Polarization-Maintaining Pigtailed Ferrules with Connectors

AR Coated Ferrules to Reduce Back Reflections
Ø1.8 mm Ferrule is Easy to Handle
FC/PC or FC/APC Connector

PMPFX4

630 nm Alignment Wavelength, FC/APC Connector, 1 m Long

PMPFX3

1550 nm Alignment Wavelength, FC/PC Connector, 1 m Long

Glass Ferrule with 8° Face

PANDA PM Fiber Cross Section

Connector Key Aligned to Slow Axis

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Overview
Collimator Assembly
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Common Specifications
Ferrule Diameter	1.800 mm ± 5 µm
Ferrule Length	5.5 mm ± 0.5 mm
Ferrule Material	Borosilicate Glass
Wedge Tolerance	±0.2°
Average Reflectivity	<0.25% in AR Coating Range
Fiber Length	1.0 m +0.075 m/-0.0 m
Protective Jacket	Ø900 µm Hytrel Tubing

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All pigtailed ferrules can be collimated using our selection of GRIN Lenses along with a 51-2800-1800 mating sleeve, shown below. Please see the Collimator Assembly tab above for all GRIN lenses that are compatible with our pigtailed ferrules.

Features

630, 780, and 1550 nm Alignment Wavelengths
AR Coated Glass Ferrules
- 630 ± 30 nm VAR Coating
- 700 - 900 nm and 1260 - 1650 nm Broadband AR Coating
2.0 mm Narrow Key FC/PC or FC/APC Versions Available
Designed for Easy Pairing with GRIN Lenses
Pigtailed Glass Ferrule with 8° Face Angle
Ideal for Telecom Applications
Individual Test Data Certificate Included with Each Cable;
Click Here for Sample Data Sheet

Thorlabs' Polarization-Maintaining Pigtailed Ferrules with Connectors are designed to be paired with our GRIN lenses to simplify coupling of visible, near infrared, or infrared light between a fiber and a free-space optical system. The borosilicate glass ferrule is pigtailed with polarization-maintaining (PM) PANDA fiber to maintain the polarization of the incident light. For applications that require single mode (SM) fiber, however, Thorlabs also offers SM pigtailed ferrules with connectors and SM pigtailed ferrules without connectors.

Pairing our selection of GRIN lenses with these pigtailed ferrules to collimate the output light satisfies many experimental needs, including coupling a diode laser into a fiber, focusing laser light onto a detector, or collimating laser light. Pigtailed glass ferrules are commonly used in optical isolators, switches, and circulators. The Ø1.8 mm ferrule is significantly easier to handle than an unterminated fiber end. The 1 m long, polarization-maintaining fiber embedded in the ferrule is protected by Ø900 µm blue Hytrel furcation tubing and terminated with a narrow key FC/PC or FC/APC connector. The FC/PC connectors feature a blue boot while the FC/APC connectors feature a green boot.

These ferrules feature either a VAR or broadband AR coating. The PMPX1 and PMPX4 have a VAR coating of 630 ± 30 nm. The PMPX2 and PMPX5 feature a broadband AR coating of 700 - 900 nm, while the PMPX3 and PMPX6 feature a broadband AR coating of 1260 - 1650 nm. The coating lowers the average reflectivity in the specified wavelength range to below 0.25%, reducing back reflections and insertion losses in the design wavelength range. in addition, each of the glass ferrules feature an 8° face angle to maximize the return loss by back reflecting the incident light at a non-normal angle. This face angle is preferred over a normal face when collimating the output light. Our line of GRIN lenses provides an 8° face angle that is designed to match the pigtailed glass ferrules. Please see the Collimator Assembly tab above for all GRIN lenses that are compatible with our pigtailed ferrules.

Thorlabs also offers a complete selection of mating sleeves that ensure proper alignment of the cores of a terminated fiber end. For pre-assembled GRIN lens and fiber combinations, please see our SM pigtailed aspheric lenses or our SM, PM, and MM jacketed GRIN collimators. If you do not see a pigtailed patch cable that meets your application requirements, please contact Tech Support and we will design a specialty cable to meet your needs.

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GRIN Lens, Sleeve, and Pigtailed Ferrule
(Each Sold Separately)

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Assembled GRIN Lens and Pigtailed Glass Ferrule
We Recommend Using a UV Cured Optical Adhesive When Connecting these Parts

Using GRIN Lenses to Collimate Pigtailed Ferrules

All pigtailed ferrules can be collimated using our selection of GRIN Lenses along with a 51-2800-1800 mating sleeve, available below. This collimator can be assembled by inserting the lens and ferrule into opposing sides of the mating sleeve as shown in the images to the right. Gently bring them into contact to ensure that the faces are parallel, then bring the lens and ferrule apart until the desired focusing is achieved.

The SMPF01 and PMPFX series of pigtailed glass ferrules have an 8° face angle which is compatible with the 8° face angle of the GRIN23 series of lenses. The SMPF02 series of ferrules have a 0° face angle which is compatible with the 0° face angle of the GRIN29 lens series.

