US 2006/0233505 A1 · Optical grating coupler

Abstract

An optical grating is disposed on a waveguide to redirect light from the interior of the waveguide through the opposite side of the waveguide from the grating. In one embodiment the waveguide, the grating, and an optical sensor are combined in a single monolithic structure. In another embodiment, an absorbing layer is directly connected to the waveguide in the region of the grating. In still another embodiment, efficiency of the grating is improved by having a high index contrast between the refractive index of the grating and the refractive index of the cladding disposed over the grating, and by having an appropriately sized discontinuity in the grating.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

an optical waveguide having a first refractive index;
an optical grating on a portion of a first surface of the optical waveguide;
an absorbing layer having a second refractive index greater than the first refractive index, the absorbing layer in intimate contact with a second surface of the optical waveguide, the second surface on an opposing side of the waveguide from the first surface and in a same region of the waveguide as the optical grating.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/444,541Filed 31 May 2006

Priority

25 Oct 2002

Published

19 Oct 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

G02B 6/124
Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths: geodesic lenses or integrated gratings
G02B 6/42
Coupling light guides: coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
G02B
Optical elements, systems or apparatus

Optical grating coupler

Life of this patent

Optical grating coupler

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10