SMA actuators and related methods are described. One embodiment of an actuator includes a base; a plurality of buckle arms; and at least a first shape memory alloy wire coupled with a pair of buckle arms of the plurality of buckle arms. Another embodiment of an actuator includes a base and at least one bimorph actuator including a shape memory alloy material. The bimorph actuator attached to the base.

A passive self-alignment fiber-to-fiber optical device is provided. The device includes a silicon base, a fiber alignment region, and an actuation region. When the device is configured as a fiber optical attenuator, displacement of a plunger in the actuation region alters the alignment of two optical fibers in the fiber alignment region, thereby varying the optical intensity between the two fibers. A series of beams in the actuation region successively reduces an initial displacement of a first beam to a smaller displacement of the plunger. When the device is configured as an optical switch, displacement of the plunger in the actuation region displaces the first optical fiber from a first position in alignment with the second optical fiber into a second position in alignment with a third optical fiber.

A splice module includes a main splicing channel and a rework channel. The main splicing channel has an encapsulated section at which one or more initial splices can be stored. The main splicing channel also includes a non-encapsulated section through which trunk cable fibers of the initial splices extend. If re-splicing is needed, the trunk cable fibers can be accessed at the non-encapsulated section, cut, and re-spliced to a new connectorized pigtail or other optical fibers.

A thermal control system for pluggable optics in an optical telecom platform. The thermal control system comprises a thermal interface and one or more actuators. The thermal interface is configured to dissipate heat from a pluggable optical module in the optical telecom platform. The one or more actuators configured to change a position of the pluggable optical module relative to the thermal interface such that a thermal resistance between the pluggable optical module and the thermal interface is different based on a position of the pluggable optical module relative to the thermal interface.

Apparatus for establishing optical connection between optical fibers, the apparatus comprising: a first array comprising a plurality of slack management units (SMU), each having a holding socket for holding an optical end connector of an optical fiber and configured to reel in a length of fiber released when the optical end connector is removed from the holding socket; a second array comprising a plurality of coupling sockets, each configured to hold an optical end of an optical fiber; and a pick and place grabber controllable to grab an optical end connector seated in a holding socket of any SMU in the first array, move the optical end connector into any coupling socket in the second array to establish an optical connection between the optical fiber connected to the optical end connector, and an optical end of an optical fiber held in the coupling socket; at least one identification (ID) tag; an ID reader operable to interrogate each of the at least one ID tag; a controller configured to control the ID reader to interrogate an ID tag of the at least one ID to identify an optical end connector in the first array and/or a coupling socket in the second array.

This invention discloses highly scalable and modular automated optical cross connect switch devices which exhibit low loss and scalability to high port counts. In particular, a device for the programmable interconnection of large numbers of optical fibers (100s-1000s) is provided, whereby a two-dimensional array of fiber optic connections is mapped in an ordered and rule-based fashion into a one-dimensional array with tensioned fiber optic circuit elements tracing substantially straight lines there between. Fiber optic elements are terminated in a stacked arrangement of flexible fiber optic circuit elements with a capacity to retain excess fiber lengths while maintaining an adequate bend radius. The combination of these elements partitions the switch volume into multiple independent, non-interfering zones, which retain their independence for arbitrary and unlimited numbers of reconfigurations. The separation into spaced-apart zones provides clearance for one or more robotic actuators to enter the free volume substantially adjacent to the two-dimensional array of connectors and mechanically reconfigure connectors without interrupting other circuits.

An apparatus includes a plurality of connector track elements, each extending substantially perpendicularly from a coupling plane, wherein a particular connector track element of the plurality of connector track elements includes a distribution of at least two magnets adjacent unattached end thereof, a polarity of the magnets on the particular connector track element being selected to provide magnetic repulsion as to at least one adjacent connector track element.

A large-scale 3D fiber cross-connect system is disclosed. The system uses modularized and stackable beam steering units to build input and output arrays that can be expanded to large-scale system of 10001000 ports or more. The disclosure provides a two-mirror configuration that minimizes size of the modular beam steering units. With one mirror being fixed on the propagation path of the optical beam and another mirror steerable in a 2D dimension, an any-to-any switching of the large-scale system may be built by stacking the beam steering units over an appropriate distance.

SMA actuators and related methods are described. One embodiment of an actuator includes a base; a plurality of buckle arms; and at least a first shape memory alloy wire coupled with a pair of buckle arms of the plurality of buckle arms. Another embodiment of an actuator includes a base and at least one bimorph actuator including a shape memory alloy material. The bimorph actuator attached to the base.

Apparatus for establishing optical connection between optical fibers, the apparatus comprising: a first array comprising a plurality of slack management units (SMU), each having a holding socket for holding an optical end connector of an optical fiber and configured to reel in a length of fiber released when the optical end connector is removed from the holding socket; a second array comprising a plurality of coupling sockets, each configured to hold an optical end of an optical fiber; and a pick and place grabber controllable to grab an optical end connector seated in a holding socket of any SMU in the first array, move the optical end connector into any coupling socket in the second array to establish an optical connection between the optical fiber connected to the optical end connector, and an optical end of an optical fiber held in the coupling socket; at least one identification (ID) tag; an ID reader operable to interrogate each of the at least one ID tag; a controller configured to control the ID reader to interrogate an ID tag of the at least one ID to identify an optical end connector in the first array and/or a coupling socket in the second array.