Optical device and method for forming the same

• US 20160139489A1
• Filed: 11/17/2014
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Singapore University Of Technology And Design
• Original Assignee: Singapore University Of Technology And Design
• Inventors: Tan, Dawn, Chen, George F.R., Donnelly, Christine, Wang, Ting
• Granted Patent: US 9,671,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/121 Channel; buried or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1228 Tapered waveguides, e.g. integrated spot-size transformers for coupling with fibres G02B6/305
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/124 Geodesic lenses or integrated gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/125 Bends, branchings or intersections
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/025 in an optical waveguide structure G02F1/017, G02F1/2257 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/353 Frequency conversion, i.e. wherein a light beam is generated with frequency components different from those of the incident light beams
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/354 Third or higher harmonic generation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/365 in an optical waveguide structure G02F1/377, G02F1/395 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/066 channel; buried
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/305 diffraction grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/105 single crystal Si

Abstract

According to embodiments of the present invention, an optical device is provided. The optical device includes a channel waveguide, and a plurality of optical elements arranged along at least a portion of the channel waveguide to interact with light propagating in the channel waveguide, wherein a period of the plurality of optical elements changes nonlinearly along the portion of the channel waveguide. According to further embodiments of the present invention, a method for forming an optical device is also provided.

Claims

1. An optical device comprising:

a channel waveguide; and

a plurality of optical elements arranged along at least a portion of the channel waveguide to interact with light propagating in the channel waveguide, wherein a period of the plurality of optical elements changes nonlinearly along the portion of the channel waveguide.

2. The optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the period of the plurality of optical elements changes as a quadratic function of a distance along the portion of the channel waveguide relative to an origin of the portion of the channel waveguide.

3. The optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical elements are arranged on opposite sides of the channel waveguide.

4. The optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical elements comprise corrugations formed on opposite sidewalls of the channel waveguide.

5. The optical device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the period of the corrugations formed on one sidewall of the channel waveguide is at least substantially similar to the period of the corrugations formed on the opposite sidewall of the channel waveguide.

6. The optical device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the corrugations have a sinusoidal profile or a rectangular profile.

7. The optical device as claimed in claim 4, wherein a depth of the corrugations changes along the portion of the channel waveguide.

8. The optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical elements are arranged spaced apart from opposite sidewalls of the channel waveguide.

9. The optical device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of optical elements comprise cylindrical elements.

10. The optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical elements comprise a plurality of openings defined at least partially through the channel waveguide.

11. The optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical elements define a nonlinearly chirped grating.

12. The optical device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the nonlinearly chirped grating is apodised.

13. The optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical device further comprises:

an additional channel waveguide arranged adjacent to the channel waveguide for coupling light between the channel waveguide and the additional channel waveguide; and

a plurality of additional optical elements arranged along at least a portion of the additional channel waveguide to interact with light propagating in the additional channel waveguide, wherein a period of the plurality of additional optical elements changes nonlinearly along the portion of the additional channel waveguide.

14. The optical device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an overclad arranged over the channel waveguide and the plurality of optical elements.

15. The optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel waveguide comprises a grating coupler or an inverse tapering region at an end region of the channel waveguide.

16. The optical device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a carrier, wherein the channel waveguide is formed on the carrier.

17. A method for forming an optical device, the method comprising:

forming a channel waveguide; and

forming a plurality of optical elements along at least a portion of the channel waveguide, the plurality of optical elements adapted to interact with light propagating in the channel waveguide, wherein a period of the plurality of optical elements changes nonlinearly along the portion of the channel waveguide.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the period of the plurality of optical elements changes as a quadratic function of a distance along the portion of the channel waveguide relative to an origin of the portion of the channel waveguide.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein forming a plurality of optical elements comprises forming corrugations on opposite sidewalls of the channel waveguide.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

forming an additional channel waveguide adjacent to the channel waveguide for coupling light between the channel waveguide and the additional channel waveguide; and

forming a plurality of additional optical elements along at least a portion of the additional channel waveguide, the plurality of additional optical elements adapted to interact with light propagating in the additional channel waveguide, wherein a period of the plurality of additional optical elements changes nonlinearly along the portion of the additional channel waveguide.

21. An optical device comprising:

a channel waveguide; and

a nonlinearly chirped grating defined in at least a portion of the channel waveguide.

22. The optical device as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

an additional channel waveguide arranged adjacent to the channel waveguide for coupling light between the channel waveguide and the additional channel waveguide; and

an additional nonlinearly chirped grating defined in at least a portion of the additional channel waveguide.

23. An optical device comprising:

a channel waveguide comprising opposite corrugated sidewalls along at least a portion of the channel waveguide,

wherein a period of the corrugations of the corrugated sidewalls changes nonlinearly along the portion of the channel waveguide.

24. The optical device as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:

an additional channel waveguide arranged adjacent to the channel waveguide for coupling light between the channel waveguide and the additional channel waveguide,

wherein the additional channel waveguide comprises opposite corrugated sidewalls along at least a portion of the additional channel waveguide, and

wherein a period of the corrugations of the corrugated sidewalls of the additional channel waveguide changes nonlinearly along the portion of the additional channel waveguide.