# US 7,609,920 B2 · Optical coupler > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,609,920 B2 - Document ID: US7609920B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/073,923 - Filed: 2008-03-12 - Published: 2009-04-02 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2007-09-28 - Assignees: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Hyun Jun Kim; Chang Hwan Choi; Won Ha Moon; Dong Ik Shin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609920B2 ## CPC - G02B 6/1225: {comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices} - B82Y 20/00: Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals - G02B 6/34: utilising prism or grating {(G02B6/293 takes precedence)} - G02B 2006/12147: {Coupler} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES ## Abstract An optical coupler including: a substrate; a cladding layer formed on the substrate; and a slab waveguide formed on the cladding layer, wherein the slab waveguide comprises a first waveguide area on which a laser beam is incident and a second waveguide area having an incident surface capable of converging and outputting the laser beam passing through the first waveguide in a width direction. The optical coupler may optically couple one of an optical fiber and a laser diode with the slab waveguide, and more particularly, and a photonic crystal waveguide, with high efficiency. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical coupler comprising: a substrate; a cladding layer formed on the substrate; a slab waveguide formed on the cladding layer; and an optical converter converting and outputting the incident light into a plane laser beam and allowing the plane laser beam to be incident on the slab waveguide, wherein the slab waveguide comprises a first waveguide area on which a laser beam is incident and a second waveguide area having an incident surface capable of converging and outputting the laser beam passing through the first waveguide area in a width direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical coupler of claim 1, wherein the first waveguide area and the second waveguide area are integrated into one body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The optical coupler of claim 2, wherein the laser beam passing through the second waveguide area is incident on a waveguide of an output terminal connected to the second waveguide area, and the slab waveguide and the waveguide of the output terminal are integrated into one body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical coupler of claim 1, further comprising a reflection mirror reflecting a laser beam that is not incident on the slab waveguide among the laser beam passing through the optical converter, to be turned toward the slab waveguide. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical coupler of claim 1, wherein the laser beam incident on the optical converter is oscillated from one of a terminal of an optical fiber and a laser diode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The optical coupler of claim 1, wherein the optical converter has a lattice structure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The optical coupler of claim 6, wherein the optical converter converts a laser beam longitudinally incident from the top into the plane laser beam and outputting the plane laser beam in a lateral direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical coupler of claim 1, wherein the first waveguide area and the second waveguide area are integrated into one body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The optical coupler of claim 8, wherein the slab waveguide and the optical converter are integrated into one body. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The optical coupler of claim 9, wherein the laser beam passing through the second waveguide area is incident on the waveguide of the output terminal connected to the second waveguide area, and the slab waveguide, the optical converter, and the waveguide of the output terminal are integrated into one body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The optical coupler of claim 1, wherein the laser beam passing through the second waveguide area is incident on the waveguide of the output terminal, and a waveguide of an output terminal is a photonic crystal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The optical coupler of claim 1, wherein the first waveguide area and the second waveguide area are formed of the same material and have a different thickness from each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The optical coupler of claim 12, wherein the second waveguide area has a thickness greater than a thickness of the first waveguide. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The optical coupler of claim 12, wherein the first waveguide area has a thickness with one to three laser beam modes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The optical coupler of claim 12, wherein the second waveguide area has a thickness with one to five laser beam modes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The optical coupler of claim 1, wherein the second waveguide area has an effective refractive index greater than an effective refractive index of the first waveguide area. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The optical coupler of claim 1, wherein the laser beam passing through the second waveguide area is incident on the waveguide of the output terminal connected to the second waveguide area, and the second waveguide area and a waveguide of an output terminal have the same thickness. ### Claim 18 An optical coupler comprising: a substrate; a cladding layer formed on the substrate; and a slab waveguide formed on the cladding layer, wherein the slab waveguide comprises a first waveguide area on which a laser beam is incident and a second waveguide area having an incident surface capable of converging and outputting the laser beam passing through the first waveguide area in a width direction, and the second waveguide area has a convex-lens shape. ### Claim 19 An optical coupler comprising: a substrate; a cladding layer formed on the substrate; and a slab waveguide formed on the cladding layer, wherein the slab waveguide comprises a first waveguide area on which a laser beam is incident and a second waveguide area having an incident surface capable of converging and outputting the laser beam passing through the first waveguide area in a width direction, and a first waveguide area is formed of a different material from the second waveguide area. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The optical coupler of claim 19, wherein a material forming the second waveguide area has a refractive index greater than a refractive index of a material forming the first waveguide area. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The optical coupler of claim 19, wherein the first waveguide area and the second waveguide area have the same thickness.