Multi-core fiber rotated optical switch

Abstract

We propose an optical switch technique that enables unused optical fiber to be activated without on-site work for the purpose of efficiently supporting future optical communication services. The proposed technique performs fiber switching by rotating a multi-core fiber (MCF) by a single motor. The MCF is inserted into a cylindrical ferrule to avoid fiber damage, when rotated against another fiber. The two ferrules are inserted into a sleeve so that their endfaces oppose each other, and the cores are linked across the gap. We optimize the sleeve size not only to reduce the friction between the ferrule and the sleeve, which can create excessive motor power consumption, but also to reduce the loss. We fabricate a 2.5-mm diameter cylindrical ferrule attached a homogeneous MCF with a hexagonal seven-core structure and experimentally evaluate the loss characteristics during rotation of the MCF for core switching. We clarify the potential of the resulting optical switch.