Multi-Axis Graded-Index Photonic Coupling

• US 20160011375A1
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Sean, Li, Weizhuo, Patel, Vipulkumar
• Granted Patent: US 9,411,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12095 Graded
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/121 Channel; buried or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12176 Etching
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12178 Epitaxial growth
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12195 Tapering
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0087 with index gradient
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/124 Geodesic lenses or integrated gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1245 Geodesic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/132 by deposition of thin films
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/136 by etching
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4206 Optical features G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence

Abstract

An optical coupling may involve orienting a waveguide and a lens such that light rays are focused on a surface. The lens may involve the use of a material having a variable refractive index to focus rays of light along first axis and a curved surface to focus the rays of light along a second axis.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

two opposing surfaces, offset by a distance along a first axis;

a third surface that is curved about the first axis; and

a material having a variable refractive index along the first axis, wherein the variable refractive index is configured to focus rays of light along the first axis on an area, and wherein the third surface is configured to focus the rays of light along a second axis on the area, the second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the material is Silicon-Oxynitride (“

SiON”

), and wherein the relative amounts of Oxygen and Nitrogen of the material varies along the first axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the variable refractive index along the first axis is configured to provide a parabolic variable refractive index along the first axis.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the lens is composed of a substantially singular material.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the lens is composed of Silicon-Oxynitride (“

SiON”

), and wherein the relative amounts of Oxygen and Nitrogen in the lens varies along the first axis.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein an optical centerline of the waveguide and an optical centerline of the first axis for the lens are aligned.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein an optical centerline of the waveguide and an optical centerline of the first axis for the lens are offset so as to focus the rays of light on an area of the surface not aligned with either centerline.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the waveguide comprises a taper in a third axis parallel to a direction of the propagation of the rays of light in the waveguide, the taper configured such that a cross sectional area of the waveguide diminishes along the third axis.

11. The system of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of lenses and a plurality of waveguides.

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