Chapter 4
FIBER COUPLERS AND
CONNECTORS
Content
• Launching optical power into a fiber
• Fiber-to-Fiber coupling
• Fiber Splicing and connectors
Coupling Efficiency
power coupled into the fiber PF
[5-1]
power emitted from the sourse Ps
Ps PF
Source Optical Fiber
Radiance (Brightness) of the source
• B= Optical power radiated from a unit area of the source into a
unit solid angle [watts/(square centimeter per stradian)]
Surface emitting LEDs have a Lambertian pattern:
B ( , ) B0 cos [5-2]
Edge emitting LEDs and laser diodes radiation pattern
1 sin cos
2 2
[5-3]
B( , ) B0 cos B0 cos
T L
For edge emitting LEDs, L=1
Power Coupled from source to the fiber
As and s : area and solid emission angle of the source
PF B ( As , s )d s dAs
A f and f : area and Af
f [5-4]
solid acceptance angle of fiber rm 2
2 0 max
B ( , ) sin dd d s rdr
0 0 0 0
Power coupled from LED to the Fiber
rs 2
0 max
P 2B0 cos sin d d s rdr
0 0
0
rs 2
B0 0 max d s rdr
sin 2
0 0
rs 2 2
B0 NA d s rdr
0 0
2 2 2
PLED,step rs B0 ( NA) 2 rs B0 n1
2 2 2
[5-5]
Power coupling from LED to step-index fiber
• Total optical power from LED:
2 / 2
Ps As
0 0
B( , ) sin dd
/2
Ps rs 2B0
2 2
cos sin d 2
rs B0 [5-6]
0
Ps ( NA ) 2 if rs a
PLED,step a 2 [5-7]
s P ( NA ) 2
if rs a
rs
Equilibrium Numerical Aperture
Examples of possible lensing schemes used to improve optical source-to-fiber coupling
efficiency
Laser diode to Fiber Coupling
Fiber-to-Fiber Joint
• Fiber-to-Fiber coupling loss:
LF [dB] 10 log F [5-8]
• Low loss fiber-fiber joints are either:
1- Splice (permanent bond)
2- Connector (demountable connection)
Different modal distribution of the optical beam emerging from a fiber lead to different degrees of
coupling loss. a) when all modes are equally excited, the output beam fills the entire output NA. b)
for a steady state modal distribution, only the equilibrium NA is filled by the output beam.
Mechanical misalignment losses
Lateral (axial) misalignment loss is a dominant
Mechanical loss.
1/ 2
d d
2
Acomm 2 d
F ,step arccos 1 [5-9]
a 2
2a a 2a
Longitudinal offset effect
Losses due to differences in the geometry and waveguide characteristics
of the fibers
aR
LF (a ) 10 log( ) for a R a E
aE [5-10]
NA R
LF (a ) 20 log( ) for NA R NA E
NA E
E & R subscripts refer to emitting and receiving fibers.
Experimental comparison of Loss as a function
of mechanical misalignment
Fiber end face
Fiber end defects
Fiber splicing
Fusion Splicing
V-groove optical fiber splicing
Optical Fiber Connectors
• Some of the principal requirements of a good connector design are as
follows:
1- low coupling losses
2- Interchangeability
3- Ease of assembly
4- Low environmental sensitivity
5- Low-cost and reliable construction
6- Ease of connection
Connector Return Loss