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An optical adapter that is arranged to connect two or more optical devices that have different connector layouts, the optical adapter comprising a material through which a plurality of waveguides is formed, the waveguides defining a first connector configuration at one end or face of the material an

An optical adapter that is arranged to connect two or more optical devices that have different connector layouts, the optical adapter comprising a material through which a plurality of waveguides is formed, the waveguides defining a first connector configuration at one end or face of the material and a second connector configuration at another, or same end or face of the material.

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1. An optical adapter/connector that is arranged to connect two or more optical devices that have different connector layouts, the optical adapter comprising a material through which a plurality of waveguides is formed, the waveguides defining a first connector configuration at one end or face of th

1. An optical adapter/connector that is arranged to connect two or more optical devices that have different connector layouts, the optical adapter comprising a material through which a plurality of waveguides is formed, the waveguides defining a first connector configuration at one end or face of the material and a second connector configuration at another or the same end or face of the material, wherein the first connector configuration is a one-dimensional array and the second connector configuration is a two-dimensional array. 2. An optical adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material has a refractive index that can be varied using laser radiation and the waveguides are formed using a laser. 3. An optical adapter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the material is a dielectric or semiconducting material. 4. An optical adapter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first connector configuration has more connecter waveguides than the second connector configuration. 5. An optical adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first configuration is suitable for use with a fibre V-groove array (FVA) and the second configuration is suitable for use with a two-dimensional multicore fibre (MCF). 6. An optical adapter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first connector configuration and the second connector configuration have different numbers of waveguides. 7. An optical adapter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the waveguides terminate at an external end or face of the adapter. 8. An optical adapter as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the waveguides has a cross-section that varies along its length. 9. An optical adapter as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the waveguides is shaped so that it supports only a single mode at the first configuration but multiple modes at the second configuration. 10. A method for forming an optical adapter comprising using a laser to define a plurality of waveguides in an optical material, the waveguides defining a first connector configuration at one end or face of the material and a second connector configuration at another end or face of the material, wherein the first connector configuration is a one-dimensional array and the second connector configuration is a two-dimensional array. 11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the laser radiation is sub-bandgap radiation with respect to the material. 12. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the laser radiation is focussed and the waveguides are formed at the focal point of the radiation. 13. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the material is a dielectric or semiconductor material. 14. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the waveguides are defined in two or three dimensions. 15. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the laser radiation is pulsed. 16. A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the pulses of radiation have a pulse energy of up to 1 mJ, for example between 1 nJ and 1000 μJ, as a further example between 0.1 μJ and 1000 μJ. 17. A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein ultrashort pulses of radiation are used. 18. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the ultrashort pulses have a full width half maximum duration of between 20 femtoseconds to 50 picoseconds. 19. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the laser radiation is provided by a regeneratively amplified (RGA) Ti:Sapphire laser system.