Monolithic Optical Fiber-to-Fiber Array Connector

An innovative novel idea (patent pending) is proposed for building a demountable optical fiber array connector in which a large number (as many as >10,000) of optical fibers may be connectorized at a relatively very low cost and in a small package (10,000 fibers within 2 inch square). The alignment accuracy will be very good, in the range of one micron. This Phase I proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of this novel fiber connection concept. (This proposal is accompanied by a sister proposal for developing opto-electronic package comprising a large array of fiber pigtailed vertical cavity surface emitting laser diodes.) The low-cost and compact array connector (and optoelectronic packaging) would contribute to expand the applications of advanced optoelectronics and fiber optics for commercial and military applications. Low-cost fiber-to-fiber connection; Low-cost laser diode fiber-pigtailed packaging for a single chip or a large array; Phased array antenna using optoelectronics; Intra-computer communications for parallel optical computing and optical Signal processing; low-cost interconnect component for information super highways.