Multiple applications rely on optical interconnections. For example, transmission of high-resolution videos over the internet demands a high network bandwidth. Optical fibers may be used for transmitting data over vast distances providing high network bandwidth. Further, supplying data with an optical fiber facilitates maintaining high bandwidth all the way to the end-user without compromising power consumption. In order to serve a high number of users, data may be transmitted using a multiple terminal (MT) optical communication system. One approach to implement a MT optical communication system is to use bundles of optical fibers. Each optical fiber may carry signals for transmitting data to multiple users (e.g., 64 end-users). Another approach is to use multicore optical fiber, in which an optical fiber includes a plurality of cores, each core carrying signals for transmitting data to multiple users. For example, a multicore design may include seven cores; one core may carry a signal to 64 end-users so that the multicore can carry signals for 448 end-users.
Optical fiber connectors may be used where a connect/disconnect capability is required in an optical communication system. Optical connectors may be used to, for example, connect equipment, interconnect optical fibers, or cross-connect optical cables within a system. In an optical connector, mating ferrules may receive fibers in fixed positions such that two optical fibers mate in coaxial alignment to effect an interconnection. Such connectors may require point-to-point contact of optical fibers or implementing optical alignment using additional optical components (e.g., lenses). Optical connectors may be designed for MT optical communication systems. For example, MT optical connectors may be designed to interconnect multicore optical fibers, bundles of optical fibers, or MT optical equipment.
Optical connectors may be susceptible to environmental conditions or mechanical instabilities. Further, at least some types of optical connectors may be relatively expensive to manufacture in particular if they include additional optical elements such as lenses. Moreover, in order to assure high interconnection precision, a connector may require a number of high-precision components to be assembled together. Optical connectors may be susceptible to contamination, in particular when implementing optical alignment using lenses. MT optical connectors are generally more prone to these issues than single terminal connectors.
In the drawings, the dimensions of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity of illustration.