Silica-on-silicon waveguides and related fabrication methods

• US 8,045,834 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Painter, Oskar, Vahala, Kerry
• Primary Examiner(s): PAK, SUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/436,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20090285542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 385/129
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12038 Glass (SiO2 based materials)
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12119 Bend
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1223 high refractive index type, i.e. high-contrast waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/13 Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2861 using fibre optic delay lines and optical elements associated with them, e.g. for use in signal processing, e.g. filtering delay lines in general H03H, H01P9/00; optical computing devices G06E

Abstract

True time delay silica waveguides and related fabrication methods are disclosed. Also disclosed are true time delay silica waveguides comprising wedged silica structures.

Claims

1. A silica waveguide, comprising:

a first silica waveguide structure;

a second silica waveguide structure;

a silica separation strip separating the first silica waveguide structure from the second silica waveguide structure; and

a silicon pillar supporting the first silica waveguide structure, the second silica waveguide structure, and the silica separation strip,

wherein the first silica waveguide structure and the second silica waveguide structure extend along a curved path, and

wherein the curved path is a spiral path.

2. A silica waveguide having a substantially curved shape, comprising:

a first curved waveguide;

a second curved waveguide; and

a transition section connecting the first curved waveguide with the second curved waveguide,

wherein the first curved waveguide, second curved waveguide, and transition section are wedged silica structures forming a non-resonant silica waveguide.

3. The silica waveguide of claim 2, wherein the first curved waveguide, second curved waveguide, and transition section are embedded wedged silica structures.

4. The silica waveguide of claim 3, wherein the embedded wedged silica structures are embedded in a material having a refractive index higher than air and lower than a refraction index of the silica structures.

5. The silica waveguide of claim 2, wherein the first curved waveguide, second curved waveguide, and transition section are double wedged silica structures.

6. The silica waveguide of claim 2, wherein the silica waveguide is coupled to one or more adiabatic couplers.

7. The silica waveguide of claim 2, wherein the first curved waveguide is a first spiral waveguide and the second curved waveguide is a second spiral waveguide, and wherein the silica waveguide has a substantially spiral shape.

8. The silica waveguide of claim 2, the silica waveguide being arranged in a multiple pattern of vertically coupled silica waveguides.

9. The silica waveguide of claim 2, wherein the transition section comprises an inflection point.

10. The silica waveguide of claim 2, wherein the transition section is connected to the first curved waveguide and the second curved waveguide through adiabatic transitions separated by a single mode waveguide.