Optical Chip Lens Alignment for Detachable Fiber Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
The mechanical tolerance in detachable connections between optical fiber connectors and photoelectric conversion apparatuses leads to misalignment of optical fiber arrays and waveguide arrays, reducing coupling efficiency in optical communication devices.
Innovation Solution
An optical chip design incorporating a photonic integrated circuit (PIC), a fastening substrate, and lens arrays that optically align and stabilize the optical path through a fastening substrate with bonded lens arrays, ensuring precise alignment and compensation for mechanical tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mechanical structure is used to detachably connect the photoelectric conversion apparatus and the optical fiber connector, then the connection is easily assembled and disassembled, but the tolerance is large leading to misalignment of optical fiber array and waveguide array
Solution Approach 1:
A lens array is introduced as an intermediary component between the optical fiber array and the waveguide array. The lens array serves as a mediator that compensates for misalignment caused by mechanical tolerance, enabling precise optical coupling without requiring extremely tight mechanical tolerances in the detachable connection structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameters by introducing lenses that can focus and redirect light paths. By adjusting the focal length and position of the lens array, the system can compensate for positional deviations and maintain optimal optical coupling efficiency despite mechanical tolerances in the connection structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If the optical fiber array and waveguide array are precisely aligned, then the coupling efficiency is high, but the mechanical structure requires very tight tolerances which is difficult to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The lens array acts as a forgiving intermediary that decouples the strict alignment requirements from the mechanical connection. This allows standard mechanical tolerances to be used while still achieving high optical coupling efficiency through the optical field transformation provided by the lenses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces strict mechanical alignment requirements with an optical field-based coupling mechanism. Instead of relying on precise mechanical positioning to achieve alignment, the system uses lens-based optical field transformation to achieve the same coupling efficiency, thereby relaxing mechanical manufacturing requirements.
3Manufacturing precision
If lens arrays are added to improve optical alignment, then the coupling efficiency is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lens array is integrated with the optical fiber connector or photoelectric conversion apparatus as a unified component. By merging the lens array with the existing structure, the patent reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies assembly, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity despite adding optical alignment functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances coupling efficiency between optical fiber and waveguide arrays by maintaining precise optical alignment, even in high-temperature environments, and prevents contamination and deformation, thereby improving the performance of optical communication devices.
Implementation Method 1
The first lens and the second lens are jointly configured to converge an optical signal from the optical waveguide to the optical fiber
Implementation Method 2
The optical fiber of the optical fiber connector, the first lens, the second lens, and the optical waveguide are optically aligned in sequence
Data Source
AI summary
The optical chip includes a photonic integrated circuit PIC, a fastening substrate, a first lens array (450), and a second lens array. A first end of the fastening substrate is configured to detachably connect to the optical fiber connector, and a second end of the fastening substrate is connected to the photonic integrated circuit PIC. The optical chip includes at least one optical channel. Each of the at least one optical channel includes optical waveguides located on a surface of the photonic integrated circuit PIC, second lenses included in the second lens array, and first lenses included in the first lens array. Optical fibers of the optical fiber connector, the first lenses, the second lenses, and the optical waveguides are optically aligned in sequence.