Low loss lateral optical waveguide intersections
AssigneeInfinera Corporation
InventorBrent Little
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A geometrically shaped optical waveguide crossing with minimal transmission loss is described. A symmetrically tapered waveguide intersection is used to minimize loss in the intersecting region where at least two optical waveguides cross one another. The present invention embodies a waveguide crossing that includes tapering the width of the waveguides as they approach the intersecting region, forcing the field of light to contract, reducing asymmetric field distortions, and thus reducing transmission loss and effectively minimizig crosstalk. This is accomplished by focusing light through a perpendicular or near perpendicular intersection by simple linear tapering rather than by the use of a lens or other previously used devices.
Claims11
An optical intersection comprising at least:
- a first waveguide;
- a second waveguide;
- a waveguide crossing forming an intersecting region where said at least first waveguide crosses said at least second waveguide such that said intersecting angle is 90 degrees;
- and;
- a means for reducing a width of said first and second waveguides wherein each width of said waveguides is tapering inwardly toward said waveguide intersecting region.
An optical intersection comprising at least:
- a first waveguide with an input side and an output side;
- a second waveguide with an input side and an output side;
- a waveguide crossing where said first waveguide crosses said second waveguide such that said intersecting angle is 90 degrees or near 90 degrees and;
- a means for reducing a width of said first and second waveguides, each width of which tapers inwardly towards said intersection region for said input side and said output sides of said waveguides.
An optical device comprising an optical intersection comprising at least:
- a first waveguide;
- a second waveguide;
- a waveguide crossing forming an intersecting region where said at least first waveguide crosses said at least second waveguide such that said intersecting angle is 90 degrees or near 90 degrees;
- and;
- a means for reducing a width of said first and second waveguides wherein each width of said waveguides is tapering inwardly toward said waveguide intersecting region.
An optical intersection comprising at least:
- a first waveguide with an input side and an output side;
- a second waveguide with an input side and an output side;
- a waveguide crossing where said first waveguide crosses said second waveguide such that said intersecting angle is near 90 degrees and;
- a means for reducing a width of said at least first and second waveguides, each width of which tapers inwardly towards said intersection region for said input side and said output sides of said waveguides.
A 90 degree crossing of at least two waveguides comprising a waveguide structure in which focusing of light through said crossing is accomplished.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.