Use the table below to select between our PM and SM pigtailed ferrules and the corresponding compatible GRIN lenses. Our PM glass ferrules are offered with FC/PC or FC/APC connectors while our SM ferrules are offered with both of these connector types or without a connector.

Selection Guide
Wavelength	Face Angle	Compatible GRIN Lenses^a	PM Pigtailed Ferrule		SM Pigtailed Ferrule
Wavelength	Face Angle	Compatible GRIN Lenses^a	FC/PC	FC/APC	FC/PC	FC/APC	No Connector
630 nm	8°	GRIN2306A	PMPFX1	PMPFX4	-	-	-
633 nm	8°	GRIN2306A	-	-	SMPF0106-FC	SMPF0106-APC	SMPF0106
633 nm	0°	GRIN2906	-	-	SMPF0206-FC	SMPF0206-APC	SMPF0206
780 nm^b	8°	-	PMPFX2	PMPFX5	-	-	-
830 nm	8°	GRIN2308A	-	-	SMPF0108-FC	SMPF0108-APC	SMPF0108
830 nm	0°	GRIN2908	-	-	SMPF0208-FC	SMPF0208-APC	SMPF0208
1064 nm	8°	GRIN2310A	-	-	SMPF0110-FC	SMPF0110-APC	SMPF0110
1064 nm	0°	GRIN2910	-	-	SMPF0210-FC	SMPF0210-APC	SMPF0210
1310/1550 nm	8°	GRIN2313A GRIN2315A	-	-	SMPF0115-FC	SMPF0115-APC	SMPF0115
1310/1550 nm	0°	GRIN2913 GRIN2915	-	-	SMPF0215-FC	SMPF0215-APC	SMPF0215
1550 nm	8°	GRIN2315A	PMPFX3	PMPFX6	-	-	-

GRIN lenses are sold separately.
Please contact Tech Support to order a custom GRIN lens for use at an alignment wavelength of 780 nm.

Posted Comments:
Laurance Lingvay (posted 2020-03-06 12:00:13.65) Could you please tell me the orientation of the PM fiber polarization state relative to the 8 deg angled surface. Thank you, Larry llamb (posted 2020-03-11 01:25:42.0) Hello Larry, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. The 8° fiber end face is angled on a plane parallel to the fast axis.

PM Pigtailed Ferrules with FC/PC Connectors

Item #	Face Angle	Glass Ferrule AR Coating Range	Reflectance Over AR Coating Range	Fiber NA	Fiber Alignment Wavelength	Fiber Operating Wavelength	Cutoff Wavelength	Fiber Type	Compatible GRIN Lens^a	Connector
PMPFX1	8°	630 ± 30 nm	R_avg < 0.25%	0.12	630 nm	620 - 850 nm	570 ± 50 nm	PM630-HP	GRIN2306A	FC/PC
PMPFX2		700 - 900 nm	R_avg < 0.25%	0.12	780 nm^b	770 - 1100 nm	710 ± 60 nm	PM780-HP	-
PMPFX3		1260 - 1650 nm	R_avg < 0.25%	0.125	1550 nm	1440 - 1625 nm	1380 ± 60 nm	PM1550-XP	GRIN2315A

GRIN lenses are sold separately.
Please contact Tech Support to order a custom GRIN lens for use at 780 nm.

PM Pigtailed Ferrules with FC/APC Connectors

Item #	Face Angle	Glass Ferrule AR Coating Range	Reflectance Over AR Coating Range	Fiber NA	Fiber Alignment Wavelength	Fiber Operating Wavelength	Cutoff Wavelength	Fiber Type	Compatible GRIN Lens^a	Connector
PMPFX4	8°	630 ± 30 nm	R_avg < 0.25%	0.12	630 nm	620 - 850 nm	570 ± 50 nm	PM630-HP	GRIN2306A	FC/APC
PMPFX5		700 - 900 nm	R_avg < 0.25%	0.12	780 nm^b	770 - 1100 nm	710 ± 60 nm	PM780-HP	-
PMPFX6		1260 - 1650 nm	R_avg < 0.25%	0.125	1550 nm	1440 - 1625 nm	1380 ± 60 nm	PM1550-XP	GRIN2315A

GRIN lenses are sold separately.
Please contact Tech Support to order a custom GRIN lens for use at 780 nm.

GRIN Lens / Ferrule Sleeves

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Borosilicate Glass
10.0 mm Length
1.818 mm Internal Diameter

The 51-2800-1800 sleeve is designed to easily mate any one of our GRIN lenses to a single mode (item # prefix SMPF) or polarization-maintaining (item # prefix PMPF) pigtailed glass ferrule. The borosilicate glass is transparent to UV light, allowing curing of NOA68 or NOA61 optical adhesive inside the sleeve. See here for our complete selection of optical adhesives.