The present invention relates to an optical receptacle and an optical module including the optical receptacle. In particular, the present invention relates to an optical receptacle suitable for optically coupling a light-emitting element and an optical transmission body, and an optical module including the optical receptacle.
Since the past, an optical module has been used in optical communication using optical fibers, the optical module including a light-emitting element such as a surface light-emitting laser. For example, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL).
In this type of optical module, an optical module component referred to as an optical receptacle is used. The optical receptacle is used in optical transmission via optical fiber by light that includes communication information and has been emitted from the light-emitting element being coupled with an end face of the optical fiber.
In addition, since the past, various proposals have been made regarding the optical module to monitor the light (intensity and amount of light) emitted from the light-emitting element, for the purpose of stabilizing output characteristics of the light-emitting element against temperature changes and adjusting optical output.
For example, Patent Literature 1 proposes a technology in which Fresnel reflection by a reflective/transmissive surface composed of the inner surface of a first recessing section formed in a lens array is used to reflect a portion of the emitted light from the light-emitting element towards a light-receiving element side as monitor light.
In the above-described technology described in Patent Literature 1, there is an advantage in that the number of components required for acquiring the monitor light can be reduced by use of Fresnel reflection. However, formation of the first recessing section to divide the emitted light of the light-emitting element into the monitor light and coupling light to be coupled with the optical fiber, and formation of a second recessing section to direct the advancing direction of the monitor light towards the light-receiving element side are essential. Therefore, further simplification of the configuration and further improvement in mechanical strength are limited.
In addition, in the technology described in Patent Literature 1, the monitor light that has been reflected by the reflective/transmissive surface is subjected to direction change twice, through refraction and reflection at the second recessing section. Therefore, a design in which the position of the light-receiving element for receiving the monitor light is freely selected is difficult.
The present invention has been achieved in light of the above-described issues. An object of the present invention is to provide an optical receptacle capable of achieving a simpler configuration, improved mechanical strength, and improved freedom of design, in addition to appropriately actualizing optical communication accompanying monitoring, and an optical module including the optical receptacle.
To achieve the above-described object, an optical receptacle according to claim 1 of the present invention is an optical receptacle that is capable of optically coupling a light-emitting element and an optical transmission body in a state in which the optical receptacle is disposed between a photoelectric conversion device and the optical transmission body, in which photoelectric conversion device the light-emitting element and a light-receiving element that receives monitor light for monitoring light emitted from the light-emitting element are disposed on a substrate. The optical receptacle includes: a first lens face that is disposed on a first surface on the photoelectric conversion device side in an optical receptacle main body so that a portion of light of the light from the light-emitting element is incident thereon; a first reflective surface that is disposed on a second surface on the side opposite to the first surface in the optical receptacle main body with a predetermined first slope angle in relation to the first surface so that the portion of light that has been incident on the first lens arrives, and that reflects the arrived portion of light; an emission surface that emits the portion of light that has been reflected by the first reflective surface towards the optical transmission body; and a second reflective surface that is disposed on the first surface continuously with the first lens face so that a remaining portion of light other than the portion of light, of the light of the light-emitting element, is incident thereon, and that reflects the incident remaining portion of light towards the light-receiving element as the monitor light.
In the invention according to claim 1, the remaining portion of light of the light of the light-emitting element can be reflected towards the light-receiving element as the monitor light by the second reflective surface that is continuous with the first lens face. Therefore, a recessing section for light division can be made unnecessary. Optical transmission accompanying monitoring can be actualized by a simple and sturdy configuration. In addition, the monitor light is incident on the light-receiving element without a change in direction on the optical path subsequent to the second reflective surface. Therefore, an optical path for the monitor light that is suitable for free positioning of disposition position of the light-receiving element can be easily designed simply by the surface shape of the second reflective surface being selected.
In addition, an optical receptacle according to claim 2 is the optical receptacle according to claim 1 in which, further, the second reflective surface is formed by only the surface shape of a section adjacent to the first lens face in the optical receptacle main body, and generates the monitor light by Fresnel-reflecting the remaining portion of light.
In the invention according to claim 2, the second reflective surface can be actualized by only the surface shapes of the optical receptacle main body. Therefore, the number of components can be reduced.
Furthermore, an optical receptacle according to claim 3 is the optical receptacle according to claim 1 or 2 in which, further, the second reflective surface has a sloped plane that forms a predetermined second slope angle in relation to the first surface.
In the invention according to claim 3, the surface shape of the second reflective surface can be simplified.
Still further, an optical receptacle according to claim 4 is the optical receptacle according to claim 1 or 2 in which, further, the second reflective surface has a convex curved surface that faces the light-receiving element side.
In the invention according to claim 4, the second reflective surface can be provided with a light-collecting function for the monitor light. Therefore, coupling of the monitor light with the light-receiving element can be efficiently performed.
In addition, an optical receptacle according to claim 5 is the optical receptacle according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which, further, the emission surface is a second lens face that emits the portion of light while converging the portion of light.
