Optical beam steering with directionality provided by switched grating couplers
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A structure comprising:
- an input waveguide;
a first grating coupler including a first plurality of grating structures spaced with a first pitch along a first axis;
a second grating coupler including a second plurality of grating structures spaced with a second pitch along a second axis;
a first optical switch coupled to the first grating coupler and to the second grating coupler, the first optical switch configured to select between the first grating coupler and the second grating coupler for optical signal routing; and
a second optical switch located between the input waveguide and the first optical switch, the second optical switch coupled to the first optical switch,wherein the second axis of the second grating coupler is aligned nonparallel to the first axis of the first grating coupler.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Structures providing optical beam steering and methods of fabricating such structures. A first grating coupler has a first plurality of grating structures spaced with a first pitch along a first axis. A second grating coupler has a second plurality of grating structures spaced with a second pitch along a second axis. An optical switch is coupled to the first grating coupler and to the second grating coupler. The optical switch is configured to select between the first grating coupler and the second grating coupler for optical signal routing. The second axis of the second grating coupler is aligned nonparallel to the first axis of the first grating coupler.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A structure comprising:
-
an input waveguide; a first grating coupler including a first plurality of grating structures spaced with a first pitch along a first axis; a second grating coupler including a second plurality of grating structures spaced with a second pitch along a second axis; a first optical switch coupled to the first grating coupler and to the second grating coupler, the first optical switch configured to select between the first grating coupler and the second grating coupler for optical signal routing; and a second optical switch located between the input waveguide and the first optical switch, the second optical switch coupled to the first optical switch, wherein the second axis of the second grating coupler is aligned nonparallel to the first axis of the first grating coupler. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19)
-
-
8. A structure comprising:
-
a first grating coupler including a first plurality of grating structures spaced with a first pitch along a first axis; a second grating coupler including a second plurality of grating structures spaced with a second pitch along a second axis; an optical switch coupled to the first grating coupler and to the second grating coupler, the optical switch configured to select between the first grating coupler and the second grating coupler for optical signal routing; and an active layer arranged over the first plurality of grating structures, the active layer comprised of a tunable material having a temperature-dependent index of refraction, wherein the second axis of the second grating coupler is aligned nonparallel to the first axis of the first grating coupler. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 20)
-
-
15. A method comprising:
-
forming an input waveguide; forming a first grating coupler having a first plurality of grating structures spaced with a first pitch along a first axis; forming a second grating coupler having a second plurality of grating structures spaced with a second pitch along a second axis; forming a first optical switch coupled to the first grating coupler and the second grating coupler; forming a second optical switch located in an optical path between the input waveguide and the first optical switch; and forming a third grating coupler coupled to the second optical switch, wherein the second optical switch is coupled to the first optical switch, and the second axis of the second grating coupler is aligned nonparallel to the first axis of the first grating coupler. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
-
Specification