Method and system for coupling multimode optical fiber to an optical detector

• US 8,111,959 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd. (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Mobileaccess Ltd.
• Inventors: Shapiro, Carmi
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Application Number:
  US12/511,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20100027940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 385/52, 385/88, 385/89, 385/92, 385/94, 385/14, 385/31, 385/32, 295/921
• US Class Current: 385/52
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4225 by a direct measurement of the degree of coupling, e.g. the amount of light power coupled to the fibre or the opto-electronic element
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4227 Active alignment methods, e.g. procedures and algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A method for making a multimode fiber optic subassembly includes alignment of an optical detector with a fiber termination of an optical fiber. The output of the optical detector (e.g. photocurrent) can be measured from light being transmitted through the optical fiber and detected by the optical detector. The end of the optical fiber and/or the optical detector can be positioned and angularly oriented in order to obtain relative maximum or peak output of the optical detector for a given position and orientation. The output of the optical detector can be monitored while mechanically manipulating, e.g. bending, flexing, shaking and/or twisting, the optical fiber, in order to verify that the positional relationship between the end of the optical fiber and the optical detector corresponds to a position and/or orientation that provides stable output from the optical detector. If the optical detector output is not stable, the end of the multimode optical fiber and the optical detector can be moved, changing the position and/or the orientation of one or both, until the output of the optical detector is stable during manipulation. If the optical detector output is stable, the end of the multimode optical fiber is fixed to the optical detector. The resulting subassembly, a fiber optic pigtail, can be made by cutting the optical fiber a short distance from the optical detector.

Claims

1. A method making a fiber optic subassembly including an optical fiber and an optical detector, the method comprising:

coupling a light source to a first end of the optical fiber enabling light energy from the light source to be transmitted from the first end through the optical fiber to a second end of the optical fiber;

positioning the second end of the optical fiber relative to the optical detector;

measuring an output signal output by the optical detector;

adjusting the position of the second end of the optical fiber relative to the optical detector to align the second end of the optical fiber with respect to the optical detector at a position that corresponds to a relative peak signal output of the optical detector;

while holding the second end of the optical fiber in a constant position relative to the optical detector, manipulating a remote portion of the optical fiber and monitoring the output signal of the optical detector to confirm that the output signal of the optical detector is stable during manipulation; and

fixing the second end of the optical fiber to the optical detector.

2. A method making a fiber optic subassembly according to claim 1 wherein the position of the second end of the optical fiber is adjusted along at least one of three linear axes.

3. A method making a fiber optic subassembly according to claim 1 wherein the position of the optical detector is adjusted angularly about at least one of two rotational axes.

4. A method making a fiber optic subassembly according to claim 1 wherein the output signal of the optical detector after adjusting the position is compared to the output signal of the optical detector before adjusting the position.

5. A method making a fiber optic subassembly according to claim 1 wherein the output signal of the optical detector is considered stable if the output signal during manipulation does not deviate from the output signal prior to manipulation by more than a predetermined amount.

6. A method making a fiber optic subassembly according to claim 1 wherein the output signal of the optical detector is considered stable if a maximum output signal measured during manipulation does not deviate from a minimum output signal by more than a predetermined amount.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising iteratively positioning, measuring, adjusting and manipulating until the output signal of the optical detector is stable during manipulation.

7. A fiber optic assembly including an optical fiber and an optical detector, the fiber optic subassembly being made according to the method comprising:

coupling a light source to a first end of the optical fiber enabling light energy to be transmitted from the first end through the optical fiber to a second end of the optical fiber;

positioning the second end of the optical fiber relative to the optical detector;

measuring an output signal output by the optical detector;

adjusting the position of the second end of the optical fiber relative to the optical detector to align the second end of the optical fiber with respect to the optical detector at a position that corresponds to a relative peak signal output of the optical detector;

while holding the second end of the optical fiber in a constant position relative to the optical detector, manipulating a remote portion of the optical fiber and monitoring the output signal of the optical detector to confirm that the output signal of the optical detector is stable during manipulation; and

fixing the second end of the optical fiber to the optical detector.

8. A fiber optic subassembly made according to claim 7 wherein the position of the second end of the optical fiber is adjusted along at least one of three linear axes.

9. A fiber optic subassembly made according to claim 7 wherein the position of the optical detector is adjusted angularly about at least one of two rotational axes.

10. A fiber optic subassembly made according to claim 7 wherein the output signal of the optical detector after adjusting the position is compared to the output signal of the optical detector before adjusting the position.

11. A fiber optic subassembly made according to claim 7 wherein the output signal of the optical detector is considered stable if the output signal during manipulation does not deviate from the output signal prior to manipulation by a predetermined amount.

14. The fiber optic subassembly made according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises iteratively positioning, measuring, adjusting and manipulating until the output signal of the optical detector is stable during manipulation.

12. A fiber optic subassembly including a multimode optical fiber and an optical detector, the fiber optic subassembly being made according to the method comprising:

coupling a light source having a single mode optical fiber pigtail to a first end of the multimode optical fiber enabling light energy from the light source to be transmitted from the first end through the multimode optical fiber to a second end of the multimode optical fiber;

positioning the second end of the multimode optical fiber relative to the optical detector;

measuring an output signal output by the optical detector;

adjusting the position in a linear dimension of the second end of the multimode optical fiber relative to the optical detector to align the second end of the multimode optical fiber with respect to the optical detector to a position that corresponds to a relative peak signal output of the optical detector;

adjusting the position in an angular dimension of the optical detector relative to the second end of the multimode optical fiber to align the optical detector with respect to the second end of the multimode optical fiber to a position that corresponds to a relative peak signal output of the optical detector;

manipulating of the multimode optical fiber by forming the optical fiber in at least one loop and compressing the loop;

monitoring the output signal of the optical detector to confirm that the output signal of the optical detector is stable during manipulation; and

fixing the second end of the multimode optical fiber to the optical detector.

15. A method making a fiber optic subassembly including an optical fiber and an optical detector, the method comprising:

coupling a light source to a first end of the optical fiber enabling light energy from the light source to be transmitted from the first end through the optical fiber to a second end of the optical fiber;

positioning the second end of the optical fiber relative to the optical detector;

measuring an output signal output by the optical detector;

adjusting the position of the second end of the optical fiber relative to the optical detector to align the second end of the optical fiber with respect to the optical detector at a position that corresponds to a relative peak signal output of the optical detector;

manipulating the optical fiber and monitoring the output signal of the optical detector to confirm that the output signal of the optical detector is stable during manipulation; and

fixing the second end of the optical fiber to the optical detector;

wherein the position of the optical detector is adjusted angularly about at least one of two rotational axes.

16. A fiber optic assembly including an optical fiber and an optical detector, the fiber optic subassembly being made according to the method comprising:

coupling a light source to a first end of the optical fiber enabling light energy to be transmitted from the first end through the optical fiber to a second end of the optical fiber;

positioning the second end of the optical fiber relative to the optical detector;

measuring an output signal output by the optical detector;

adjusting the position of the second end of the optical fiber relative to the optical detector to align the second end of the optical fiber with respect to the optical detector at a position that corresponds to a relative peak signal output of the optical detector;

manipulating the optical fiber and monitoring the output signal of the optical detector to confirm that the output signal of the optical detector is stable during manipulation; and

fixing the second end of the optical fiber to the optical detector;

wherein the position of the optical detector is adjusted angularly about at least one of two rotational axes.