A fiber optic bundle is an assembly of multiple optical fibers. Usually, those fibers are held together at one end, and may be separated into multiple branches at the other end. In the simplest case, a bundle is a multi-fiber equivalent of a patchcord.

Due to their multi-fiber construction, fiber optic bundles offer more flexibility in light management than patchcords. They can be used to:

• split light from a source into several outputs
• merge light from several sources into a single output
• reconfigure the shape of light beam to adapt it to particular conditions (from round to rectangular, for example)
• redistribute input light intensity (to make it more uniform at the output, for example)

Bundles also offer physical flexibility - a patchcord, made of a very large core fiber (over 1mm), is rigid and fragile. A bundle of 19 200um fibers has roughly the same diameter, but is much more flexible.

FTO offers two types of standard fiber bundles: large core and multi-branch. All of the fiber, connector and sheathing options available for patchcords are applicable for the fiber optic bundles we offer, as well.

Large core. These assemblies consist of multiple optical fibers tightly packed into a round bundle at both ends. Individual fibers are randomly distributed from one end to the other. Typical fiber counts are chosen to optimize the packing fraction: 7, 19, 37 and 61 fibers, with lengths ranging from 0.5 to 60 meters. As an additional option, individual fibers can have their buffer stripped to further enhance packing efficiency. Depending on the fiber type and number of strands used, optical fiber bundles offer either improved light throughput or greater flexibility as compared to a standard patchcord.

Multi-branch. In these assemblies, all constituent fibers are packed together at one end and divided into two or more branches at the other end. Individual fibers among the branches can be routed randomly, scrambled, or mapped to obtain the desired distribution at the common end. For even more flexibility, each branch can have a different termination. Standard lengths are from 0.5 to 5 meters. Multi-branch fiber optic bundles can be used to either split light into several beams, or to combine light from several inputs into a single beam.

Examples