Anti-reflective and resonant waveguide grating to free-space couplers
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorMatthew Wade Puckett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Free-space coupler devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a free-space coupler device comprises a waveguide structure including a waveguide grating, and an out-of-plane coupler separated from and in optical communication with the waveguide grating. The waveguide grating and the out-of-plane coupler are separated by a distance that will yield an optical resonance at a desired operating frequency or wavelength of an optical signal, thereby maximizing a diffraction power of the optical signal at the out-of-plane coupler while minimizing a reflection power of the optical signal at the out-of-plane coupler.
Claims20
A free-space coupler device, comprising:
- a waveguide structure including a waveguide grating;
- and
- an out-of-plane coupler separated from and in optical communication with the waveguide grating;
- wherein the waveguide grating and the out-of-plane coupler are separated by a distance that will yield an optical resonance at a desired operating frequency or wavelength of an optical signal, thereby maximizing a diffraction power of the optical signal at the out-of-plane coupler while minimizing a reflection power of the optical signal at the out-of-plane coupler.
A method of fabricating a free-space coupler device, the method comprising:
- determining a separation distance between a waveguide grating of a waveguide structure and an out-of-plane coupler that will effectively yield an optical resonance at a desired operating frequency or wavelength of an optical signal;
- forming the waveguide structure including the waveguide grating;
- and
- forming the out-of-plane coupler at the separation distance from the waveguide grating;
- wherein the separation distance is determined such that a diffraction power of the optical signal is maximized at the out-of-plane coupler, and a reflection power of the optical signal is minimized at the out-of-plane coupler.
A free-space coupler device, comprising:
- a substrate including a facet at one end of the substrate;
- and
- a waveguide structure including a waveguide grating on the substrate, wherein one end of the waveguide structure adjoins with the facet;
- wherein the waveguide grating and the one end of the waveguide structure that adjoins with the facet are separated by a distance that will yield an optical resonance at a desired operating frequency or wavelength of an optical signal, thereby maximizing a transmission power of the optical signal away from the facet while minimizing a reflection power of the optical signal at the facet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.