Structure and method for coupling light between dissimilar waveguides

• US 7,082,235 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Gunn, Lawrence Cary III
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick, Edward J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Artman, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US10/242,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20030068152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 385/14, 385 27- 29, 385/43, 385/49, 385/50, 385/122, 385129-132
• US Class Current: 385/28
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12097 Ridge, rib or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12195 Tapering
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1228 Tapered waveguides, e.g. integrated spot-size transformers for coupling with fibres G02B6/305
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/26 Optical coupling means G02B6/36, G02B6/42 take precedence

Abstract

A strip loaded waveguide comprises a slab and a strip, wherein the strip is separated from the slab. Nevertheless, a guiding region is provided for propagating an optical mode and this guiding region extends both within the strip and the slab. A layer of material having an index of refraction lower than that of the strip and the slab may be disposed between and separate the strip and the slab. In one embodiment, the slab comprises a crystalline silicon, the strip comprises polysilicon or crystalline silicon, and the layer of material therebetween comprises silicon dioxide. Such waveguides may be formed on the same substrate with transistors. These waveguides may also be electrically biased to alter the index of refraction and/or absorption of the waveguide.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising integrated optics including a waveguide having a cladding regions that cause light to propagate along a core region of the waveguide, said waveguide comprising:

a microstructure-doped waveguide portion comprised of microstructures in a slab of material, said microstructures disposed in cladding regions of said doped waveguide so as to define a core region in said microstructure-doped waveguide;

an elongate waveguide portion having a core region comprised of elongate transmissive material, said elongate waveguide portion having dimensions such that said elongate waveguide portion supports only a transverse-electric mode,

said waveguide portions optically coupled to propagate light therebetween in a transition region defined by at least one of said elongate transmissive material and said microstructures, said transition region including a core region and a cladding region;

an upper cladding region comprising one or more dielectric materials formed over the microstructure-doped waveguide portion, and the elongate waveguide portion, the upper cladding region confining light propagating through the core region of the waveguide;

one or more electronic components positioned proximate the upper cladding region, wherein the upper cladding region provides electrical isolation for the one or more electrical components;

wherein the upper cladding region confines light propagating through the core region of the waveguide, said confinement being significantly different in said microstructure-doped waveguide portion than in said elongate waveguide portion, said waveguide portions configured such that the strength of said confinement gradually changes through said transition region, said elongate waveguide portion terminating with a taper in said transition region.

2. The waveguide of claim 1, wherein said microstructures have a cross-dimension in said transition region which increases along a direction parallel to said waveguide.

3. The waveguide of claim 1, wherein said microstructures are arranged to provide a crystal band gap waveguide.

4. The waveguide of claim 1, wherein said microstructures are comprised of a medium having a higher index of refraction than said slab.

5. The waveguide of claim 1, wherein said elongate waveguide portion comprises a striploaded waveguide comprising a strip.

6. The waveguide of claim 5, wherein said strip has a tapered width in said transition region.

7. The waveguide of claim 5, wherein said strip has a tapered height in said transition region.

8. The waveguide of claim 1, wherein said elongate waveguide portion comprises a rib waveguide comprising a rib.

9. The waveguide of claim 8, wherein said rib has a tapered width in said transition region.

10. The waveguide of claim 8, wherein rib has a tapered height in said transition region.

11. A method comprising:

forming a first waveguide that supports an optical mode having a first propagation constant by providing material to form a slab and forming a plurality of microstructures in the slab;

patterning the waveguide on a substrate to provide regions having different effective refractive indices;

forming a second waveguide without microstructures having a second propagation constant having a magnitude significantly different than the first propagation constant, said second waveguide being configured to support only a transverse-electric mode;

forming an electrically insulative layer over the first and second waveguides,

positioning one or more electronic components proximate the electrically insulative layer so that the electrically insulative layer provides electrical isolation for the one or more electrical components; and

configuring the waveguides to provide an optical path between the waveguides such that the propagation constant along the optical path gradually changes from one of the propagation constants to the other by at least in part tapering the second waveguide in a transverse dimension.

