Optical coupling with a rewritable photorefractive polymer layer

• US 9,746,622 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Ladouceur, Francois, Nicholls, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah, Akm Enayet
• Application Number:
  US14/778,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20160154192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 385 14, 385 24, 385 33, 385 88, 385 89, 385127, 385134, 528481, 359 3
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/138 by using polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/262 Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/382 with index-matching medium between light guides provisionally see G02B6/4212
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3895 identification of connection, e.g. right plug to the right socket or full engagement of the mating parts keying element on the plug or adapter G02B6/3831; keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical connection H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4212 the intermediate optical element being a coupling medium interposed therebetween, e.g. epoxy resin, refractive index matching material, index grease, matching liquid or gel
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4227 Active alignment methods, e.g. procedures and algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0126 Opto-optical modulation, i.e. control of one light beam by another light beam, not otherwise provided for in this subclass

Abstract

Technologies are generally described to communicatively couple an optical fiber to an optical element using a polymer layer. An optical fiber may be coupled to an optical element, such as an optical waveguide or another optical fiber, using a layer of rewritable photorefractive polymer positioned between the optical fiber and the optical element. Light from a light source may be applied to the optical fiber to initiate a transient photorefractive effect in the polymer layer facilitating corrections of misalignment. A path of high refractive index may be formed in the polymer layer, where the path of high refractive index communicatively couples the optical fiber to the optical element reducing alignment concerns and increasing alignment tolerances of optical elements. In some examples, the path of high refractive index may be re-established by rewriting the polymer layer through another application of light from the light source if the communicative coupling is disrupted.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to form an optical coupling between an optical fiber and an optical element, the apparatus comprising:

a connector configured to mechanically couple the optical fiber and the optical element;

a polymer layer supported by the connector and configured to be located between the optical fiber and the optical element when the optical fiber and the optical element are mechanically coupled by the connector,

wherein the polymer layer includes an elastomeric photorefractive polymer with transient photo-refractive properties such that a path of high refractive index is formed in the polymer layer through a photorefractive effect in response to passage of light from a light source through the polymer layer between the optical fiber and the optical element and the path of high refractive index is dissipated in the polymer layer in response to termination of the light from the light source, and

wherein the path of high refractive index communicatively couples the optical element and the optical fiber when the path of high refractive index is formed; and

a sensor positioned in the connector of the optical fiber and configured to detect the communicative coupling between the optical element and the optical fiber,

wherein in response to a determination, by the sensor, that the communicative coupling between the optical element and the optical fiber is disrupted, the path of high refractive index is re-established by rewriting the polymer layer through another application of the light from the light source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer further comprises a polymer matrix.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer comprises one or more of a photo-refractive additive, an electron trapping agent, and a photo-resistive material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer is deformable.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer is patterned to match the optical element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a cover adapted to surround the connector to prevent light from external light sources from penetrating the polymer layer and to prevent particulate ingress.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is one of a single mode fiber and a multimode fiber.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is one of a flat fiber, a stacked fiat pair of fibers, and a cylindrical fiber.