Non-imaging lens assembly design for efficient power coupling from multimode fiber to small-area photodetectors

• US 10,627,577 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2019
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kazmierski, Andrei, Kim, Nam-hyong, Brinkley, Devin, Erkmen, Baris Ibrahim
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ellen E
• Application Number:
  US16/256,347
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0014 at least one surface having optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0076 for use with a detector G02B19/009, G02B19/0095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0955 Lenses lenses per se G02B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0005 the light guides being of the fibre type G02B6/0003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4206 Optical features G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/04 having two components only
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum

Abstract

The disclosure provides for an optical communication device that includes a photodetector, an optical fiber, a first lens, and a second lens. The optical fiber may be configured to relay light. The first lens may include a first surface and a second surface and has an image plane. The first lens may be configured to receive the light output from the optical fiber, where the received light has a first cross-sectional area at the first surface. The second lens may include a third surface positioned at the image plane of the first lens and a fourth surface positioned adjacent to the photodetector. The second lens may be configured to receive the light output from the first lens and to output light having a second cross-sectional area at the fourth surface that is smaller than the first cross-sectional area.

Claims

1. An optical communication device comprising:

a photodetector;

an optical fiber configured to output light;

a first lens including a first surface and a second surface and having an image plane, the first lens being configured to receive the light output from the optical fiber, the received light having a first cross-sectional area at the first surface, wherein a diameter of the first lens is at least 2 tan(θ

)d, where θ

is a numerical aperture of the optical fiber and d is a distance between an output plane of the optical fiber and the first lens; and

a second lens including a third surface positioned at the image plane of the first lens and a fourth surface positioned adjacent to the photodetector, the second lens being configured to receive the light output from the first lens and to output light having a second cross-sectional area at the fourth surface that is smaller than the first cross-sectional area.

2. The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the first surface is a first convex surface, the second surface is a second convex surface, the third surface is a third convex surface, and the fourth surface is a fourth planar surface.

3. The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the light includes a plurality of ray bundles, and the second lens is configured to cause at least partial overlap of the plurality of ray bundles at the photodetector.

4. The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the fourth surface is positioned at a focal length of the second lens.

5. The optical communication device of claim 4, wherein the second lens has a thickness between the third surface and the fourth surface that is equal to the focal length of the second lens.

6. The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein the optical communication device is configured for free-space optical communication.

13. The optical communication device of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the second lens is at least equal to a diameter of the optical fiber multiplied by a magnification of the first lens.

7. A lens system of an optical communication device, the lens system comprising:

a first lens including a first surface and a second surface and having an image plane, the first lens being configured to receive light having a first cross-sectional area at the first surface, wherein a diameter of the first lens is at least 2 tan(θ

)d, where θ

is a numerical aperture of an optical fiber that outputs the received light and d is a distance between an output plane of the optical fiber and the first lens; and

a second lens including a third surface positioned at the image plane of the first lens and a fourth surface positioned adjacent to a photodetector, the second lens being configured to receive the light output from the first lens and to output light having a second cross-sectional area at the fourth surface that is smaller than the first cross-sectional area.

8. The lens system of claim 7, wherein the first surface is a first convex surface, the second surface is a second convex surface, the third surface is a third convex surface, and the fourth surface is a fourth planar surface.

9. The lens system of claim 7, wherein the light includes a plurality of ray bundles, and the second lens is configured to cause at least partial overlap of the plurality of ray bundles at the photodetector.

10. The lens system of claim 7, wherein the fourth surface is positioned at a focal length of the second lens.

11. The lens system of claim 10, wherein the second lens has a thickness between the third surface and the fourth surface that is equal to the focal length of the second lens.

14. The lens system of claim 7, wherein a diameter of the second lens is at least equal to a diameter of the optical fiber multiplied by a magnification of the first lens.

12. A method of processing an optical signal, the method including:

emitting light from an optical fiber of an optical communication device;

receiving the light at a first lens;

focusing the light using the first lens at an image plane;

receiving the light at a second lens positioned at the image plane, wherein a diameter of the second lens is at least equal to a diameter of the optical fiber multiplied by a magnification of the first lens;

focusing the light at a photodetector positioned adjacent to the second lens; and

operating, by one or more processors, the optical communication device according to the light received at the photodetector.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein a diameter of the first lens is at least 2 tan(θ

)d, where θ

is a numerical aperture of the optical fiber and d is a distance between an output plane of the optical fiber and the first lens.