12. An apparatus comprising integrated optics including a waveguide having a cladding region which causes light to propagate along a core region of the waveguide, said waveguide comprising:

a microstructure-doped waveguide portion comprised of microstructures disposed with respect to a slab of material, said microstructures disposed in a cladding region of said doped waveguide so as to define a core region in said microstructure-doped waveguide;

an elongate waveguide portion having a core region comprised of elongate transmissive material, said elongate waveguide portion comprising a strip-loaded waveguide comprising a strip formed over said slab, said strip and said slab separated by an intermediate layer, said intermediate layer having a lower refractive index than said strip and slab;

said waveguide portions optically coupled to propagate light therebetween in a transition region defined by at least one of said elongate transmissive material and said microstructures, said transition region including a core region and a cladding region;

wherein the cladding region of the waveguide confines light propagating through the core region of the waveguide, said confinement being significantly different in said microstructure-doped waveguide portion than in said elongate waveguide portion, said waveguide portions configured such that the strength of said confinement gradually changes through said transition region, said strip terminating in a symmetrical taper in said transition region;

a dielectric layer formed over the microstructure-doped waveguide portion and the elongate waveguide portion, the dielectric layer forming a cladding for confining light propagating through the waveguide portions and an electrical isolation layer; and

one or more transistors positioned with respect to the dielectric layer such that the dielectric layer provides electrical isolation for the one or more transistors.

13. The waveguide of claim 12, wherein said microstructures comprise posts formed on said slab of material.

14. The waveguide of claim 12, wherein said intermediate layer comprises a silicon-based dielectric.

15. The waveguide of claim 12, wherein said intermediate layer comprises silicon dioxide.

16. An apparatus comprising integrated optics including a waveguide having a cladding region which causes light to propagate along a core region of the waveguide, said waveguide comprising:

a microstructure-doped waveguide portion comprised of microstructures in a slab of material, said microstructures comprised of a medium having a lower index of refraction than said slab, said microstructures disposed in a cladding region of said doped waveguide so as to define a core region in said microstructure-doped waveguide;

an elongate waveguide portion having a core region comprised of elongate transmissive material,

said waveguide portions optically coupled to propagate light therebetween in a transition region defined by at least one of said elongate transmissive material and said microstructures, said transition region including a core region and a cladding region,

wherein the cladding region of the waveguide confines light propagating through the core region of the waveguide, said confinement being significantly different in said microstructure-doped waveguide portion than in said elongate waveguide portion, said waveguide portions configured such that the strength of said confinement gradually changes through said transition region, said elongate waveguide portion terminating with a taper in said transition region;

a dielectric layer formed over the microstructure-doped waveguide portion and the elongate waveguide portion, the dielectric layer confining light propagating through the core region of the waveguide; and

one or more electronic components positioned proximate the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer provides electrically isolation for the one or more electrical components.

17. The waveguide of claim 16, wherein said medium is air.

18. An apparatus comprising integrated optics including a waveguide having a cladding region which causes light to propagate along a core region of the waveguide, said waveguide comprising:

a microstructure-doped waveguide portion comprised of microstructures in a slab of material, said microstructures disposed in a cladding region of said doped waveguide so as to define a core region in said microstructure-doped waveguide; and

an elongate waveguide portion having a core region comprised of elongate transmissive material, said elongate waveguide portion being a channel waveguide comprising a channel,

said waveguide portions optically coupled to propagate light therebetween in a transition region defined by at least one of said elongate transmissive material and said microstructures, said transition region including a core region and a cladding region,

wherein the cladding region of the waveguide confines light propagating through the core region of the waveguide, said confinement being significantly different in said microstructure-doped waveguide portion than in said elongate waveguide portion, said waveguide portions configured such that the strength of said confinement gradually changes through said transition region, said elongate waveguide portion terminating with a taper in said transition region;

a dielectric layer formed over the microstructure-doped waveguide portion and the elongate waveguide portion, the dielectric layer confining light propagating through the core region of the waveguide; and

one or more electronic components positioned proximate the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer provides electrical isolation for the one or more electrical components.

19. The waveguide of claim 18, wherein said channel has a tapered width in said transition region.

20. The waveguide of claim 18, wherein said channel has a tapered height in said transition region.