This presentation discusses a revolutionary technology for fiber optic connectors. These non-contact (NC) connectors provide numerous advantages compared to conventional PC or APC connectors, including • Low insertion loss • 10 dB higher return loss • Guaranteed random mating for critical missions • Mitigation of sensitivity to contaminants • Extremely long mating life • Low cost In short, NC connectors provide a superior connection for fibers in a wide variety of applications, such as • Transceivers • Test and measurement devices • High power • Polarization maintaining • Contaminated environments • Long distance transmissions • High speed communication systems Contact info@arrayedfiberoptics.com for details.

1. Air
Gap,
Non-­‐Contact
Fiber
Connectors
Ben Jian
Arrayed Fiberoptics Corporation
Sunnyvale, CA 94089, USA
March 21, 2013

2. Outline
1. Problem statement
2. Development of non-contact
connectors
3. Conclusion
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3. Issues with Physical Contact Connectors
1. Insertion loss variation between matings
2. Damage due to repeated mating
3. Sensitivity to contaminants
4. Not guaranteed random mating
5. Limited mating life (rated 500-1000)
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4. Air Gap Connector
AR coating
ü Ferrule surfaces make contact, forming precise gap
ü Fibers are not in contact so they last forever
ü APC becomes ANC, PC becomes NC
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5. ANC Connector Design
0.4um fiber recess 2.8um fiber recess
• Contact between ferrules, but not fibers
• Improves repeatability, random mating
reliability
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6. ANC Connector Photo
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7. Insertion Loss in Random Mating
12
10 ANC
Average = 0.07 dB
St. Dev. = 0.036 dB APC
8
Count
6
Average = 0.07 dB
St. Dev. = 0.030 dB
4
2
0
0
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.05
0.06
0.07
0.08
0.09
0.1
0.11
0.12
0.13
0.14
0.15
0.16
0.17
0.18
0.19
0.2
0.21
0.22
0.23
0.24
0.25
Insertion Loss (dB)
• APC used is a premium connector
• ANC is comparable to APC in IL
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8. Repeatability & Reliability
0.20
0.18 APC/APC
0.16 ANC/ANC
Insertion Loss (dB)
0.14
0.12
0.10
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0.00
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Mating Cycle
• No long term drift in ANC connector
• Went through 10,000 matings unchanged
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9. Superior Return Loss
ANC has 10 dB better return loss compared to APC
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10. Compatibility with Regular Connector
Table. Typical Performance of Connector Combinations
Polish Angle 0 degree 8 degree
PC/PC PC/NC NC/NC APC/APC APC/ANC ANC/ANC
Insertion Loss 0.1 dB 0.25 dB 0.1 dB 0.1 dB 0.25 dB 0.1 dB
Return Loss 40 dB 14 dB 28 dB 60 dB 60 dB 70 dB
Guaranteed
No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
connection
• NC and ANC connectors are compatible with
physical contact connectors
• ANC has the best overall performance
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11. Where ANC can make a difference
Transceiver
• Dust
• Reflections
• Wiggle test
Test and Measurement
• Long lifetime
• Repeatability
System Noise Improvement
• Superior return loss translates to longer
distance and higher speed
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12. Conclusion
Revolutionary Air Gap Fiber Connectors
" Low insertion loss
" 10 dB higher return loss
" Guaranteed random mating for critical missions
" Extremely long mating life
" Low cost
" Could have significant system level benefits
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