Beam turning assembly with polarization splitter

• US 10,641,939 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ayar Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ayar Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Fini, John, Meade, Roy Edward, Van Orden, Derek, Wade, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D
• Application Number:
  US15/982,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20180335558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 35948502, 35948909, 35948911, 359900
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0977 Reflective elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/285 comprising deposited thin solid films G02B5/281 - G02B5/289 take precedence; multilayered film filters for fibre optic multiplexing G02B6/29361
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3083 Birefringent or phase retarding elements G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0006 Coupling light into the fibre in general G02B6/4298
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2706 as bulk elements, i.e. free space arrangements external to a light guide, e.g. polarising beam splitters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2773 Polarisation splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/34 utilising prism or grating G02B6/293 takes precedence

Abstract

A first reflecting region is positioned at an end of an optical fiber and includes a polarization-sensitive reflector configured to selectively reflect a first polarization of light emanating from the optical fiber into a first reflected beam and transmit light that is not of the first polarization. The first reflected beam is directed toward a first optical grating coupler on a chip. A spacer layer is disposed on the first reflecting region such that light transmitted from the first reflecting region enters and passes through the spacer layer. A second reflecting region is disposed on the spacer layer and is configured to reflect light that is incident upon the second reflecting region into a second reflected beam directed toward a second optical grating coupler on the chip. A thickness of the spacer layer is set to control a separation distance between the first reflected beam and the second reflected beam.

Claims

1. An optical beam-turning assembly, comprising:

a first reflecting region positioned at an end of an optical fiber, the first reflecting region including a polarization-sensitive reflector configured to selectively reflect a first polarization of light emanating from the optical fiber into a first reflected beam, the first reflecting region also configured to transmit light emanating from the optical fiber that is not of the first polarization, the first reflected beam directed toward a first optical grating coupler on a chip;

a spacer layer disposed on the first reflecting region such that light transmitted from the first reflecting region enters and passes through the spacer layer; and

a second reflecting region disposed on the spacer layer, the second reflecting region configured to reflect light that is incident upon the second reflecting region into a second reflected beam, the second reflected beam directed toward a second optical grating coupler on the chip,

wherein a thickness of the spacer layer is set to control a separation distance between the first reflected beam and the second reflected beam.

2. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the first reflecting region is formed as a multilayer stack of alternating layers of materials.

3. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the polarization-sensitive reflector of the first reflecting region is a Bragg reflector that includes a stack layered materials.

4. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein the Bragg reflector is configured so that p-polarized light is not reflected by layer interfaces within the Bragg reflector.

5. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the second reflected beam passes through both the spacer layer and the first reflecting region as the second reflected beam travels from the second reflecting region to the second optical grating coupler on the chip.

6. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the second reflected beam passes through the spacer layer as the second reflected beam travels from the second reflecting region to the second optical grating coupler on the chip, and wherein the second reflected beam does not pass through the first reflecting region as the second reflected beam travels from the second reflecting region to the second optical grating coupler on the chip.

7. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the spacer layer is configured to perform a polarization-rotation of light transmitted through the first reflecting region, such that the first reflected beam and the second reflected beam have a substantially same polarization upon reaching the first optical grating coupler and the second optical grating coupler, respectively.

8. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the first optical grating coupler and the second optical grating coupler are parts of physically separate optical components on the chip.

9. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the first optical grating coupler is a single-polarization optical grating coupler.

10. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the first optical grating coupler is counter-propagating relative to the optical fiber.

11. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the first optical grating coupler is s-polarized, and wherein the second optical grating coupler is p-polarized.

12. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein the second optical grating coupler includes a waveguide oriented approximately perpendicular to the waveguide of the first optical grating coupler.

13. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein the second optical grating coupler includes a cross-propagating waveguide.

14. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein a first material layer of the first reflecting region is deposited directly on the end of the optical fiber.

15. The optical beam-turning assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an end-cap connected to the end of the optical fiber at a position between the end of the optical fiber and the first reflecting region, wherein a first material layer of the first reflecting region is deposited directly on the end-cap.

