Fiber-to-waveguide coupler
AssigneeInteruniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (IMEC) vzw
InventorsDirk Taillaert, Roel Baets
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical waveguide to fiber coupler comprises a substrate, a first waveguide and a second waveguide. The first and second waveguides are formed on the substrate and intersect at a right angle. A diffraction grating structure is formed at the intersection of the first and second waveguides, such that, when the coupler is physically abutted with a single mode optical fiber, in operation, a polarization split is obtained that couples orthogonal modes from the single-mode optical fiber into single identical modes in the first and second waveguides. Also, employing the coupler in optical polarization diverse applications provides for implementing a polarization insensitive photonic integrated circuit using such diffraction grating structures, such as, for example, photonic crystals.
Claims22
A waveguide coupler, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first waveguide formed on the substrate;
- a second waveguide formed on the substrate, wherein the first and second waveguides form a substantially right angle intersection;
- a diffraction grating structure formed at the intersection of the first and second waveguides;
- and
- an optical fiber coupled with the substrate by physical abutment with the intersection, the fiber being out of plane with the first and second waveguides.
A photonic integrated circuit comprising:
- an optical coupler, the optical coupler comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first waveguide formed on the substrate;
- a second waveguide formed on the substrate, wherein the first and second waveguide form a right angle intersection;
- and
- a diffraction grating structure formed at the intersection of the first and second waveguides;
- and
- an optical fiber coupled with the substrate by physical abutment with the intersection, the fiber being out of plane with the first and second waveguides.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.