Efficient waveguide arrays with nearly perfect element patterns
OwnerCorrado P. Dragoneinventor
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Abstract
An optical interconnection apparatus including waveguide arrays such as waveguide lenses, waveguide gratings and star couplers, has improved efficiency realized by using a periodic array including in each period a combination of two radial waveguides. The array is formed with angular period α between an input circle and an output circle and it includes an input section, connected to the input circle, and an output section connected to the output circle. The input section includes a single waveguide in each period and it is efficiently coupled with minimal loss to the output section, whose waveguides are approximately arranged with period α/2 in the final region close to the output circle.
Claims20
An optical interconnection device comprising:
- periodic array of radial elements forming a planar arrangement with virtual focal point F and period of angular width α, wherein the array is formed between an input circle and an output circle that are both centered at F and the array consists of several circular sections centered at F;
- a first section directly connected to the input circle which includes in each period α a single strip waveguide of a refractive index higher than a refractive index on either side of the waveguide;
- and,
- a second section which includes in each period α a pair of substantially identical strip waveguides separated by a finite central gap of lower refractive index, wherein the second section approaches period α/2 as the radial distance from the output circle decreases along the second section.
A system for optical interconnection of waveguide lenses, waveguide gratings, and star couplers comprising:
- a periodic array of radial elements forming a planar arrangement with virtual focal point F and period of angular width α, wherein the array is formed between an input circle and an output circle that are both centered at F and the array consists of several circular sections centered at F;
- a first section directly connected to the input circle which includes in each period α a single strip waveguide of a refractive index higher than a refractive index on either side of the waveguide;
- and,
- a second section which includes in each period a a pair of substantially identical strip waveguides separated by a finite central gap of lower refractive index, wherein the second section approaches period α/2 as the radial distance from the output circle decreases along the second section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.