A low loss 180 degrees coupling fiber socket making use of low bending loss hole-assisted fiber

To facilitate and speed up the deployment of fiber-to-the-home networks, high-efficiency, low-cost, field installable fiber connectors are one of the key components. We present a novel type of small-form-factor 180°-bend single mode fiber socket, allowing for 0.5-<i>dB</i> coupling loss between two side-by-side positioned fibers, making use of specially designed low bending loss hole-assisted fiber. The components are prototyped in a polymer using Deep Proton Writing and show all the potentialities for low-cost fabrication in different types of plastics.