Importance

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Abstract

A bent, flexible optical waveguide is attached to a device which receives or transmits optical signals. The bend of the flexible waveguide allows the relative positioning of the device to be in a different plane than an opposite end of the waveguide and is robust under a variety of environmental stresses. When used with two or more devices, e.g., a transceiver having both a transmitter array and a receiver array, the bend of the flexible waveguide allows the separate ends of the waveguide to be adaptively aligned independently. An alignment feature created adjacent to the device in accordance with the position of the device is used to passively align the tips of the waveguide to the module. The alignment feature can be of any shape that allows them to abut and hold the end of the waveguide, including cylinders, cutout regions of a transparent layer, and slots in or between the pedestals. The optical waveguide bends the direction of the light propagating within the waveguide to allow communication between the device and a component attached to the opposite end of the waveguide.

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First Claim