US 11,747,566 B2
Coupling multiple optical channels using a z-block
Norbert Schlepple, Macungie, PA (US); and Jock T. Bovington, La Mesa, CA (US)
Assigned to Cisco Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Cisco Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/660,993.
Application 17/660,993 is a division of application No. 17/074,539, filed on Oct. 19, 2020, granted, now 11,347,003.
Prior Publication US 2022/0252789 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. G02B 6/293 (2006.01); H04J 14/02 (2006.01); G02B 6/42 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 6/2938 (2013.01) [G02B 6/29368 (2013.01); G02B 6/4215 (2013.01); H04J 14/0254 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical apparatus comprising:
a plurality of light-carrying media;
a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) device optically coupled with the plurality of light-carrying media, wherein the WDM device comprises a Z-block comprising an input surface in a first plane and an output surface in a second plane, wherein a first surface of the Z-block faces the plurality of light-carrying media; and
a lens arranged between the WDM device and a multicore optical fiber, wherein a second surface of the Z-block faces the lens, and wherein a pitch between adjacent light-carrying media of the plurality of light-carrying media and an angle between the first plane and the second plane are selected to align each of the plurality of light-carrying media with a respective optical core of the multicore optical fiber.