Tapered photonic waveguide to optical fiber proximity coupler

• US 10,353,152 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2018
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Budd, Russell A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stahl, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/981,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20180267248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12061 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12147 Coupler
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12004 Combinations of two or more optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1228 Tapered waveguides, e.g. integrated spot-size transformers for coupling with fibres G02B6/305
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/13 Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/245 Removing protective coverings of light guides before coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/305 and having an integrated mode-size expanding section, e.g. tapered waveguide

Abstract

A photonic waveguide structure may include a tapered photonic waveguide structure within a photonic substrate, such that the tapered photonic waveguide structure has a tapered region that progressively tapers in width along a longitudinal length of the tapered photonic waveguide structure. The photonic waveguide structure also includes an optical fiber waveguide having a core region and a cladding region, whereby a portion of the core region is partially exposed by removing a portion of the cladding region. An outer surface of the portion of the core region that is partially exposed is substantially coupled to the tapered photonic waveguide structure. An optical signal propagating along the tapered photonic waveguide structure is coupled from the tapered region of the tapered photonic waveguide structure to the core region of the optical fiber waveguide via the core region that is partially exposed.

Claims

1. A method of forming a photonic waveguide coupling device from a fiber optic ferrule device having a single row of substantially parallel fiber holes for receiving a plurality of optical fibers, the method comprising:

forming a fiber mounting block by removing a top portion of the fiber optic ferrule device, the removed top portion converting the single row of substantially parallel fiber holes into a single row of substantially parallel channels;

placing the plurality of optical fibers having end facets in the single row of substantially parallel channels, the end facets being substantially flush with end portions of the single row of substantially parallel channels; and

polishing the plurality of optical fibers to partially expose core regions of the plurality of optical fibers and generating a downward sloping angle along the length of the core regions towards the end facets,

wherein the partially exposed core regions of the plurality of optical fibers having the downward sloping angle along the length of the core regions towards the end facets provide optical coupling with a plurality of tapered photonic waveguide structures in an integrated circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rotating the fiber mounting block for orienting the partially exposed core regions of the plurality of optical fibers having the downward sloping angle to face the plurality of tapered photonic waveguide structures in the integrated circuit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

aligning the partially exposed core regions of the plurality of optical fibers to the plurality of tapered photonic waveguide structures in the integrated circuit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling the plurality of tapered photonic waveguide structures to the partially exposed core regions of the plurality of optical fibers having the downward sloping angle with a refractive index matching adhesive.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the refractive index matching adhesive comprises a polysiloxane material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the downward sloping angle includes a range of angles between about 1-30 degrees.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical fibers comprise a plurality of single mode fibers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical coupling between the partially exposed core regions of the plurality of optical fibers having the downward sloping angle and the plurality of tapered photonic waveguide structures occurs via an overlapping region between the partially exposed core regions and the plurality of tapered photonic waveguide structures.

9. A method of forming a photonic waveguide coupling device from a fiber optic ferrule device having a single row of substantially parallel fiber holes for receiving a plurality of optical fibers, the method comprising:

forming a fiber mounting block by removing a top portion of the fiber optic ferrule device, the removed top portion converting the single row of substantially parallel fiber holes into a single row of substantially parallel channels;

placing the plurality of optical fibers having end facets in the single row of substantially parallel channels, the end facets being substantially flush with end portions of the single row of substantially parallel channels; and

polishing the plurality of optical fibers to partially expose core regions of the plurality of optical fibers.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

rotating the fiber mounting block for orienting the partially exposed core regions of the plurality of optical fibers to face a plurality of tapered photonic waveguide structures in an integrated circuit.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

aligning the partially exposed core regions of the plurality of optical fibers to a plurality of tapered photonic waveguide structures in an integrated circuit.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

coupling a plurality of tapered photonic waveguide structures to the partially exposed core regions of the plurality of optical fibers with a refractive index matching adhesive.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the refractive index matching adhesive comprises a polysiloxane material.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the partially exposed core regions of the plurality of optical fibers comprise a downward sloping angle along the length of the core regions towards the end facets.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the downward sloping angle includes a range of angles between about 1-30 degrees.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of optical fibers comprise a plurality of single mode fibers.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the optical coupling between the partially exposed core regions of the plurality of optical fibers and a plurality of tapered photonic waveguide structures occurs via an overlapping region between the partially exposed core regions and the plurality of tapered photonic waveguide structures.