Supermode filtering waveguide emitters
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsDominic F. Siriani, Kenneth J. Thomson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical apparatus comprises a semiconductor substrate, and a supermode filtering waveguide (SFW) emitter disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The SFW emitter comprises a first optical waveguide, a spacer layer, and a second optical waveguide spaced apart from the first optical waveguide by the spacer layer. The second optical waveguide is evanescently coupled with the first optical waveguide and is configured, in conjunction with the first waveguide, to selectively propagate only a first mode of a plurality of optical modes. The SFW emitter further comprises an optically active region disposed in one of the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide.
Claims20
An optical apparatus comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- and
- a supermode filtering waveguide (SFW) emitter disposed on the semiconductor substrate and formed as a first portion extending from a second portion, the SFW emitter comprising:
- a first optical waveguide disposed in the second portion;
- a spacer layer;
- a second optical waveguide disposed in the first portion and spaced apart from the first optical waveguide by the spacer layer, wherein the second optical waveguide is evanescently coupled with the first optical waveguide and configured in conjunction with the first optical waveguide to selectively propagate only a first mode of a plurality of optical modes;
- and
- an optically active region disposed in one of the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide.
A method of fabricating a supermode filtering waveguide (SFW) emitter, the method comprising:
- forming a first cladding layer over a semiconductor substrate;
- forming a first optical waveguide above the first cladding layer;
- forming a spacer layer above the first optical waveguide;
- forming a second optical waveguide above the spacer layer by forming a first portion extending from a second portion, wherein the first optical waveguide is disposed in the second portion, wherein the second optical waveguide is disposed in the first portion, and wherein the second optical waveguide is configured, in conjunction with the first optical waveguide, to selectively propagate only a first mode of a plurality of optical modes;
- forming an optically active region in one of the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide;
- and
- forming a second cladding layer over the second optical waveguide.
An optical system comprising:
- a photonic chip comprising an optical component having a predefined height relative to a first surface of the photonic chip;
- a semiconductor substrate having a second surface;
- and
- a supermode filtering waveguide (SFW) emitter contacting the second surface and formed as a first portion extending from a second portion, the SFW emitter comprising:
- a first optical waveguide disposed in the second portion;
- a spacer layer;
- a second optical waveguide disposed in the first portion and spaced apart from the first optical waveguide by the spacer layer, wherein the second optical waveguide is evanescently coupled with the first optical waveguide and configured, in conjunction with the first optical waveguide, to selectively propagate only a first mode of a plurality of optical modes;
- and
- an optically active region disposed in one of the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide,
- wherein, when the second surface contacts the first surface, one of the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide is optically aligned with the optical component in at least one dimension.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.