Wide shoulder, high order mode filter for thick-silicon waveguides
First Claim
1. A laser, comprising:
- first and second reflectors arranged to form an optical cavity therebetween;
a gain chip within the optical cavity;
an optical filter that attenuates higher order optical modes, wherein the optical filter is within the optical cavity and is optically connected with the gain chip; and
one or more waveguides that optically connect the gain chip and the optical filter with the first and second reflectors such that the optical cavity resonates at a resonant wavelength to form the laser;
wherein the one or more waveguides are capable of supporting both a fundamental optical mode and one or more higher order optical modes at the resonant wavelength;
wherein the optical filter attenuates the higher order optical modes sufficiently that the laser operates as a single mode laser; and
wherein at least one of the waveguides comprises;
a waveguide shoulder portion, formed of an optical material, that extends along a light propagation direction, andforms a waveguide shoulder width transverse to the light propagation direction; and
a waveguide ridge portion, formed of the optical material, that is disposed atop the waveguide shoulder portion,extends along the light propagation direction, andforms a waveguide ridge width, transverse to the light propagation direction, that is narrower than the waveguide shoulder width;
and wherein the optical filter comprises;
a filter shoulder portion, formed of the optical material, thatadjoins the waveguide shoulder portion of at least one of the waveguides,extends along the light propagation direction, andforms a filter shoulder width, transverse to the light propagation direction, that is wider than the waveguide shoulder width.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical filter for attenuating higher-order modes in an optical waveguide includes a shoulder slab formed of a first material having a first index of refraction and disposed on a second material having a second index of refraction, the first index of refraction being higher than the second index of refraction. The shoulder slab defines a near end having a first width, an intermediate section, adjacent to the first end section, and a far end section, adjacent to the intermediate section and opposite the first end section along a direction of beam propagation. The optical filter also includes a waveguide ridge, formed of the first material and disposed atop the shoulder slab, that traverses the shoulder slab, and is configured to guide light of a fundamental mode along the direction of beam propagation from the near end section to the far end section.
215 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A laser, comprising:
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first and second reflectors arranged to form an optical cavity therebetween; a gain chip within the optical cavity; an optical filter that attenuates higher order optical modes, wherein the optical filter is within the optical cavity and is optically connected with the gain chip; and one or more waveguides that optically connect the gain chip and the optical filter with the first and second reflectors such that the optical cavity resonates at a resonant wavelength to form the laser; wherein the one or more waveguides are capable of supporting both a fundamental optical mode and one or more higher order optical modes at the resonant wavelength; wherein the optical filter attenuates the higher order optical modes sufficiently that the laser operates as a single mode laser; and wherein at least one of the waveguides comprises; a waveguide shoulder portion, formed of an optical material, that extends along a light propagation direction, and forms a waveguide shoulder width transverse to the light propagation direction; and a waveguide ridge portion, formed of the optical material, that is disposed atop the waveguide shoulder portion, extends along the light propagation direction, and forms a waveguide ridge width, transverse to the light propagation direction, that is narrower than the waveguide shoulder width; and wherein the optical filter comprises; a filter shoulder portion, formed of the optical material, that adjoins the waveguide shoulder portion of at least one of the waveguides, extends along the light propagation direction, and forms a filter shoulder width, transverse to the light propagation direction, that is wider than the waveguide shoulder width. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A laser, comprising:
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first and second reflectors arranged to form an optical cavity therebetween; a gain chip within the optical cavity; an optical filter that attenuates one or more higher order transverse optical modes, wherein the optical filter is within the optical cavity and is optically connected with the gain chip; and waveguides that optically connect the gain chip and the optical filter with the first and second reflectors such that the optical cavity resonates at a resonant wavelength to form the laser; wherein first and second ones of the waveguides that optically connect directly with the optical filter comprise; a shoulder slab, formed of a first material having a first index of refraction and disposed on a second material having a second index of refraction, the first index of refraction being higher than the second index of refraction, each of the first and second ones of the waveguides defining a waveguide shoulder width, and a waveguide ridge, formed of the first material and disposed atop the shoulder slab, wherein dimensions of the waveguide ridge and the shoulder slab of each of the first and second ones of the waveguides are sufficient to guide light of at least a fundamental mode and the higher order transverse optical modes of the resonant wavelength along a direction of beam propagation; and wherein the optical filter comprises; a filter shoulder slab that is; formed of a portion of the first material that extends continuously from the shoulder slab of the first one of the waveguides at a first end of the optical filter, through the filter shoulder slab, and into the shoulder slab of the second one of the waveguides, at a second end of the optical filter; the filter shoulder slab being disposed on the second material and defining a filter shoulder width that is at least twice the waveguide shoulder width, and a filter waveguide ridge that is; disposed atop the shoulder slab; and formed of a portion of the first material that extends continuously from the waveguide ridge of the first one of the waveguides, along the direction of beam propagation into the filter waveguide ridge, through the second end of the optical filter and into the waveguide ridge of the second one of the waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification