Glass Optical Connector Ferrule for Solder-Reflow-Compatible Photonic IC Edge Interconnections

A glass-tube-based MT-style fiber array ferrule is presented that provides a compact interface to PIC (Photonic Integrated Circuit) edge waveguides. The approach aligns and attaches a glass ferrule on the PIC substrate top surface using solder-reflow-resistant UV curable adhesives. A mating fiber array connector ferrule is attached to the PIC after solder reflow. Mate/demate experiments on pairs of matching glass-based connector ferrules demonstrated IL (insertion loss) values across eight single mode fiber array channels of less than 1.5 dB without using index matching fluid between coupled arrays. A compact connector packaging housing compatible with glass tube-based ferrules is also presented.