# US 2019/0170945 A1 · Waveguide connector elements and optical assemblies incorporating the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0170945 A1 - Document ID: US20190170945A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/253,032 - Filed: 2019-01-21 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-29 - Assignees: Corning Optical Communications LLC - Applicants: Corning Optical Communications LLC - Inventors: Davide Domenico Fortusini; Lars Martin Otfried Brusberg; James Scott Sutherland - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170945A1 ## CPC - G02B 6/305: {and having an integrated mode-size expanding section, e.g. tapered waveguide} - G02B 6/13: Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method - G02B 6/3897: {Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards (G02B6/44528 takes precedence)} - G02B 6/421: {the intermediate optical component consisting of a short length of fibre, e.g. fibre stub} - G02B 6/4249: {comprising arrays of active devices and fibres} - G02B 2006/12102: {Lens} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract Optical waveguide connector elements for optical coupling optical components of an optical assembly, such as the edge coupling of optical printed circuit boards. In one embodiment, a waveguide connector element includes a first end face and a second end face, a pre-existing optical waveguide within or on a surface of the waveguide connector element, and a laser written optical waveguide optically coupled to an end of the pre-existing optical waveguide and extending toward one of the first end face and the second end face. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A waveguide connector element comprising: a first end face and a second end face; a pre-existing optical waveguide within or on a surface of the waveguide connector element; and a laser written optical waveguide optically coupled to an end of the pre-existing optical waveguide and extending toward one of the first end face and the second end face. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The waveguide connector element of claim 1, wherein the laser written optical waveguide has a parallel displacement parallel to the optical printed circuit board and a normal displacement normal to the optical printed circuit board within the waveguide connector element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The waveguide connector element of claim 1, wherein the pre-existing optical waveguide is one of an ion exchanged optical waveguide, a planar glass dielectric waveguide, an embedded optical fiber waveguide, and a polymer waveguide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The waveguide connector element of claim 1, wherein the pre-existing optical waveguide terminates at one of the first end face and the second end face. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The waveguide connector element of claim 4, further comprises a laser bump at one of the first end face and the second end face and aligned with the pre-existing optical waveguide. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The waveguide connector element of claim 1, further comprising a beam expanding lens at the first end face, wherein the beam expanding lens is a tapered structure that decreases in diameter from the first end face toward the second end face, the pre-existing optical waveguide extends from the second end face, the laser written optical waveguide optically couples the beam expanding lens to the pre-existing optical waveguide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The waveguide connector element of claim 6, further comprising a laser bump at the first end face and aligned with the beam expanding lens. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The waveguide connector element of claim 6, wherein the beam expanding lens is one of an ion exchanged lens, a thermally extending core, and a laser written lens. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The waveguide connector element of claim 6, wherein the beam expanding lens is one of a plurality of beam expanding lenses having a first pitch, and the pre-existing optical waveguide is one of a plurality of plurality of pre-existing optical waveguides having a second pitch, and the first pitch is greater than the second pitch. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The waveguide connector element of claim 1, further comprising a step feature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The waveguide connector element of claim 1, wherein the waveguide connector element is a glass waveguide connector element drawn in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the waveguide connector element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The waveguide connector element of claim 11, wherein the first end face of the waveguide connector element is curved. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The waveguide connector element of claim 1, further comprising a mechanical feature. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The waveguide connector element of claim 13, wherein the mechanical feature is at least one of a ridge and a trench. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The waveguide connector element of claim 1, further comprising a notch for receiving an optical printed circuit board. ### Claim 16 A waveguide connector element comprising: a first end face and a second end face; and a beam expanding lens at the first end face, wherein the beam expanding lens is a tapered structure that decreases in diameter from the first end face toward the second end face. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The waveguide connector element of claim 16, wherein the beam expanding lens is one of an ion exchanged lens, a thermally extending core, and a laser written lens. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The waveguide connector element of claim 16, further comprising a pre-existing waveguide extending from the second end face, wherein the beam expanding lens is directly connected to an end of the pre-existing waveguide. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The waveguide connector element of claim 18, wherein the beam expanding lens is a laser written lens. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The waveguide connector element of claim 16, further comprising a laser written optical waveguide optically coupled to an end of the beam expanding lens and extending toward the second end face, wherein the laser written optical waveguide terminates as a termination location at the second end face. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The waveguide connector element of claim 20, wherein the laser written optical waveguide has a parallel displacement in a plane parallel to the optical printed circuit board and a normal displacement in a plane normal to the optical printed circuit board within the waveguide connector element. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The waveguide connector element of claim 16, wherein the beam expanding lens terminates at the second end face. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The waveguide connector element of claim 22, wherein the beam expanding lens is one of a plurality of beam expanding lenses having a first pitch, and the laser written optical waveguide is one of a plurality of plurality of laser written optical waveguides having a second pitch at the second end face, and the first pitch is greater than the second pitch. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The waveguide connector element of claim 16, further comprising a step feature. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The waveguide connector element of claim 16, wherein the waveguide connector element is a glass waveguide connector element drawn in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the waveguide connector element. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The waveguide connector element of claim 25, wherein the first end face of the waveguide connector element is curved. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) The waveguide connector element of claim 16, further comprising a mechanical feature. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The waveguide connector element of claim 27, wherein the mechanical feature is at least one of a ridge and a trench. ### Claim 29 (depends on 16) The waveguide connector element of claim 16, further comprising a notch for receiving an optical printed circuit board. ### Claim 30 An optical assembly comprising: an optical printed circuit board comprising an optical layer and a circuit board optical waveguide disposed within the optical layer, the optical printed circuit board comprising an edge, wherein the circuit board optical waveguide terminates at the edge; and a waveguide connector element comprising an optical waveguide, wherein the waveguide connector element is coupled to the edge of the optical printed circuit board, and the optical waveguide is optically coupled to the circuit board optical waveguide.