Low-loss plastic molded optical multifiber connector for ribbon-to-single fiber fan-out

This paper describes a newly developed low-loss demountable multifiber connector for ribbon-to-single optical fiber fan-out. The connector plugs contain special gathering parts that make a high-density arrangement for monocoated optical fibers. Using a multi-V-grooved mold, the optical fibers are accurately positioned and then a plastic formation process is adopted to form the plug. Plugs are precisely aligned by using two pins. An average connecting loss of 0.07 dB has been achieved in the stationary mode distribution with index matching. The change in connecting loss did not exceed ± 0.03 dB when the connector was subjected to heat cycles in a temperature range of C.