Photonic Chip Surface Grating Coupler (SGC)-Based Optical Splitter and Optical Combiner
First Claim
1. An optical device comprising:
- a first optical interface comprising;
a first optical waveguide disposed on a surface of a substrate, wherein the first optical waveguide comprises a first wide middle portion that tapers to a first narrow end along a first direction of light propagation and a second narrow end along a second direction of light propagation opposite to the first direction;
a first diffraction grating disposed at about the first wide middle portion of the first optical waveguide; and
a first optical fiber in optical communication with the first optical waveguide and the first diffraction grating,wherein the first optical fiber is positioned perpendicular to the surface and directed towards the first diffraction grating to cause an incoming light signal from the first optical fiber to split into a first portion and a second portion through a diffraction at the first diffraction grating, andwherein the diffraction causes the first portion to propagate towards the first narrow end along the first direction and the second portion to propagate towards the second narrow end along the second direction.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical device comprising an optical interface comprising an optical waveguide disposed on a surface of a substrate, wherein the optical waveguide comprises a wide middle portion that tapers to two opposite narrow ends along a first direction and a second direction of light propagation opposite to the first direction, a diffraction grating disposed at about the wide middle portion of the optical waveguide, and an optical fiber in optical communication with the optical waveguide and the diffraction grating, wherein the optical fiber is positioned at about perpendicular to the surface and directed towards the diffraction grating to cause an incoming light signal from the optical fiber to split into a first portion and a second portion through a diffraction at the diffraction grating, and wherein the diffraction causes the first portion to propagate along the first direction and the second portion to propagate along the second direction.
30 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. An optical device comprising:
a first optical interface comprising; a first optical waveguide disposed on a surface of a substrate, wherein the first optical waveguide comprises a first wide middle portion that tapers to a first narrow end along a first direction of light propagation and a second narrow end along a second direction of light propagation opposite to the first direction; a first diffraction grating disposed at about the first wide middle portion of the first optical waveguide; and a first optical fiber in optical communication with the first optical waveguide and the first diffraction grating, wherein the first optical fiber is positioned perpendicular to the surface and directed towards the first diffraction grating to cause an incoming light signal from the first optical fiber to split into a first portion and a second portion through a diffraction at the first diffraction grating, and wherein the diffraction causes the first portion to propagate towards the first narrow end along the first direction and the second portion to propagate towards the second narrow end along the second direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 21)
-
12. A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) comprising:
a first optical interface comprising; a first tapered waveguide disposed on a plane of the PIC, wherein the first tapered waveguide comprises a first wide middle portion that tapers to a first narrow end along a first direction of light propagation and a second narrow end along a second direction of light propagation opposite to the first direction; a first diffraction grating disposed at about the first wide middle portion of the first tapered waveguide; and a first out-of-plane optical fiber in optical communication with the first tapered waveguide and the first diffraction grating, wherein the first out-of-plane optical fiber is positioned 90 degrees with respect to the plane and directed towards a surface of the first diffraction grating such that a first light signal propagating along the first direction towards the first diffraction grating and a second light signal propagating along the second direction towards the first diffraction grating are combined and transferred to the first out-of-plane optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 22)
-
16. A method comprising:
-
disposing a tapered optical waveguide on a plane of an integrated circuit, wherein the tapered optical waveguide comprises a wide middle portion that tapers to a first narrow end along a first direction of light propagation and a second narrow end along a second direction of light propagation opposite to the first direction; disposing a surface grating coupler (SGC) at about the wide middle portion of the tapered optical waveguide; and coupling an optical fiber to the SGC such that the optical fiber is oriented 90 degrees with respect to the plane to provide optical couplings between a first light signal propagating through the optical fiber, a second light signal propagating through the tapered optical waveguide in the first direction, and a third light signal propagating through the tapered optical waveguide in the second direction. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 23)
-
-
24. An optical device comprising:
-
a substrate comprising a surface; an optical waveguide disposed on the surface and comprising a wide middle portion that tapers to a first narrow end and a second narrow end; a diffraction grating disposed at about the wide middle portion; and an optical fiber in optical communication with the optical waveguide and the diffraction grating, positioned at an angle that is about perpendicular to the surface, and directed towards the diffraction grating, wherein the diffraction grating is configured to; receive a first input light from the optical fiber; split, through a second-order diffraction, the first input light into a first output light with a first power and a second output light with a second power, wherein a splitting ratio of the first power to the second power is based on the angle; diffract, through the second-order diffraction, the first output light to the first narrow end and the second output light to the second narrow end; receive a second input light from the first narrow end and a third input light from the second narrow end; combine, through the second-order diffraction and with a combining ratio, the second input light and the third input light to create a third output light, wherein the combining ratio is based on the angle; and diffract, through the second-order diffraction, the third output light to the optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (25)
-
Specification