High Reliability Mechanical Fiber Optic Splice

The proposed approach provides a high performance mechanical optical fiber splice of single piece construction. Leveraging on advanced glass and polymer material processing technologies, the new splice design offers advantageous attributes of compactness for use with minimum space intrusion, passive self-alignment of the fiber core in all directions, easy guided fiber insertion, quick action, and a built-in cable retention nozzle that also alleviates the cable strip and fiber tip cleave requirement. Moreover, the approach is based on fiber optic packaging processes that are proven as the most cost effective and highest reliability in the optical fiber component industry. The design intrinsically eliminates damaging thermal cycling stress, providing excellent temperature stability and longevity. The all-glass sealed splice enclosure and its polymer alternative are also particularly well suited to withstand severe environmental conditions. The feasibility of the glass mechanical optical fiber splice has been successfully demonstrated. In this Phase I program, state-of-the-art ruggedized fiber splices that meet the low loss and reliable operational requirement in military/aerospace avionics fiber-optic network environments (including the extreme ?75 to +200 degree C range) will be further developed and demonstrated.