MULTI-CORE OPTICAL FIBER COUPLER

• US 20130051729A1
• Filed: 08/24/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Long, Dong, Po
• Granted Patent: US 8,837,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12104 Mirror; Reflectors or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02042 Multicore optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4214 the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device G02B6/4246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An optical device comprising a multi-core optical fiber coupler. The multi-core optical fiber coupler includes a substrate having a planar surface and turning mirrors located along the planar surface, each of the turning mirrors having a reflective surface oriented to change a direction of light between a direction that is parallel to the planar surface and a direction that is substantially non-parallel to the planar surface. The turning mirrors form a lateral pattern along the planar surface, the lateral pattern being configured to approximately match a pattern of optical cores in a multi-core optical fiber whose end segment faces the pattern and is positioned substantially normal to the planar surface of the substrate.

Claims

1. An optical device, comprising:

a multi-core optical fiber coupler, including;

a substrate having a planar surface; and

turning mirrors located along the planar surface, each of the turning mirrors having a reflective surface oriented to change a direction of light between a direction that is parallel to the planar surface and a direction that is substantially non-parallel to the planar surface, wherein;

the turning mirrors form a lateral pattern along the planar surface, the lateral pattern being configured to approximately match a pattern of optical cores in a multi-core optical fiber whose end segment faces the pattern and is positioned substantially normal to the planar surface of the substrate.

2. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the non-parallel direction is parallel to a normal to the planar surface to within 20 degrees and is directed away from the substrate.

3. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the non-parallel direction is parallel to a normal to planar surface to within 20 degrees and is directed into the substrate.

4. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the pattern formed by the turning mirrors is a grid or hexagonal pattern of the turning mirrors orientated along two perpendicular axes that are parallel to the planar surface.

5. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the pattern formed by the turning mirrors includes adjacent pairs of the turning mirrors that are spaced apart by about a same distance.

6. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the turning mirrors are a continuous part of a material layer of the substrate.

7. The optical device of claim 1, wherein each reflective surface includes a reflective mirror-coating layer.

8. The device of claim 1, further including a plurality of waveguides, wherein one end of each of the waveguides faces and is adjacent to the reflective surface of a corresponding one of the turning mirrors.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of waveguides are located on the planar surface of the substrate.

10. The optical device of claim 8, wherein each of the waveguides has a corresponding planar optical core.

11. A method, comprising:

fabricating a multi-core optical fiber coupler, including;

providing a substrate having a planar surface;

locating turning mirrors on the planar surface, each of the turning mirrors having a reflective surface that is capable of changing a direction of light between a direction that is parallel to the planar surface and a direction that is substantially normal to the planar surface, wherein;

the turning mirrors form a pattern along the planar surface, the pattern configured to match a lateral pattern of optical cores in a multi-core optical fiber having an end facing the pattern of the turning mirrors and having a near by end segment oriented substantially normal to the planar surface of the substrate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein locating the turning mirrors including forming the turning mirrors from a material layer of the substrate.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein forming the turning mirrors from the material layer includes etching the material layer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the etching stops at an etch-stop layer of the substrate that is located below the material layer.

15. The method of claim 11, further including optically coupling one end of each of a plurality of waveguides to the reflective surface of a distinct one of the turning mirrors, wherein the optically coupling further includes aligning a second substrate having the plurality of waveguides located thereon with the substrate such that each of the waveguides has an end facing and optically coupled to a corresponding adjacent one of the turning mirrors.

16. The method of claim 11, further including orienting the multi-core optical fiber substantially normal to the planar surface such that each optical fiber core of the multi-core optical fiber is aligned with one reflective surface of the mirrors.