Directional coupler and method using polymer material
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorsDietrich Marcuse, Herman M. Presby
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Abstract
An optical coupler and method is disclosed in which a polymer material is employed to optically couple a first and second waveguide in a transfer region. In the transfer region, the first and second waveguides are positioned in parallel separated by a specific distance. The polymer material has an index of refraction which varies with temperature. The optical switch device is controlled by adjusting the temperature of the polymer material to obtain a desired index of refraction, thereby resulting in the desired transfer of an optical wave from on waveguide core to another.
Claims5
An optical switching device, comprising:
- a substrate on which is formed and which contacts a first waveguide core and a second waveguide core, the first waveguide core having a portion not in contact with a substrate, and the second waveguide core having a portion not in contact with the substrate;
- a transfer region in which the first and second waveguide cores are positioned in parallel and in close proximity to each other for an identifiable length;
- and
- a single type of polymer cladding material surrounding all portions of the waveguide cores not in contact with the substrate and optically coupling the first and second waveguide cores in the transfer region, wherein the optical coupling between the first and second waveguide cores is controlled by altering a temperature of the single type of polymer cladding material.
A method for optical switching, comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate on which is formed and which contacts a first waveguide core and a second waveguide core;
- positioning the first waveguide core in close proximity to the second waveguide core, the first and second waveguide cores being parallel for an identifiable length in the transfer region;
- optically coupling the first and second waveguide cores in the transfer region with a single type of polymer cladding material, the single type of polymer cladding material surrounding all portions of the waveguide cores not in contact with the substrate and having an index of refraction which changes with temperature;
- and
- controlling the optical coupling between the first and second waveguide cores in the transfer region by controlling the temperature of the single type of polymer cladding material that surrounds all portions of the first and second waveguide cores not in contact with the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.