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US 8,078,020 B2Granted
Optical mode-converter structure
AssigneeAlcatel Lucent
InventorMahmoud Rasras
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus comprising an optical-mode-converter structure. The optical-mode-converter structure includes a tapered optical core on a planar substrate, an optical cladding layer covering the tapered optical core and a mode-expanding layer. The mode-expanding layer covers the tapered optical core and is located in-between the tapered optical core and the optical cladding layer. The mode-expanding layer has a refractive index that is in-between a refractive index of the tapered optical core and a refractive index of the optical cladding layer.
Claims22
An apparatus, comprising:
- an optical-mode-converter structure, including:
- a tapered optical core on a planar substrate;
- an optical cladding layer covering said tapered optical core;
- a mode-expanding layer directly contacting said tapered optical core, wherein:
- said optical cladding layer directly contacts said mode-expanding layer that directly contacts said tapered optical core,
- said mode-expanding layer has a refractive index that is in-between a refractive index of said tapered optical core and a refractive index of said optical cladding layer, and
- said mode-expanding layer directly contacting said tapered optical core has a uniform thickness;
- and
- a second mode-expanding layer is located in-between said mode-expanding layer and said optical cladding layer, said second mode-expanding layer having a refractive index that is in-between said refractive index of said mode-expanding layer and said refractive index of said optical cladding layer.
6 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- an optical-mode-converter structure, including:
- a tapered optical core on a planar substrate;
- an optical cladding layer covering said tapered optical core;
- a mode-expanding layer covering said tapered optical core and located in-between said tapered optical core and said optical cladding layer, wherein:
- said mode-expanding layer has a refractive index that is in-between a refractive index of said tapered optical core and a refractive index of said optical cladding layer;
- and
- a second mode-expanding layer is located in-between said mode-expanding layer and said optical cladding layer, said second mode-expanding layer having a refractive index that is in-between said refractive index of said mode-expanding layer and said refractive index of said optical cladding layer.
4 more elements
A method for operating an apparatus, comprising:
- sending an optical signal through a core of an optical fiber having a first mode size;
- and
- coupling said optical signal between said optical fiber core and a planar waveguide core having a second mode size, including expanding said second mode size to substantially match said first mode size by passing said optical signal through an optical-mode-converter structure, said optical-mode-converter structure including:
- a tapered optical core on a planar substrate;
- an optical cladding layer covering said optical core;
- a mode-expanding layer covering said tapered optical core and located in-between said tapered optical core and said optical cladding layer, said mode-expanding layer having a refractive index that is in-between a refractive index of said tapered optical core and a refractive index of said optical cladding layer;
- and
- a second mode-expanding layer is located in-between said mode-expanding layer and said optical cladding layer, said second mode-expanding layer having a refractive index that is in-between said refractive index of said mode-expanding layer and said refractive index of said optical cladding layer.
5 more elements
A method for manufacturing an apparatus, comprising:
- fabricating an optical-mode-converter structure, including:
- providing a planar substrate having a first material layer on a second material layer, wherein said first material layer has a higher refractive index than said second material layer;
- patterning said first material layer to form a tapered optical core;
- coating said tapered optical core with a third material to form a mode-expanding layer of a uniform thickness;
- coating said mode expanding layer with a fourth material to form a second mode-expanding layer;
- covering said tapered optical core, said mode-expanding layer and said second mode expanding layer with a fifth material to form an optical cladding layer, wherein:
- said mode-expanding has a refractive index that is in-between said refractive index of said tapered optical core and a refractive index of said optical cladding layer, and
- said second mode-expanding layer has a refractive index that is in-between said refractive index of said mode-expanding layer and said refractive index of said optical cladding layer.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.