Fiber optic connector with micro-alignable lens having autofocus feature and associated fabrication method

Abstract

A fiber optic connector and an associated fabrication method where the connector has a connector housing having a base side, a and pair of sidewalls upstanding from the base side that are spaced apart in relation to each other, and each of the housing sidewalls define at least one aperture through which optical signals can be transmitted into and out of the housing by an input optical fiber and an output optical fiber, respectively, located in fixed positions outside the housing, and a unitary optical lens element is contained within the housing and is located between the housing apertures, wherein the optical lens is comprised of two segments optically bonded along confronting respective lens segment surfaces at an oblique angle effective to be able to transmit collimated light from the input fiber to the output fiber and reflect transmitted light reflected back from the output fiber to a photodetector integrally attached to the lens element and positioned to receive light reflected from the confronting respective lens segment surfaces. The light transmitted through the lens element is precisely aligned with respective optical fibers within submicron tolerances using an internally-housed micro-aligner. As a result, the fiber optic connector of the present invention can provide efficient coupling between optical fibers, such as optical fibers in two spliced composite parts.