Narrow aspherical glass lens for optical transceivers

The establishment of broadband communication networks based on fibre optics and other technologies plus the recent spread of such mobile devices as smartphones and tablets have led to the rise of services involving the transmission and receipt of large volumes of data.

Examples are Social Networking Services (SNS), gaming and video distribution. Data traffic over the Internet is increasing all the time as a result and the trend is expected to continue as Internet of Things (IoT) technology is embraced by a wide range of industries.

Infrastructure operators, who run data centres for storing data and the communication lines, are trying to support high-capacity communication networks by downsizing optical transceivers and other equipment for fibre-optic communication systems to allow installation of multiple devices in the limited space available. Equipment therefore has to be more compact and of higher density, increasing the need for similar downsizing of the electronic components inside them.

For optical transceivers, Alps Electric has so far carried out mass production of square aspherical glass lenses, with a width and height of 1mm. Now Alps has developed the FLGPJ Series, an aspherical glass lens with a narrow width and a chucking area.

The FLGPJ Series has a narrow width measuring 0.6mm across and the chucking area at the top improves ease of handling when mounting during end product assembly and when making adjustments, contributing to high-density mounting. And despite the compact dimensions, the lens achieves an effective Numerical Aperture (NA) of 0.5. Furthermore, the FLGPJ Series employs lead-free glass, achieving compliance with both RoHS 6 and REACH regulations.

Key features:

• Chucking area at the top improves handling ease during end product assembly
• Lens with a 0.6mm narrow width and a chucking area for greater mounting efficiency
• Achieves NA 0.5 despite the 0.6mm width (0.45mm focal length at 1,310nm)
• Employs lead-free glass material, achieving compliance with RoHS 6 and REACH