A fiber termination assembly includes an optical fiber inserted into an optical ferrule disposed in an optical passageway of a heat conductive housing, the optical passageway providing an optical path aligned with the openings of the housing, the optical ferrule including a central bore concentrically disposed about the optical path and configured to receive a portion of a proximal end of the optical fiber therein, the optical ferrule and optical fiber secured in relation to the heat conductive housing with epoxy at a distal end of the optical ferrule, wherein the optical ferrule is transparent at a predetermined wavelength of light such that for light coupled into an input surface of the proximal end of the optical fiber at least a portion of the light propagating as cladding modes is stripped out of the optical fiber and transported to and dissipated in the heat conductive housing.

A hermetic optical fiber alignment assembly includes a ferrule portion having a plurality of grooves receiving the end sections of optical fibers, wherein the grooves define the location and orientation of the end sections with respect to the ferrule portion. The assembly includes an integrated optical element for coupling the input/output of an optical fiber to the opto-electronic devices in the opto-electronic module. The optical element can be in the form of a structured reflective surface. The end of the optical fiber is at a defined distance to and aligned with the structured reflective surface. The structured reflective surfaces and the fiber alignment grooves can be formed by stamping.

A modular optical connector includes a plurality of coupled optical ferrule support modules. Each optical ferrule support module comprises module connecting features configured to couple each ferrule support module with one or more neighboring ferrule support modules of the plurality of ferrule support modules. One or more optical ferrules are disposed and configured to rotate within the ferrule support module. Each optical ferrule includes a first attachment area configured to attach to one or more optical waveguides. One or more passageways are disposed within the ferrule support module. Each passageway is configured to receive the one or more optical waveguides. The passageway comprises a second attachment area configured to attach to the optical waveguides that are attached to the optical ferrule at the first attachment area. The passageway is dimensioned to constrain the optical waveguides to bend within the housing between the first attachment area and the second attachment area.

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a connector for coupling a cable comprising at least one optical fiber and at least one electrical wire to an optical module at a network communications device, the connector comprising an electrical contact plate for engagement with an electrical contact on the optical module, and a ferrule for receiving the at least one optical fiber. The electrical contact plate is configured for electrically coupling the at least one electrical wire to the electrical contact on the optical module for delivery of power through the optical module.

A hermetic optical fiber alignment assembly, including a first ferrule portion having a first surface provided with a plurality of grooves receiving the end sections of optical fibers, wherein the grooves define the location and orientation of the end sections with respect to the first ferrule portion, and a second ferrule portion having a second surface facing the first surface of the first ferrule, wherein the first ferrule portion is attached to the second ferrule portion with the first surface against the second surface, wherein a cavity is defined between the first ferrule portion and the second ferrule portion, wherein the cavity is wider than the grooves, and wherein a suspended section of each optical fiber is suspended in the cavity, and wherein the cavity is sealed with a sealant. The sealant extends around the suspended sections of the optical fibers within the cavity. An aperture is provided in at least one of the first ferrule portion and the second ferrule portion, exposing the cavity, wherein the sealant is feed through the aperture. In another aspect, the hermetic assembly provides optical alignment and a hermetic feedthrough for an opto-electronic module. In a further aspect, the hermetic assembly provides alignment and a terminal for access to an opto-electronic module.

To couple light between an optical fiber and a grating coupler of a photonic integrated circuits, a mirror is provided to turn light to/from the optical fiber to allow the axis of the optical fiber to be oriented at small angles or parallel to the surface of the PIC, and lowered close to the surface of the PIC. The mirror is further configured to reshape light from a flat polished optical fiber to produce a mode field resembling the mode field of an angled polished optical fiber, to match the design angle of existing grating couplers that are designed to work with angled polished optical fibers. The mirror and optical fiber alignment structure in the optical connector are integrally/simultaneous formed by precision stamping.

A modular optical connector includes a plurality of coupled optical ferrule support modules. Each optical ferrule support module comprises module connecting features configured to couple each ferrule support module with one or more neighboring ferrule support modules of the plurality of ferrule support modules. One or more optical ferrules are disposed and configured to rotate within the ferrule support module. Each optical ferrule includes a first attachment area configured to attach to one or more optical waveguides. One or more passageways are disposed within the ferrule support module. Each passageway is configured to receive the one or more optical waveguides. The passageway comprises a second attachment area configured to attach to the optical waveguides that are attached to the optical ferrule at the first attachment area. The passageway is dimensioned to constrain the optical waveguides to bend within the housing between the first attachment area and the second attachment area.

An optical ferrule includes at least one light affecting element configured to affect one or more characteristics of light from an optical waveguide as the light propagates in the optical ferrule, the light affecting element having an input surface. At least one receiving element receives and secures the optical waveguide to the ferrule so that an output surface of the waveguide is optically coupled to the input surface of the light affecting element. A waveguide stop limits movement of the waveguide toward the input surface of the light affecting element when the optical waveguide is installed in the receiving element. A space between the output surface of the optical waveguide and the input surface of the light affecting element is inaccessible to the optical waveguide when the optical waveguide is installed in the receiving element.

A hermetic optical fiber alignment assembly includes a ferrule portion having a plurality of grooves receiving the end sections of optical fibers, wherein the grooves define the location and orientation of the end sections with respect to the ferrule portion. The assembly includes an integrated optical element for coupling the input/output of an optical fiber to the opto-electronic devices in the opto-electronic module. The optical element can be in the form of a structured reflective surface. The end of the optical fiber is at a defined distance to and aligned with the structured reflective surface. The structured reflective surfaces and the fiber alignment grooves can be formed by stamping.

An expanded beam ferrule includes a first ferrule halve having reflective surfaces and a second ferrule halve, which together retain optical fibers. The reflective surfaces output light perpendicular to the mid-plane of the ferrule. A sleeve aligns the external surface of two similar ferrules, with the reflective surfaces of the respective ferrules facing each other. Output light from an optical fiber held in the first ferrule is bent and collimated by a reflective surface, transmitted to the facing reflective surface in a second ferrule aligned by the sleeve, which bends the light to input to the optical fiber held in the second ferrule. The ferrule components and/or sleeve are precision formed by high throughput metal stamping. The ferrule is incorporated in an optical fiber connector.