Semiconductor optical component utilizing leaky structures to match the mode of rib waveguides to that of the fiber
First Claim
1. A waveguide component having:
- a slab waveguide, the slab waveguide including lateral confinement waveguides, a rib waveguide, and a mode transition section, wherein the rib waveguide and the slab waveguide are adjacent, wherein the rib waveguide is tapered, to provide optical coupling, and wherein the lateral confinement waveguides are provided along the slab waveguide in the mode transition section to confine light from spreading laterally.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A waveguide component has a slab waveguide, a rib waveguide, and a mode transition section where the rib waveguide and the slab waveguide are adjacent, and where the rib waveguide is tapered, to provide optical coupling, and lateral confinement rib waveguides are provided along the slab waveguide in the mode transition section to confine light from spreading laterally. The lateral confinement ribs can be formed in the same step with the same mask as used for the taper, to ensure alignment with the taper. They can be arranged either side of the taper. The lateral confinement ribs are significant for enabling a mode transition section which couples with low loss. In particular, it reduces the need for the taper to be so fine, or the taper to be made in both vertical and horizontal axes, both of which cause fabrication difficulties.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A waveguide component having:
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a slab waveguide, the slab waveguide including lateral confinement waveguides, a rib waveguide, and a mode transition section, wherein the rib waveguide and the slab waveguide are adjacent, wherein the rib waveguide is tapered, to provide optical coupling, and wherein the lateral confinement waveguides are provided along the slab waveguide in the mode transition section to confine light from spreading laterally. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
wherein the slab waveguide has a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the substrate, and wherein the slab waveguide refractive index is lower than a refractive index of the tapered waveguide. -
9. An active waveguide component having the waveguide component of claim 1, wherein the tapered rib waveguide has an active core, coupled to an electrode, the substrate, slab waveguide and tapered rib waveguide having an electrical doping, the waveguide component having a substrate coupled to another electrode.
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10. An integrated waveguide component having an array of optical elements, and interfaces from each component to a respective fiber, or to another component, at least some of the interfaces having the waveguide component of claim 1.
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11. A terminal for a wavelength division multiplexed optical network, having an array of transmitters or receivers each having the waveguide component of claim 1.
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12. A node for an optical network having a number of the integrated waveguide components of claim 10.
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13. A tapered rib waveguide, comprising:
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a substrate;
a slab waveguide horizontally formed on said substrate;
a tapered rib formed on said slab waveguide;
two sets of rib waveguides formed on said slab waveguide longitudinally surrounding said tapered rib along a finite part of the length of said tapered rib and formed in the same fabrication step as said tapered rib. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
wherein said slab waveguide refractive index is lower than a refractive index of said tapered waveguide. -
20. A tapered rib waveguide according to claim 13, wherein said slab waveguide is formed by alternation of different materials having different refractive indexes.
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21. A tapered rib waveguide according to claim 13, wherein the slab waveguide has a core, and
wherein said slab waveguide is formed by forming a set of antiresonance reflecting structure between the substrate and the core of said slab waveguide.
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Specification