A High Performance Connectorized LED Package for Fiber Optics

An inexpensive connectorized package for LED sources is described in both structure and performance. The new ferrule-shaped package yields coupling efficiencies near the theoretical limit due to inclusion of a high index of refraction lens positioned accurately between the device and a short length of 200-µm core diameter fiber. Excellent thermal performance is achieved by use of a copper heatspreader coupled to both the header and metal connector. By housing a high power double heterojunction planar light-emitting diode (LED) in the connectorized package, powers in excess of 1 mW are launched into a 200-µm core diameter system fiber. This novel packaging concept provides a rugged low-cost fiber optics package which exhibits exceptionally high performance and is extremely convenient for the user.