Optical transmission and reception module having coupled optical waveguide chips

An optical component comprising:

• a first optical waveguide chip having a first optical waveguide and first and second end faces at which said first optical waveguide is exposed;
• and
• a second optical waveguide chip having a second optical waveguide and third and fourth end faces at which said second optical waveguide is exposed;
• said second end face being inclined to a direction in which light is propagated through said first optical waveguide;
• said third end face being inclined to a direction in which light is propagated through said second optical waveguide;
• said first optical waveguide chip and said second optical waveguide chip being disposed such that said first optical waveguide and said second optical waveguide are optically coupled to each other;
• said second and third end faces extending substantially parallel to each other with a layer interposed therebetween which has a refractive index that is different from the refractive index of at least one of said first and second optical waveguides;
• the arrangement being such that a portion of light propagated from said first optical waveguide to said second optical waveguide is reflected out of at least one of the first and second optical waveguide chips by at least one of said second end face of said first optical waveguide chip and said third end face of said second optical waveguide chip, the reflected light propagating through a light transmissive portion of at least one of said optical waveguide chips;
• at least one of said first and second optical waveguides comprising an optical fiber;
• one of said first and second optical waveguide chips which has said optical fiber having a substrate having a V groove of a V-shaped cross section or a U groove of a U-shaped cross section defined therein for placing the optical fiber therein, and a cover for fixing said optical fiber in the V or U groove;
• said optical fiber being fixed in said V or U groove by said substrate and said cover.

An optical component comprising:

• a first optical waveguide chip having a first optical waveguide, first and second end faces at which said first optical waveguide is exposed;
• and
• a second optical waveguide chip having a second optical waveguide which has a refractive index different from the refractive index of said first optical waveguide, third and fourth end faces at which said second optical waveguide is exposed;
• said second end face being inclined to a direction in which light is propagated through said first optical waveguide;
• said third end face being inclined to a direction in which light is propagated through said second optical waveguide;
• one of said first and second optical waveguides comprising an optical fiber;
• one of said first and second optical waveguide chips which has said optical fiber having a substrate having a V groove of a V-shaped cross section or a U groove of a U-shaped cross section defined therein for placing the optical fiber therein, and a cover for fixing said optical fiber in the V or U groove;
• said optical fiber being fixed in said V or U groove by said substrate and said cover;
• the other of said first and second optical waveguides comprising an optical waveguide composed of a dielectric substrate with an impurity diffused therein;
• said first optical waveguide chip and said second optical waveguide chip being disposed such that said second and third end faces extend substantially parallel to each other, and said first optical waveguide exposed at said second end face and said second optical waveguide exposed at said third end face are optically coupled directly to each other;
• the arrangement being such that a portion of light propagated from said first optical waveguide to said second optical waveguide is reflected out of at least one of the first and second optical waveguide chips by at least one of said second end face of said first optical waveguide chip and said third end face of said second optical waveguide chip.