Coalescing optical module and method for making

A coalescing optical module comprising:

• an optical module having a first side, with a plurality of rows of input optical ports therein, and a plurality of output optical ports;
• a plurality of bifurcated waveguides disposed in the optical module and having a plurality of bifurcations, each waveguide being positioned to define a row of input optical ports with each bifurcation of each waveguide having a light port at one end of the bifurcated waveguide optically aligned with and defining one input optical port of the plurality of input optical ports, and the bifurcations of each waveguide converging to define a single output optical port at a second end of the bifurcated waveguide optically aligned with and defining one of the plurality of output optical ports in the optical module;
• and
• a plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers mounted on the first side of the optical module, one each mounted in optical communication with one of the input optical ports, the bifurcated waveguides coalescing outputs of the plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers into a plurality of high power outputs.

An optoelectronic mount comprising:

• an optical module including a first side having a plurality of rows of input optical ports, a second side having a plurality of output optical ports, a third side, and a plurality of bifurcated waveguides disposed in the optical module and having a plurality of bifurcations, each waveguide being positioned to define a row of input optical ports with each bifurcation of each waveguide having a light port at one end of the bifurcated waveguide optically aligned with and defining one input optical port of the plurality of input optical ports, and the bifurcations of each waveguide converging to define a single output optical port at a second end of the bifurcated waveguide optically aligned with and defining one of a plurality of output optical ports in the second side of the optical module;
• and
• a flexible circuit tape having a plurality of rows of input windows, a plurality of output windows, a first plurality of electrical tracings, and a second plurality of electrical tracings, the rows of input windows and the output windows of the flexible circuit tape being disposed over the plurality of rows of input optical ports and the plurality of output optical ports of the optical module, respectively, substantially aligning the plurality of rows of input optical ports and the plurality of output optical ports and the rows of input windows and the plurality of output windows;
• and
• an array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers each having a light output area and a first plurality of electrical contacts, and a second plurality of electrical contacts, the array being arranged into a first plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers and a second plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers, the array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers being disposed on the flexible circuit tape with the first plurality of electrical contacts being electrically coupled to the first plurality of electrical tracings and with the second plurality of electrical contacts being electrically coupled to the second plurality of electrical tracings and the light output area of each vertical cavity surface emitting laser optically aligned with an input optical port of the plurality of rows of input optical ports.

A method for combining optical power of an array of VCSELs comprising the steps of:

• forming an optical module having a first side, with a plurality of input optical ports therein, and a second side with an output optical port therein;
• forming a bifurcated waveguide so as to be disposed in the optical module and having a plurality of bifurcations, each bifurcation having a light port at one end of the bifurcated waveguide optically aligned with and defining one input optical port of the plurality of input optical ports, and the bifurcations converging to define a single output optical port at a second end of the bifurcated waveguide optically aligned with and defining the output optical port in the second side of the optical module;
• providing a flexible circuit tape having a plurality of input windows, a plurality of output windows, a first plurality of electrical tracings, and a second plurality of electrical tracings;
• disposing the input windows and the output windows of the flexible circuit tape over the plurality of input optical ports and the plurality of output optical ports of the optical module, respectively, substantially aligning the plurality of input optical ports and the plurality of output optical ports and the input windows and the plurality of output windows;
• positioning a plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers on the flexible circuit tape, one each positioned in optical communication with one of the plurality of input windows, the bifurcated waveguide coalescing outputs of the plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers into a single high power output;
• and
• electrically connecting each vertical cavity surface emitting laser of the plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers to the first plurality of electrical tracings on the flexible circuit tape.