In the invention according to claim 5, coupling of the light of the light-emitting element with the optical transmission body can be efficiently performed.
Furthermore, an optical receptacle according to claim 6 is the optical receptacle according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in which, further, the first reflective surface is a total reflection surface on which the portion of light is internally incident at an angle of incidence that is greater than a critical angle and that totally reflects the internally incident portion of light.
In the invention according to claim 6, the first reflective surface can be actualized by only the surface shapes of the optical receptacle main body. Therefore, the number of components can be reduced.
Still further, an optical module according to claim 7 includes: the optical receptacle according to any one of claims 1 to 6; and the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1.
In the invention according to claim 7, optical transmission accompanying monitoring can be actualized by a simple and sturdy configuration. In addition, the disposition position of the light-receiving element and the optical of the monitor light suitable for the disposition position can be freely designed. Furthermore, through use of the substrate-mounted photoelectric conversion device, the issue of crosstalk that may occur when TO-CAN is used can be prevented in advance.
In addition, an optical module according to claim 8 is the optical module according to claim 7 in which, further, a center portion of the light-emitting element according to claim 1 is disposed in a position shifted towards the second reflective surface side in relation to an optical axis on the first lens face.
In the invention according to claim 8, the monitor light can be acquired with further certainty.
In the present invention, a simpler configuration, improved mechanical strength, and improved freedom of design can be achieved in addition to appropriate actualization of optical transmission accompanying monitoring.
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An embodiment of an optical receptacle and an optical module including the optical receptacle of the present invention will be described with reference to
As shown in
Here, the photoelectric conversion device 3 in
In addition, as shown in
In a state in which the optical receptacle 2 is disposed between the photoelectric conversion device 3 and the optical fiber 5 such as those described above, the optical receptacle 2 optically couples the light-emitting element 7 and the end face 5a of the optical fiber 5.
The optical receptacle 2 will be described in further detail. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In addition, as shown in
As shown in
In terms of simplifying design and dimensional accuracy measurement, the slope angle of the first reflective surface 14 may be 45° in the counter-clockwise direction in
Furthermore, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The center portion of the light-emitting element 7 indicated by the two-dot chain line in
As shown in
Here,
In the above-described configuration, the laser light La of the light-emitting element 7 can be divided into the fiber coupling light Lc and the monitor light M by the first lens face 11 and the second reflective surface 16. Therefore, optical communication accompanying monitoring can be actualized by a simple and sturdy configuration. Specifically, a recessing section for light division such as that described in Patent Literature 1 is not required. Therefore, the mold shape can be simplified and mechanical strength can be improved. In addition, the monitor light M is incident on the light-receiving element 8 without a change in direction on the optical path subsequent to the second reflective surface 16. Therefore, an optical path for the monitor light M that is suitable for free positioning of disposition position of the light-receiving element 8 can be easily designed simply by the surface shape of the second reflective surface 16 being selected.
A reflective film composed of a thin film of a metal (such as Al, Ag, or Au) having high light reflectance, or the like may be formed as required on the first reflective surface 14 and the second reflective surface 16. However, when priority is given to reducing the number of components, as described above, a configuration using only total reflection and Fresnel reflection is preferably used.
Various variation examples, such as those described below, may be applied to the present invention.
For example, the light intensity ratio of the fiber coupling light Lc and the monitor light M can be adjusted based on a light beam cross-sectional area ratio of the portion of laser light La incident on the first lens face 11 and the remaining portion of laser light La incident on the second reflective surface 16 (area ratio of the cross-sections perpendicular to the optical axis OA(1)). The light beam cross-sectional area can be adjusted by the amount of offset of the center portion of the light-emitting element 7 in relation to the optical axis OA(1).
Therefore, when the light intensity of the monitor light M is to be increased from that shown in
In addition, as shown in
In a configuration such as this, the second reflective surface 16 can be provided with a light-collecting function for the monitor light M. Therefore, coupling of the monitor light M with the light-receiving element 8 can be efficiently performed.
Furthermore, as shown in
In other words, in the present variation example, the photoelectric conversion device 3 is configured so that a plurality (twelve) of light-emitting elements 7 and a plurality (twelve) of light-receiving elements 8 are each formed in an array in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the paper on which
In addition, in correspondence to the configurations of the photoelectric conversion device 3 and the optical fibers 5, such as that described above, the optical receptacle 2 is formed so that the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the paper on which
In the present variation example, the laser light La of each light-emitting element 7 can be divided into the fiber coupling light Lc and the monitor light M of each light-emitting element 7 by the first lens face 11 and the second reflective surface 16 corresponding to each light-emitting element 7. Therefore, multi-channel optical transmission accompanying monitoring can be actualized by a simple and sturdy configuration. In addition, a flexible design based on the disposition position of the light-receiving elements 8 becomes possible.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and may be variously modified to the extent that features thereof are not compromised.
For example, an optical transmission body other than the optical fiber 5, such as an optical waveguide, may be applied to the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2012067041 | Mar 2012 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2013/054104 | 2/20/2013 | WO | 00 |