# US 12,181,711 B2 · Optical systems comprising binary photonics lattices

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- Number: US 12,181,711 B2
- Document ID: US12181711B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/766,793
- Filed: 2020-09-22
- Published: 2024-02-29
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-08
- Assignees: Corning Incorporated
- Applicants: Corning Incorporated
- Inventors: Nicholas Francis Borrelli; Dan Trung Nguyen; Daniel Aloysius Nolan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181711B2

## CPC

- G02B 6/1225: {comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices}
- G02B 6/122: Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
- G02B 2006/12147: {Coupler}
- G02B 2006/1215: {Splitter}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

A binary photonics lattice that includes a waveguide array having a plurality of single mode waveguides disposed in a substrate, the plurality of single mode waveguides including one or more first waveguides having a first V-number V1 and one or more second waveguides having a second V-number V2. The first V-number V1 is smaller than the second V-number V2. The one or more first and second waveguides are arranged in a linear distribution having first and second edge waveguide regions and a binary waveguide region positioned between the first and second edge waveguide regions. The binary waveguide region is a symmetrical binary representation of a decimal number of two or greater. Further, the binary waveguide region includes at least one first waveguide representing a digit 0 of the symmetrical binary representation and/or at least one second waveguide representing a digit 1 of the symmetrical binary representation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A binary photonics lattice comprising:
a waveguide array comprising a plurality of single mode waveguides disposed in a substrate, the plurality of single mode waveguides including one or more first waveguides comprising a first V-number V1 and one or more second waveguides comprising a second V-number V2 wherein:
the first V-number Vis smaller than the second V-number V2;
the one or more first waveguides and the one or more second waveguides are arranged in a linear distribution comprising a first edge waveguide region, a second edge waveguide region, and a binary waveguide region positioned between the first edge waveguide region and the second edge waveguide region, wherein:
the binary waveguide region comprises a symmetrical binary representation of a decimal number of two or greater; and
the binary waveguide region comprises at least one first waveguide representing a digit 0 of the symmetrical binary representation, at least one second waveguide representing a digit 1 of the symmetrical binary representation, or both at least one first waveguide representing a digit 0 of the symmetrical binary representation and at least one second waveguide representing a digit 1 of the symmetrical binary representation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 1, wherein the decimal number is three or greater.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 1, wherein the decimal number is four or greater.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 1, wherein the decimal number is six or greater.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 1, wherein the decimal number is eight or greater.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 1, wherein each waveguide of the first edge waveguide region and the second edge waveguide region comprises a first waveguide.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 1, wherein the first edge waveguide region and the second edge waveguide region each comprise the same number of waveguides.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 1, wherein the binary waveguide region comprises:
a central waveguide corresponding with a unit digit of the symmetrical binary representation, the central waveguide comprising a first waveguide or a second waveguide and;
a first binary segment positioned between the central waveguide and the first edge waveguide region, wherein:
the first binary segment corresponds with one or more secondary digits of the symmetrical binary representation; and
the first binary segment comprises at least one first waveguide, at least one second waveguide, or both at least one first waveguide and at least one second waveguide; and
a second binary segment positioned between the central waveguide and the second edge waveguide region, wherein:
the second binary segment corresponds with one or more mirrored secondary digits of the symmetrical binary representation; and
the second binary segment comprises at least one first waveguide, at least one second waveguide, or both at least one first waveguide and at least one second waveguide.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 1, wherein the binary waveguide region comprises:
a central waveguide comprising a modified second waveguide and corresponding with a unit digit of the symmetrical binary representation, wherein:
the modified second waveguide comprises a lower refractive index than the one or more second waveguides and corresponds with a digit 1 of the symmetrical binary representation;
a first binary segment positioned between the central waveguide and the first edge waveguide region, wherein:
the first binary segment corresponds with one or more secondary digits of the symmetrical binary representation; and
the first binary segment comprises at least one first waveguide, at least one second waveguide, or both at least one first waveguide and at least one second waveguide; and
a second binary segment positioned between the central waveguide and the second edge waveguide region, wherein:
the second binary segment corresponds with one or more mirrored secondary digits of the symmetrical binary representation; and
the second binary segment comprises at least one first waveguide, at least one second waveguide, or both at least one first waveguide and at least one second waveguide.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 9, wherein the difference in refractive index between the modified second waveguide and a second waveguide is less than the difference in refractive index between the modified second waveguide and a first waveguide.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 1, wherein:
V
1
=
(
2
⁢
π
⁢
a
1
)
⁢
(
NA
1
λ
)
,
wherein
NA
1
=
(
n
WG
⁢
1
2
-
n
CLAD
2
)
1
2
,
nGW1 is the refractive index of the one or more first waveguides, nCLAD is the refractive index of the substrate, a1 is a radius of the one or more first waveguides, and λ is the wavelength of one or more photons propagating along the one or more first waveguides; and
V
2
=
(
2
⁢
π
⁢
a
2
)
⁢
(
NA
2
λ
)
where
NA
2
=
(
n
WG
⁢
2
2
-
n
CLAD
2
)
1
2
,
nWG2 is the refractive index of the one or more second waveguides, nCLAD is the refractive index of the substrate, a2 is a radius of the one or more second waveguides, and λ is the wavelength of one or more photons propagating along the plurality of single mode waveguides.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 11, wherein the one or more first waveguides each comprise a smaller refractive index than the one or more second waveguides.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 11, wherein the one or more first waveguides each comprise a smaller diameter than the one or more second waveguides.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The binary photonics lattice of claim 1, wherein:
the plurality of single mode waveguides are uniformed spaced in the linear distribution; and
a spacing distance between each adjacent pair of waveguides in the plurality of single mode waveguides comprises about 30 μm or less.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

