Laser to chip coupler
AssigneeRWTH Aachen
InventorJeremy Witzens
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for butt-coupling an input beam incoming from a photonic device of a second optical element to a primary photonic chip at an input interface of the primary photonic chip is disclosed. The primary photonic chip comprises a coupling apparatus. The light from the input beam is butt-coupled to the coupling apparatus. The coupling apparatus comprises a plurality of more than one single mode optical paths on the primary photonic chip. The single mode optical paths are strongly coupled to each other at the input interface of the primary photonic chip. Regions of strongly coupled single mode optical paths can correspond to one or both of distinct but highly coupled waveguides or waveguides fully merged into a multi-mode section.
Claims29
A method comprising the steps of:
- coupling to a primary photonic chip defining a first optical element an input beam incoming from a photonic device of a second optical element at an input interface of the primary photonic chip, wherein
- the photonic device is adapted to emit the input beam;
- the primary photonic chip comprises a coupling apparatus configured to receive the input beam, having a plurality of single mode optical paths,
- the single mode optical paths are strongly coupled to each other at the input interface of the primary photonic chip, such that regions of said strongly coupled single mode optical paths correspond to one of (i) distinct but highly coupled waveguides forming a multi-mode section and (ii) waveguides fully merged into a multi-mode section;
- wherein the primary photonic chip further comprises a section beyond the input interface in which the plurality of single mode optical paths is singulated into independent single mode optical paths, and
- the coupling step comprises coupling light from the input beam to the coupling apparatus;
- wherein the power coupled to each of the independent single mode optical paths is substantially equal.
A photonic apparatus comprising:
- a first optical element defined by a primary photonic chip and a second optical element comprising a photonic device adapted to emit an input beam,
- wherein the primary photonic chip comprises a coupling apparatus including an input interface which is configured to receive the input beam, and further including a plurality of single mode optical paths strongly coupled to each other at the input interface of the primary photonic chip, such that regions of said strongly coupled single mode optical paths correspond to either (i) distinct but highly coupled waveguides forming a multi-mode section or (ii) waveguides fully merged into a multi-mode section;
- wherein the primary photonic chip further comprises a section beyond the input interface in which the plurality of single mode optical paths is singulated into independent single mode optical paths, and
- wherein the power coupled to each of the independent single mode optical paths is substantially equal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.