Optical junction apparatus and methods employing optical power transverse-transfer

An optical junction apparatus, comprising:

• a first optical waveguide, the first optical waveguide including an optical junction region;
• a second optical waveguide, the second optical waveguide including an optical junction region;
• and
• a joining element,
• at least one of the first and second optical waveguides being adapted for enabling substantially adiabatic transverse-transfer of optical power therebetween at the respective optical junction regions thereof,
• the joining element arranged to secure the first optical waveguide with the second optical waveguide so as to position the respective optical junction regions thereof for enabling substantially adiabatic transverse-transfer of optical power therebetween.

An optical junction apparatus, comprising:

• a first optical waveguide, the first optical waveguide including an optical junction region;
• and
• a second optical waveguide assembled with the first optical waveguide, the second optical waveguide including an optical junction region,
• at least one of the first and second optical waveguides being adapted for and positioned for enabling substantially adiabatic transverse-transfer of optical power therebetween at the respective optical junction regions thereof.

An optical apparatus, comprising:

• an optical device on a substrate;
• a first external-transfer optical waveguide, the first external-transfer optical waveguide including an optical junction region;
• a second external-transfer optical waveguide, the second external-transfer optical waveguide including an optical junction region;
• a first transmission optical waveguide, the first transmission optical waveguide including an optical junction region;
• and
• a second transmission optical waveguide, the second transmission optical waveguide including an optical junction region,
• the optical device and the first external-transfer optical waveguide being optically integrated for enabling transfer of optical power therebetween,
• the optical device and the second external-transfer optical waveguide being optically integrated for enabling transfer of optical power therebetween,
• at least one of the first transmission optical waveguide and the first external-transfer optical waveguide being adapted for and positioned for enabling transverse-transfer of optical power therebetween at the respective optical junction regions thereof,
• at least one of the second transmission optical waveguide and the second external-transfer optical waveguide being adapted for and positioned for enabling transverse-transfer of optical power therebetween at the respective optical junction regions thereof.

An optical apparatus, comprising:

• an optical device on a device substrate;
• and
• an external-transfer optical waveguide, the external-transfer optical waveguide including an optical junction region,
• the optical device and the external-transfer optical waveguide being optically integrated for enabling transfer of optical power therebetween,
• the optical junction region of the external-transfer optical waveguide being adapted for enabling transverse-transfer of optical power between the external-transfer optical waveguide and a second optical waveguide at the optical junction region,
• at least one of the device substrate, the optical device, and the external-transfer optical waveguide being adapted for receiving and positioning the second optical waveguide relative to the optical junction region of the external-transfer optical waveguide so as to enable transverse-transfer of optical power therebetween.

A method for fabricating an optical apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

• fabricating an optical device on a substrate;
• fabricating an external-transfer optical waveguide on at least one of the substrate and the optical device, the external-transfer optical waveguide including an optical junction region;
• and
• assembling a transmission optical waveguide with the optical device and the external-transfer optical waveguide, the transmission optical waveguide including an optical junction region,
• at least one of the optical device and the external-transfer optical waveguide being adapted for and positioned for enabling transfer of optical power between the optical device and the external-transfer optical waveguide,
• at least one of the transmission optical waveguide and the external-transfer optical waveguide being adapted for enabling transverse-transfer of optical power between the transmission optical waveguide and the external-transfer optical waveguide at the respective optical junction regions,
• the transmission optical waveguide and the external-transfer optical waveguide being positioned, upon assembly of the transmission optical waveguide with the substrate and the external-transfer optical waveguide, so as to position the respective optical junction regions for enabling transverse-transfer of optical power between the transmission optical waveguide and the external-transfer optical waveguide.

A method for fabricating an assembled optical apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

• fabricating a first optical waveguide, the first optical waveguide including an optical junction region;
• fabricating a second optical waveguide, the second optical waveguide including an optical junction region, at least one of the first and second optical waveguides being adapted for substantially adiabatic transverse-transfer of optical power therebetween at the respective optical junction regions;
• and
• assembling the first and second optical waveguides so as to position the respective optical junction regions for enabling substantially adiabatic optical power transfer therebetween.

A method for fabricating an optical apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• fabricating an optical device on a device substrate;
• fabricating an external-transfer optical waveguide on at least one of the device substrate and the optical device, the external-transfer optical waveguide including an optical junction region,
• at least one of the optical device and the external-transfer optical waveguide being adapted for enabling transfer of optical power therebetween,
• the external-transfer optical waveguide being positioned relative to the optical device so as to enable transfer of optical power therebetween,
• the optical junction region of the external-transfer optical waveguide being adapted for enabling transverse-transfer of optical power between the external-transfer optical waveguide and a second optical waveguide,
• at least one of the device substrate, the optical device, and the external-transfer optical waveguide being adapted for receiving and positioning the second optical waveguide relative to the optical junction region of the external-transfer optical waveguide so as to enable transverse-transfer of optical power therebetween, the second optical waveguide being provided initially as a mechanically separate component and subsequently assembled with at least one of the device substrate, the optical device, and the external-transfer optical waveguide.

An optical apparatus, comprising:

• multiple optical devices fabricated on a common device substrate;
• multiple external-transfer optical waveguides, each fabricated on at least one of the device substrate and the multiple optical devices;
• and
• multiple planar transmission optical waveguides fabricated on a common waveguide substrate, the multiple planar transmission optical waveguides forming a planar optical waveguide circuit, the waveguide substrate being assembled with the device substrate,
• at least one of the multiple optical devices and at least one of the multiple external-transfer optical waveguides being adapted for and positioned for optical power transfer therebetween,
• at least two of the multiple external-transfer optical waveguides and at least two corresponding planar transmission optical waveguides among the multiple planar transmission optical waveguides being adapted for transverse-transfer of optical power therebetween,
• assembly of the device substrate with the waveguide substrate serving to position at least two of the multiple external-transfer optical waveguides relative to the corresponding planar transmission optical waveguides for enabling transverse-transfer of optical power therebetween, thereby establishing at least two optical connections between the planar optical waveguide circuit and the multiple optical devices.

An optical apparatus, comprising:

• multiple device substrates, each device substrate having fabricated thereon at least one optical device, at least one device substrate having fabricated thereon an external-transfer optical waveguide, at least one of the optical device and the external-transfer optical waveguide being positioned for and adapted for enabling optical power transfer therebetween;
• and
• multiple planar transmission optical waveguides fabricated on a common waveguide substrate, the multiple planar transmission optical waveguides forming a planar optical waveguide circuit, the planar optical waveguide circuit being adapted at multiple device locations thereof for receiving a corresponding one of the multiple device substrates,
• for each of the multiple device locations, at least one of the multiple planar transmission optical waveguides, the optical device, and the external-transfer optical waveguides being adapted for enabling optical power transfer between the optical device and the planar optical waveguide circuit,
• at least one of the multiple device locations and the external-transfer optical waveguide on the corresponding one of the multiple device substrates being adapted for enabling transverse-transfer of optical power between the planar optical waveguide circuit and the external-transfer optical waveguide on the corresponding one of the multiple device substrates,
• assembly of the corresponding one of the device substrates at the at least one of the multiple device locations serving to enable transverse-transfer of optical power between the planar optical waveguide circuit and the external-transfer optical waveguide on the corresponding one of the device substrates.