P5-SMF28EAR-2 In Stock

The P5-SMF28EAR-2 by ThorLabs is a superior quality SM patch cable that comes equipped with an one end having an antireflection (AR) coated FC/PC or FC/APC and the other end having an uncoated FC/PC or FC/APC connector. The P5-SMF28EAR-2’s AR coating minimizes reflections when coupling a free-space beam into a fiber or when launching a free-space beam out of a fiber. The coated connector provides an average reflectivity of less than 1%, 0.75% or 0.5% over the designated wavelength of 1260 - 1620 nm.

The P5-SMF28EAR-2 is constructed with a Ø3 mm Kevlar reinforced furcation tubing, making it highly durable and resistant to damage from bending or twisting. The P5-SMF28EAR-2 is ideal for use with fiber collimation packages and FiberPorts to minimize fresnel losses. When coupling from a fiber into free space, the return loss (absence of signals reflected back to the source by the glass-air interface at the end of the fiber) can be worse than comparable values for fiber-to-fiber coupling. By depositing an AR coating on the fiber end face, the return loss of an FC/PC connector can be improved by approximately 8 - 10 dB, and the return loss of an FC/APC connector can be improved by approximately 2 - 5 dB.

It is important to note that the AR-coated end of the P5-SMF28EAR-2 is intended for free-space applications, such as collimation, and may be damaged if it comes into contact with another connector tip. Mating two AR-coated connectors can increase back reflections, resulting in a greater loss of transmission than when using two uncoated connectors. To clean the AR-coated connector end without damaging the coating, it can be gently sprayed with compressed air or gently wiped with a cloth soaked with isopropanol or methanol.