuration, the optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers are disposed in corresponding through holes, and the optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers are thermally fused to the corresponding through holes.

7. The optical transmission medium according to claim 6, characterized in that, The optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers include a core and a cladding; The thermal fusion connection between the optical fiber and the corresponding through hole in the plurality of optical fibers includes: thermal fusion connection between the cladding of the optical fiber and the corresponding through hole in the plurality of optical fibers.

8. The optical transmission medium of claim 6 or 7, wherein, in: The gaps in the optical transmission medium are filled by the cladding of the plurality of optical fibers; or The voids in the optical transmission medium are filled with glass material, the glass material having a melting point of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius.

9. The optical transmission medium of any one of claims 6-8, wherein, in: The plurality of optical fibers includes a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, wherein the diameters of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are smaller than those of the other optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers.

10. The optical transmission medium of any one of claims 6-9, wherein, The tolerance of the multiple optical fibers before and after heat fusion is less than or equal to 1 micrometer.

11. An optical transmission medium, characterized by, Includes at least one optical transmission group, wherein: The optical transmission group in the at least one optical transmission group includes a limiting member and multiple optical fibers, wherein the limiting member is provided with multiple slots, the multiple slots correspond one-to-one with the multiple optical fibers, and the optical fibers are disposed in the corresponding slots. Among them, the optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers are thermally fused to the corresponding grooves; When the at least one optical transmission group includes multiple optical transmission groups, adjacent optical transmission groups are thermally fused together.

12. The optical transmission medium according to claim 11, characterized in that, The optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers include a core and a cladding; The optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers are thermally fused to the corresponding groove, including: the cladding of the optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers is thermally fused to the corresponding groove.

13. The optical transmission medium of claim 11 or 12, wherein, The tolerance of the multiple optical fibers before and after heat fusion is less than or equal to 1 micrometer.

14. The optical transmission medium of any one of claims 11-13, wherein, in: The plurality of optical fibers includes a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, wherein the diameters of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are smaller than those of the other optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers.

15. The optical transmission medium of any one of claims 11-14, wherein, in: The gaps in the optical transmission medium are filled by the cladding of the plurality of optical fibers; or The voids in the optical transmission medium are filled with glass material, the glass material having a melting point of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius.

16. An optical transmission medium, characterized by, It includes multiple optical fibers stacked together, with adjacent optical fibers being thermally fused together.

17. The optical transmission medium according to claim 16, characterized in that, The optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers include a core and a cladding; The thermal fusion connection of two adjacent optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers includes: thermal fusion connection of the cladding of two adjacent optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers.

18. The optical transmission medium of claim 16 or 17, wherein, in: The plurality of optical fibers includes a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, wherein the diameters of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are smaller than those of the other optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers.

19. The optical transmission medium of any one of claims 16-18, wherein, The tolerance of the multiple optical fibers before and after heat fusion is less than or equal to 1 micrometer.

20. The optical transmission medium of any one of claims 16-19, wherein, in: The gaps in the optical transmission medium are filled by the cladding of the plurality of optical fibers; or The voids in the optical transmission medium are filled with glass material, the glass material having a melting point of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius.

21. A set of optical transmission media, characterized in that, include: A plurality of optical transmission media, wherein the optical transmission media among the plurality of optical transmission media is the optical transmission media as described in any one of claims 1 to 20, and adjacent optical transmission media among the plurality of optical transmission media are thermally fused together.

22. An optical connector, comprising: It includes the optical transmission medium as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, or the optical transmission medium as described in any one of claims 6 to 10, or the optical transmission medium as described in any one of claims 11 to 15, or the optical transmission medium as described in any one of claims 16 to 20, or the group of optical transmission media as described in claim 21.

23. The optical connector of claim 22, wherein, in: The optical connector further includes a first fixing member, which includes a first calibration point and a second calibration point. The first calibration point and the second calibration point are located on a first straight line, and the first calibration point and the second calibration point are protrusions or recesses of the first fixing member. The optical transmission medium includes a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber. The diameters of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are smaller than those of the other optical fibers in the plurality of optical fibers. The centers of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are located on a second straight line. The first line and the second line are parallel, or the first line and the second line coincide, or the angle between the first line and the second line is less than a first value.

24. The optical connector of claim 23, wherein, in: The optical connector further includes a second fixing member, which includes a third calibration point and a fourth calibration point, wherein the third calibration point and the fourth calibration point are protrusions or recesses of the second fixing member; The third calibration point cooperates with the first calibration point, and the fourth calibration point cooperates with the second calibration point, so that the first fixing member is fixed in the second fixing member.

25. The optical connector of any one of claims 22-24, wherein, The optical connector also includes a pigtail, which is a segment of the optical transmission medium. The segment of the optical transmission medium includes a fiber core, a cladding, and a protective sleeve.

26. An adapter, comprising: It includes the optical transmission medium as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, or the optical transmission medium as described in any one of claims 6 to 10, or the optical transmission medium as described in any one of claims 11 to 15, or the optical transmission medium as described in any one of claims 16 to 20, or the group of optical transmission media as described in claim 21.

27. An adapter, characterized by Includes an interface for inserting an optical connector as described in any one of claims 22 to 25.

28. An optical module characterized by comprising: It includes the optical transmission medium as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, or the optical transmission medium as described in any one of claims 6 to 10, or the optical transmission medium as described in any one of claims 11 to 15, or the optical transmission medium as described in any one of claims 16 to 20, or the group of optical transmission media as described in claim 21.

29. An optical communication system, characterized by The device includes an optical communication device, which includes one or more ports, and one or more ports are equipped with an optical connector as described in any one of claims 22 to 25. The optical communication device is any one of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) board, optical cross-connector, or router.

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