16. A method for turning light from an optical fiber into a chip, comprising:

placing a first reflecting region at an end of the optical fiber, the first reflecting region including a polarization-sensitive reflector configured to selectively reflect a first polarization of light emanating from the optical fiber into a first reflected beam, the first reflecting region also configured to transmit light emanating from the optical fiber that is not of the first polarization, the first reflected beam directed toward a first optical grating coupler on the chip;

placing a spacer layer on the first reflecting region such that light transmitted from the first reflecting region enters and passes through the spacer layer;

placing a second reflecting region on the spacer layer, the second reflecting region configured to reflect light that is incident upon the second reflecting region into a second reflected beam, the second reflected beam directed toward a second optical grating coupler on the chip; and

using a thickness of the spacer layer to control a separation distance between the first reflected beam and the second reflected beam.

17. An optical assembly, comprising:

a base structure configured to receive an optical fiber, the base structure configured to align an axis of a core of the optical fiber in a prescribed direction; and

an angled reflector spatially indexed to the base structure, the angled reflector positioned to receive light from the core of the optical fiber, the angled reflector configured to reflect a first polarization of the received light as a first reflected beam toward a first optical coupling site on a photonic chip, the angled reflector configured to reflect a second polarization of the received light as a second reflected beam toward a second optical coupling site on the photonic chip.

18. The optical assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein the first optical coupling site is a first vertical optical grating coupler, and wherein the second optical coupling site is a second vertical optical grating coupler, wherein the angled reflector is configured to direct the first reflected beam toward the first optical grating coupler at an angle that efficiently couples light from the first reflected beam into the first optical grating coupler, and wherein the angled reflector is configured to direct the second reflected beam toward the second optical grating coupler at an angle that efficiently couples light from the second reflected beam into the second optical grating coupler.

19. The optical assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein a spacing between a center of the first reflected beam and a center of the second reflected beam is within a range extending from about 5 micrometers to about 20 micrometers within a plane where the first reflected beam is incident upon the first optical coupling site and the second reflected beam is incident upon the second optical coupling site.

20. The optical assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein a center of the first reflected beam is separated from a center of the second reflected beam by a beam spacing as measured within a plane of incidence where the first reflected beam is incident upon the first optical coupling site and the second reflected beam is incident upon the second optical coupling site, wherein the beam spacing is greater than a largest mode-field diameter of the first reflected beam and the second reflected beam with the plane of incidence.

21. The optical assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein the angled reflector includes a first reflecting region and a second reflecting region collectively configured so that a portion of light received by the angled reflector from the core of the optical fiber is transmitted through the first reflecting region and is reflected by the second reflecting region, and wherein the first reflecting region includes a polarization-sensitive reflector having a higher reflectance for s-polarization than for p-polarization.

22. The optical assembly as recited in claim 21, wherein the first reflecting region includes a layered structure including layer interfaces approximately satisfying a Brewster condition.

23. The optical assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein the angled reflector includes a multilayer structure, and wherein a layer of the multilayer structure is formed directly on an angle-cut surface of the optical fiber.

24. The optical assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein the base structure includes a v-groove array configured to receive multiple optical fibers in respective v-grooves of the v-groove array, wherein each v-groove of the v-groove array is configured to align an axis of a core of a corresponding optical fiber in the prescribed direction, wherein the optical assembly includes a turning prism connected to the base structure, wherein the angled reflector includes a multilayer structure formed on the turning prism.

25. The optical assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein a total thickness of the angled reflector is less than an outer diameter of the optical fiber.

26. A method for turning light from an optical fiber into a chip, comprising:

intercepting a beam of light emanating from an optical fiber with a first angled reflector, wherein the first angled reflector is configured and oriented to reflect a first polarization of the beam of light into a first reflected beam, such that the first reflected beam is directed toward a first optical coupling site on a photonic chip, and wherein the first angled reflector is configured to allow transmission of a portion of the beam of light that is not of the first polarization through the first angled reflector; and

intercepting the portion of the beam of light that is transmitted through the first angled reflector with a second angled reflector, wherein the second angled reflector is configured and oriented to reflect the portion of the beam of light that is incident upon the second angled reflector into a second reflected beam, such that the second reflected beam is directed toward a second optical coupling site on the photonic chip.