An optical system comprising:
the binary photonics lattice of claim 1; and
a photon source optically coupled to an input end of a central waveguide of the binary waveguide region.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The optical system of claim 15, further comprising one or more photon detectors optically coupled to an output end of at least one waveguide of the plurality of single mode waveguides.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The optical system of claim 16, wherein an output end of each waveguide of the waveguide array is optically coupled to one of the one or more photon detectors.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The optical system of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of photon pathways each optically coupled to an output end of an individual waveguide of the plurality of single mode waveguides such that the binary photonics lattice is a beam splitter.

### Claim 19

A method of optically representing of a binary number, the method comprising directing a plurality of photons generated using a photon source into an input end of a central waveguide of a binary waveguide region of a waveguide array of a binary photonics lattice, wherein the waveguide array comprises:
a plurality of single mode waveguides disposed in a substrate, the plurality of single mode waveguides including one or more first waveguides comprising a first V-number V1 and one or more second waveguides comprising a second V-number V2 wherein:
the first V-number V1 is smaller than the second V-number V2;
the one or more first waveguides and the one or more second waveguides are arranged in a linear distribution comprising the binary waveguide region, a first edge waveguide region, and a second edge waveguide region, wherein:
the binary waveguide region is positioned between the first edge waveguide region and the second edge waveguide region;
the binary waveguide region comprises a symmetrical binary representation of a decimal number; and
the binary waveguide region comprises at least one first waveguide representing a digit 0 of the symmetrical binary representation, at least one second waveguide representing a digit 1 of the symmetrical binary representation, or both at least one first waveguide representing a digit 0 of the symmetrical binary representation and at least one second waveguide representing a digit 1 of the symmetrical binary representation;
receiving the plurality of photons using one or more photon detectors, wherein each of the one or more photon detectors is optically coupled to an output end of at least one of the plurality of single mode waveguides; and
measuring an output power distribution based on the plurality of photons received by the one or more photon detectors, wherein the output power distribution corresponds with the symmetrical binary representation of the decimal number.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising determining the binary number and the decimal number that each correspond with the symmetrical binary representation of the output power distribution.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the decimal number is two or greater.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the decimal number is four or greater.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the decimal number is eight or greater.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein:
each waveguide of the first edge waveguide region and the second edge waveguide region comprises a first waveguide; and
the first edge waveguide region and the second edge waveguide region each comprise the same number of waveguides.

### Claim 25 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein, the binary waveguide region comprises:
the central waveguide, which corresponds with a unit digit of the symmetrical binary representation and comprises a first waveguide or a second waveguide and;
a first binary segment positioned between the central waveguide and the first edge waveguide region, wherein:
the first binary segment corresponds with one or more secondary digits of the symmetrical binary representation; and
the first binary segment comprises at least one first waveguide, at least one second waveguide, or both at least one first waveguide and at least one second waveguide; and
a second binary segment positioned between the central waveguide and the second edge waveguide region, wherein:
the second binary segment corresponds with one or more mirrored secondary digits of the symmetrical binary representation; and
the second binary segment comprises at least one first waveguide, at least one second waveguide, or both at least one first waveguide and at least one second waveguide.

### Claim 26 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein:
V
1
=
(
2
⁢
π
⁢
a
1
)
⁢
(
NA
1
λ
)
,
where
NA
1
=
(
n
WG
⁢
1
2
-
n
CLAD
2
)
1
2
,
nWG1 is the refractive index of the one or more first waveguides, nCLAD is the refractive index of the substrate, a1 is a radius of the one or more first waveguides, and λ is the wavelength of one or more photons propagating along the one or more first waveguides; and
V
2
=
(
2
⁢
π
⁢
a
2
)
⁢
(
NA
2
λ
)
where
NA
2
=
(
n
WG
⁢
2
2
-
n
CLAD
2
)
1
2
,
nWG2 is the refractive index of the one or more second waveguides, nCLAD is the refractive index of the substrate, a2 is a radius of the one or more second waveguides, and λ is the wavelength of one or more photons propagating along the plurality of single mode waveguides.