Apparatus and methods for remakeable connections to optical waveguides

Abstract

A single-mode optical waveguide with a core, surrounded by a cladding consisting of an inner soft layer and an outer harder layer is described. The outer layer has a grating structure on its inner surface, whose spatial frequency is the same as that of the guided mode. The thickness of the inner cladding is sufficient to keep the grating outside the mode field in undeformed regions of the waveguide, so that normally no out-coupling of the light results. Connections are made by crossing two such waveguides at an angle and pressing them together. This results in deformation of the two waveguides such that the gratings are brought into proximity with the cores. Light is coupled out of one waveguide and into the other in the deformed region, resulting in a self-aligning optical connection. The out-coupled light propagates normal to the waveguide axis, so errors in the crossing angle cause little change in efficiency. Because the cladding system is sufficiently resilient to recover after deformation, the connection is remakeable.

1 . A remakeable optical waveguide connector, for connecting pressure sensitive waveguides, the connector comprising:
 first and second mechanical guides, for holding pressure sensitive waveguides at an angle; and   a removable clamp, for pressing the waveguides together, the pressure being held within a predetermined range, the pressure being great enough to cause coupling between the waveguides and small enough to prevent damage to the waveguides.   
   
   
       2 . The remakeable optical waveguide connector as in  claim 1 , in which the mechanical guides are arranged so as to hold the pressure-sensitive waveguides at an angle to each other. 
   
   
       3 . The remakeable optical waveguide connector as in  claim 2 , in which the angle is in the range of 0.5 degrees to 2 degrees. 
   
   
       4 . The remakeable optical waveguide connector as in  claim 1 , in combination with a plurality of optical waveguides, each optical waveguide comprising a core; and a deformable cladding layer surrounding the core, for allowing thickness of the cladding to be altered by applying stress to the waveguide. 
   
   
       5 . A remakeable optical waveguide launcher, for coupling to an array of waveguides, the launcher comprising:
 an array of light sources;   a coupling structure having an array of light guides for receiving light from said light sources,   a mechanical guide, for holding the waveguides at an angle to said coupling structure;   a removable clamp, for pressing the waveguides and said coupling structure together, the pressure being held within a predetermined range, the pressure being great enough to cause coupling between the waveguides and the coupling structure and small enough to prevent damage to the waveguides.   
   
   
       6 . The remakeable optical waveguide launcher as in  claim 4 , wherein each optical waveguide comprising a core; and a deformable cladding layer surrounding the core, for allowing thickness of the cladding to be altered by applying said pressure to the waveguide.