Photonic crystal waveguide and directional coupler using the same

• US 6,631,236 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Hirohito
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian
• Application Number:
  US09/819,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20010026668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 385/14, 385/129, 385/130, 385/131, 385/132, 385/123, 385/124, 385/125, 385/27, 385/40, 385/41, 385/42, 385/141
• US Class Current: 385/129
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices

Abstract

The present invention provides a photonic crystal waveguide comprising: a substrate; a bottom cladding layer over the substrate; and a core layer over the bottom cladding layer, the core layer having a uniform distribution of holes, wherein the core layer has at least a waveguide region which is thicker than a remaining region of the core layer to cause a refractive index guide effect, or wherein the core layer has at least a waveguide region, on which a dielectric pattern is provided which has a refractive index higher than a substance in contact with a top surface of the core layer, or wherein the core layer has at least a waveguide region, and the holes except on the waveguide region are filled with an air, whilst the holes on the waveguide regions are filled with a filler material having a refractive index higher than 1.

Claims

1. A photonic crystal waveguide comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom cladding layer over said substrate; and

a core layer over said bottom cladding layer, said core layer having a uniform distribution of holes;

wherein said core layer has at least a waveguide region which is thicker than a remaining region of said core layer to cause a refractive index guide effect.

2. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein said waveguide region has a ridged shape.

3. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of said waveguide region extends in parallel to each other and distanced from each other to form a directional copular.

4. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein said core layer is made of such a photonic crystal material that a wavelength of a light to be propagated through said waveguide region is in the vicinity of a photonic band gap edge of said photonic crystal material in order to utilize an intense dispersion phenomenon.

5. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein said uniform distribution of said holes comprises a two-dimensional periodical array of through holes at a constant pitch between centers of adjacent two of said through holes.

6. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein said uniform distribution of said holes comprises a three-dimensional periodical array of holes at a constant pitch between centers of adjacent two of said through holes.

7. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holes are filled with an air.

8. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a top cladding layer over said core layer.

9. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein a dielectric pattern is provided on said waveguide region, and said dielectric pattern has a refractive index higher than a substance in contact with a top surface of said core layer.

10. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holes except on said waveguide region are filled with an air, whilst said holes on said waveguide regions are filled with a filler material having a refractive index higher than 1.

11. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 10, wherein a dielectric pattern is provided on said waveguide region, and said dielectric pattern has a refractive index higher than a substance in contact with a top surface of said core layer.

38. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holes are filled with an air.

12. A photonic crystal waveguide comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom cladding layer over said substrate; and

a core layer with a uniform thickness over said bottom cladding layer, said core layer having a uniform distribution of holes;

wherein said core layer has at least a waveguide region, on which a dielectric pattern is provided which has a refractive index higher than a substance in contact with a top surface of said core layer.

13. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 12, wherein said substance in contact with said top surface of said core layer is an air, and said refractive index of said dielectric pattern is higher than 1.

14. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a top cladding layer over said core layer, and said top cladding layer is made of the same material as said bottom cladding layer, and said substance in contact with said top surface of said core layer is the same material as said bottom cladding layer, and said refractive index of said dielectric pattern is higher than said top cladding layer.

15. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 12, wherein a plurality of said waveguide region extends in parallel to each other and distanced from each other to form a directional copular.

16. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 12, wherein said core layer is made of such a photonic crystal material that a wavelength of a light to be propagated through said waveguide region is in the vicinity of a photonic band gap edge of said photonic crystal material in order to utilize an intense dispersion phenomenon.

17. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 12, wherein said uniform distribution of said holes comprises a two-dimensional periodical array of through holes at a constant pitch between centers of adjacent two of said through holes.

18. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 12, wherein said uniform distribution of said holes comprises a three-dimensional periodical array of holes at a constant pitch between centers of adjacent two of said through holes.

19. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 12, wherein said holes are filled with an air.

20. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 12, wherein said waveguide region is thicker than a remaining region of said core layer to cause a refractive index guide effect.

21. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 12, wherein said holes except on said waveguide region are filled with an air, whilst said holes on said waveguide regions are filled with a filler material having a refractive index higher than 1.

22. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 21, wherein said waveguide region is thicker than a remaining region of said core layer to cause a refractive index guide effect.

44. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 12, wherein said holes are filled with an air.

23. A photonic crystal waveguide comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom cladding layer over said substrate; and

a core layer with a uniform thickness over said bottom cladding layer, said core layer having a uniform distribution of holes;

wherein said core layer has at least a waveguide region, and said holes except on said waveguide region are filled with an air, whilst said holes on said waveguide regions are filled with a filler material having a refractive index higher than 1.

24. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 23, wherein a plurality of said waveguide region extends in parallel to each other and distanced from each other to form a directional copular.

25. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 23, wherein said core layer is made of such a photonic crystal material that a wavelength of a light to be propagated through said waveguide region is in the vicinity of a photonic band gap edge of said photonic crystal material in order to utilize an intense dispersion phenomenon.

26. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 23, wherein said uniform distribution of said holes comprises a two-dimensional periodical array of through holes at a constant pitch between centers of adjacent two of said through holes.

27. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 23, wherein said uniform distribution of said holes comprises a three-dimensional periodical array of holes at a constant pitch between centers of adjacent two of said through holes.

28. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 23, further comprising a top cladding layer over said core layer.

29. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 23, wherein said filler material has a temperature coefficient which is inverse in sign to a temperature coefficient of a base material of said core layer.

30. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 23, wherein said waveguide region is thicker than a remaining region of said core layer to cause a refractive index guide effect.

31. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 23, wherein a dielectric pattern is provided on said waveguide region, and said dielectric pattern has a refractive index higher than a substance in contact with a top surface of said core layer.

32. The photonic crystal waveguide as claimed in claim 31, wherein said waveguide region is thicker than a remaining region of said core layer to cause a refractive index guide effect.

33. A directional coupler comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom cladding layer over said substrate; and

a photonic crystal core layer over said bottom cladding layer, said core layer having a uniform distribution of holes, and said core layer being made of such a photonic crystal material that a wavelength of a light to be propagated through said waveguide region is in the vicinity of a photonic band gap edge of said photonic crystal material in order to utilize an intense dispersion phenomenon; and

said core layer having a pair of stripe-shaped waveguide regions which extends in parallel to each other,

wherein said stripe-shaped waveguide regions are thicker than a remaining region of said core layer to cause a refractive index guide effect.

34. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 33, wherein said uniform distribution of said holes comprises a two-dimensional periodical array of through holes at a constant pitch between centers of adjacent two of said through holes.

35. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 33, wherein said uniform distribution of said holes comprises a three-dimensional periodical array of holes at a constant pitch between centers of adjacent two of said through holes.

36. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 33, further comprising a top cladding layer over said core layer.

37. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 33, wherein said waveguide region has a ridged shape.

39. A directional coupler comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom cladding layer over said substrate; and

a photonic crystal core layer over said bottom cladding layer, said core layer having a uniform distribution of holes, and said core layer being made of such a photonic crystal material that a wavelength of a light to be propagated through said waveguide region is in the vicinity of a photonic band gap edge of said photonic crystal material in order to utilize an intense dispersion phenomenon; and

said core layer having a pair of stripe-shaped waveguide regions which extends in parallel to each other,

wherein dielectric patterns is provided on said waveguide regions, and said dielectric patterns have a refractive index higher than a substance in contact with a top surface of said core layer.

40. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 39, wherein said substance in contact with said top surface of said core layer is an air, and said refractive index of said dielectric pattern is higher than 1.

41. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 39, further comprising a top cladding layer over said core layer, and said top cladding layer is made of the same material as said bottom cladding layer, and said substance in contact with said top surface of said core layer is the same material as said bottom cladding layer, and said refractive index of said dielectric pattern is higher than said top cladding layer.

42. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 39, wherein said uniform distribution of said holes comprises a two-dimensional periodical array of through holes at a constant pitch between centers of adjacent two of said through holes.

43. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 39, wherein said uniform distribution of said holes comprises a three-dimensional periodical array of holes at a constant pitch between centers of adjacent two of said through holes.

45. A directional coupler comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom cladding layer over said substrate; and

a photonic crystal core layer over said bottom cladding layer, said core layer having a uniform distribution of holes, and said core layer being made of such a photonic crystal material that a wavelength of a light to be propagated through said waveguide region is in the vicinity of a photonic band gap edge of said photonic crystal material in order to utilize an intense dispersion phenomenon; and

said core layer having a pair of stripe-shaped waveguide regions which extends in parallel to each other,

wherein said core layer has at least a waveguide region, and said holes except on said waveguide region are filled with an air, whilst said holes on said waveguide regions are filled with a filler material having a refractive index higher than 1.

46. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 45, wherein said uniform distribution of said holes comprises a two-dimensional periodical array of through holes at a constant pitch between centers of adjacent two of said through holes.

47. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 45, wherein said uniform distribution of said holes comprises a three-dimensional periodical array of holes at a constant pitch between centers of adjacent two of said through holes.

48. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 45, further comprising a top cladding layer over said core layer.

49. The directional coupler as claimed in claim 45, wherein said filler material has a temperature coefficient which is inverse in sign to a temperature coefficient of a base material of said core layer.