DENSE LOW-EMI FIBER-OPTIC CONNECTOR TECHNOLOGIES SUPPORTING SECOND GENERATION FLY-BY-LIGHT AEROSPACE SYSTEMS

The goal of this Phase-I effort is to establish the feasibility, performance, and advantages of novel ultra-dense and alignment tolerant optical fiber connector, breakout, and fanout technologies. Advantages of these technologies include extremecompactness and density, low mass, alignment tolerant and simple to use in the field, very attractive EMI characteristics, inherent fanout and breakout capabilities, contamination tolerant, and the potential for simple, low cost manufacturing. The Phase Ieffort includes modeling of the new device technology for feasibility, tolerances, and achievable densities; the construction of an experimental feasibility demonstrator; optimization of the technology for aerospace benefits; and the design of highperformance prototype connectors and breakout/fanout components for demonstration in Phase II. The anticipated benefit from this research is the development of novel ultra-dense and alignment tolerant optical fiber connector, breakout, and fanouttechnologies that exhibit extreme compactness and density, low mass, alignment tolerant and simple to use in the field, very attractive EMI characteristics, inherent fanout and breakout capabilities, contamination tolerant, and the potential for simple,low cost manufacture. Commercial applications include Fly-by-Light aerospace applications as well as general purpose commercial optical fiber connection such as in automotive and LAN markets.