Device for coupling an optical fiber and a nanophotonic component

• US 8,503,841 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Inventors: Kopp, Christophe, Ben Bakir, Badhise, Bernabe, Stphane
• Primary Examiner(s): LEPISTO, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/997,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20110182548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 385/11, 385/37
• US Class Current: 385/37
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/126 using polarisation effects G02B6/1226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/305 and having an integrated mode-size expanding section, e.g. tapered waveguide

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for coupling an optical fiber and a nanophotonic component formed on a first substrate, wherein the device comprises: an intermediate component formed on a second substrate including a first wave guide adapted for receiving light from the optical fiber and for transmitting the same to a first diffraction grating independently from the polarization of the incident light; second and third diffraction gratings formed on the first substrate and coupled to the nanophotonic component, the first diffraction grating being adapted to provide the first and second light beams respectively towards the second diffraction grating and the third diffraction grating, the first and second beams having perpendicular polarizations.

Claims

1. A device for coupling an optical fiber with a nanophotonic component formed on a first support, the device comprising:

an intermediary component formed on a second support, comprising a first waveguide capable of receiving the light from the optical fiber and transmitting it to a first diffraction grating whatever the polarization of the incident light;

second and third diffraction gratings formed on the first support and coupled to the nanophotonic component,

the first diffraction grating being capable of delivering first and second light beams towards, respectively, the second diffraction grating and the third diffraction grating, the first and second beams having perpendicular polarizations.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second supports-are parallel.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first waveguide is a waveguide of substantially square cross-section.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first waveguide has a cross-section of at least the same order of magnitude as the cross-section of the fiber core.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising an adapter system between the optical fiber and the first waveguide.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein integrated optical processing components are formed on the intermediary component at the level of the first waveguide.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second supports-are separated by a distance ranging between 20 and 150 μ

m.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the distance is between 30 and 70 μ

m.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second supports are attached to each other, with interposed spacers.