Coupling optical system for optical communications

Abstract

A coupling optical system for coupling light into an optical fiber of an optical communications system includes a liquid that includes a dispersion of microscopic particles and two transparent media that hold the liquid between them along an optical axis. The refractive power of the liquid is variable according to the electromagnetic field applied to the liquid to vary the migration of the microscopic particles of the dispersion within the liquid. The position of a light collecting point of the coupling optical system is adjustable based on the variation in the refractive power of the liquid so that light can be efficiently coupled into optical fibers at different distances along the optical axis from the coupling optical system. At the light collecting point, the end surface of an optical fiber collects light from a light source or another optical fiber. One or more collimator lenses may help converge the light.