Relaxed tolerance adiabatic coupler for optical interconnects

An optical arrangement, comprising:

• an optical printed circuit board (OPCB) having at least a first optical waveguide having a first end located on the OPCB;
• at least one photonic integrated circuit (PIC) mounted to the OPCB, the PIC including at least a second optical waveguide, the first optical waveguide having a second end located on a portion of the second optical waveguide to optically couple light between the PIC and the first optical waveguide;
• and
• wherein the portion of the second optical waveguide on which the second end of the first optical waveguide is located has an inverse taper, the inverse tapered portion being defined by a plurality of segments, wherein the segments of the inverse tapered portion each have a length and a taper rate that causes each segment to make an equal contribution to any radiation losses in the mode transformation of light being coupled between the first and second optical waveguides.

A method forming an optical interconnect to a photonic integrated circuit (PIC), comprising:

• attaching a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) to an optical printed circuit board (OPCB), the PIC including at least a second optical waveguide,
• applying a substrate having a first optical waveguide formed therein to the OPCB such that a first end of the first optical waveguide is located on the OPCB and a second end of the first optical waveguide is located on a portion of the second optical waveguide to optically couple light between the PIC and the first optical waveguide;
• and
• wherein the portion of the second optical waveguide on which the second end of the first optical waveguide is located has an inverse taper, the inverse tapered portion being defined by a plurality of segments, wherein the segments of the inverse tapered portion each have a length and a taper rate that causes each segment to make an equal contribution to any radiation losses in the mode transformation of light being coupled between the first and second optical waveguides.