A photonic crystal fiber (PCF) assembly including a PCF and at least one ferrule structure. The PCF includes a core region and a cladding region and a first fiber end section with a first fiber end. The ferrule structure is mounted to the first fiber end section. The ferrule structure includes an inner ferrule arrangement and an outer ferrule arrangement surrounding the first fiber end section. The inner ferrule arrangement includes an inner ferrule front section proximally to the first fiber end and an inner ferrule rear section distally to the first fiber end, and each of the sections has an inner diameter and in at least a length thereof fully surrounds the PCF. The inner ferrule rear section is anchored in an anchor length section to the first fiber end section and the inner ferrule front section supports the first fiber end section proximally to the first fiber end.

A surgical laser tool comprises an output member that includes an output laser fiber, a probe tip, and electrical contacts. The probe tip is attached to a distal end of the output laser fiber. Electromagnetic energy transmitted through the output laser fiber is discharged through the probe tip. The electrical contacts are supported at a proximal end of the output member.

A surgical laser tool (150) comprises an output member (162) that includes an output laser fiber (164), a probe tip (132), and electrical contacts (240). The probe tip is attached to a distal end (171) of the output laser fiber. Electromagnetic energy (102) transmitted through the output laser fiber is discharged through the probe tip. The electrical contacts are supported at a proximal end (169) of the output member.

A photonic crystal fiber (PCF) assembly including a PCF and at least one ferrule structure. The PCF includes a core region and a cladding region and a first fiber end section with a first fiber end. The ferrule structure is mounted to the first fiber end section. The ferrule structure includes an inner ferrule arrangement and an outer ferrule arrangement surrounding the first fiber end section. The inner ferrule arrangement includes an inner ferrule front section proximally to the first fiber end and an inner ferrule rear section distally to the first fiber end, and each of the sections has an inner diameter and in at least a length thereof fully surrounds the PCF. The inner ferrule rear section is anchored in an anchor length section to the first fiber end section and the inner ferrule front section supports the first fiber end section proximally to the first fiber end.

An optical ferrule assembly includes an optical ferrule including an attachment area, a light input surface and a light output surface; an optical fiber having a fiber end where the light input surface and the fiber end defines a gap therebetween substantially filled with an adhesive, such that light propagating along the optical fiber and having a peak intensity I1≥3 GW/m.sup.2, exits the fiber end and enters the optical ferrule through the light input surface after traversing the gap through the adhesive, and exits the optical ferrule through the light output surface. The exiting light has a first beam size, such that after at least 100 hours of aging of the optical ferrule assembly, any change in the first beam size due to a photodegradation of the adhesive is no more than about 10%. The adhesive can be prepared by photocuring an optical adhesive formulation.

Aspects of the disclosure are drawn to methods for producing a fused connector termination. An exemplary method may include setting a specification requirement to be met by the fused connector termination and applying an amount of heat to a proximal region of an unfused connector termination. The proximal region of the unfused connector termination may include an inner optical fiber coaxially positioned within an outer ferrule, and applying the amount of heat may at least partially fuse the optical fiber to the outer ferrule to form an at least partially fused connector termination. The method may also include imaging the proximal region of the at least partially fused connector termination and determining, based on the imaging, whether the proximal region of the at least partially fused connector termination meets the specification.

A socket for a releasable and reproducible assembly with an optical fiber plug. The socket has a main housing and an access shaft for inserting an optical fiber plug with a plug housing. At the inner end of the access shaft an optical fitting surface is arranged that is inverse to an optical fitting surface of the optical fiber plug. The main housing has a knurled ring, at least one movable engagement pin and a locking ring. The closing path of the engagement pin is formed by a guiding groove in the locking ring with at least two sections. The guiding groove has a first azimuthally extending portion and a second axially extending section with a recess at the end region of a transversal groove. A friction-locked snapping in of the engagement pin into the recess at the end region of the transversal groove occurs.

There is provided a multi-clad fiber assembly for reducing and eliminating deleterious laser-contaminant interrelations, and methods of making these assemblies. There is provided an optical connector having contaminants that are shielded from causing detrimental thermal effects, during laser beam transmittion, by preventing laser-contaminant interactions.

In connecting between lensed optical fibers (1) in which a rod-shaped GRIN lens (3) is coaxially fused with a tip of an optical fiber (2), end faces of the lensed optical fibers (1) are spherically polished with a curvature radius R of 2 mm or more to crimp the end faces with each other, whereby a connection loss upon performing PC connection is reduced.

A photonic crystal fiber (PCF) assembly including a PCF and at least one ferrule structure. The PCF includes a core region and a cladding region and a first fiber end section with a first fiber end. The ferrule structure is mounted to the first fiber end section. The ferrule structure includes an inner ferrule arrangement and an outer ferrule arrangement surrounding the first fiber end section. The inner ferrule arrangement includes an inner ferrule front section proximally to the first fiber end and an inner ferrule rear section distally to the first fiber end, and each of the sections has an inner diameter and in at least a length thereof fully surrounds the PCF. The inner ferrule rear section is anchored in an anchor length section to the first fiber end section and the inner ferrule front section supports the first fiber end section proximally to the first fiber end.