Fiber-to-waveguide couplers with ultra high coupling efficiency and integrated chip waveguides including the same
AssigneeUniversity of Maryland
InventorsTiecheng Zhu, Mario Dagenais, Sylvain Veilleux
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Abstract
An easy-to-fabricate and highly efficient single-mode optical fiber-to-single-mode optical waveguide coupler having relatively large horizontal and vertical alignment tolerances between the fiber and the waveguide coupler. The waveguide coupler also features ease of end-facet cleaving. The waveguide coupler can be used in ultra-broadband high coupling efficiency applications or other suitable applications. Single-mode on-chip waveguides incorporating such coupler(s) are also provided, as are methods of manufacturing the waveguide coupler and on-chip waveguide.
Claims20
A coupler for coupling a single-mode optical fiber to a single-mode on-chip optical waveguide, comprising:
- a loosely-confined straight waveguide portion defining a first end configured for positioning adjacent an optical fiber, and a second end;
- and
- an adiabatic waveguide mode-converter extending from a first end thereof at the second end of the loosely-confined straight waveguide portion to a second end thereof, the second end of the adiabatic waveguide mode-converter configured for positioning adjacent a more-confined waveguide core, the adiabatic waveguide converter tapering from the second end to the first end thereof and configured to serve as a transition between the loosely-confined straight waveguide portion and the more-confined waveguide core.
An integrated chip single-mode optical waveguide, comprising:
- a more-confined waveguide core;
- and
- a first coupler disposed at an end of the more-confined waveguide core, the first coupler including:
- a loosely-confined straight waveguide portion defining a first end configured for positioning adjacent an input optical fiber, and a second end;
- and
- an adiabatic waveguide mode-converter extending from a first end thereof at the second end of the loosely-confined straight waveguide portion to a second end thereof at an end of the more-confined waveguide core, the adiabatic waveguide converter tapering from the second end to the first end thereof and configured to serve as a transition between the loosely-confined straight waveguide portion and the more-confined waveguide core.
A system, comprising:
- an input optical fiber;
- an output optical fiber;
- and
- an integrated chip single-mode optical waveguide disposed between the input optical fiber and the output optical fiber, the integrated chip single-mode optical waveguide including:
- a more-confined waveguide core;
- and
- first and second couplers, the first coupler disposed between the input optical fiber and the more-confined waveguide core and the second coupler disposed between the output optical fiber and the more-confined waveguide core, each of the first and second couplers including:
- a loosely-confined straight waveguide portion defining a first end configured for positioning adjacent the corresponding optical fiber, and a second end;
- and
- an adiabatic waveguide mode-converter extending from a first end thereof at the second end of the loosely-confined straight waveguide portion to a second end thereof at a corresponding end of the more-configured waveguide core, the adiabatic waveguide converter tapering from the second end to the first end thereof and configured to serve as a transition between the loosely-confined straight waveguide portion and the more-confined waveguide core.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.