Low loss directional coupling between highly dissimilar optical waveguides for high refractive index integrated photonic circuits
First Claim
1. An integrated circuit physical optical Input/Output (I/O) interface for coupling at least one mode of an optical signal between a waveguide external to the integrated circuit and a high refractive index waveguide internal to the integrated circuit, the physical optical interface comprising:
- a first I/O waveguide adapted to convey an external optical signal near the integrated circuit along an external signal path and having a first effective refractive index, said first I/O wavequide having a first core, said first core having a first bulk refractive index; and
a second waveguide forming part of the integrated circuit and adapted to convey an internal optical signal along an internal signal path, said second waveguide having a second effective refractive index and having a second core having a second bulk refractive index higher than said first bulk refractive index,wherein said second core having a reduced thickness over at least a portion to exhibit a constant effective refractive index that matches said first effective refractive index of said first I/O waveguide over said at least a portion, said second core and said first core being arranged with an overlap there between and a separation distance there between over said at least a portion of said second core to permit tunnel coupling of said at least one mode of said optical signal between said internal signal path and said external signal path.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optocoupler, an optical interconnect and method of manufacture providing same are provided for coupling an optical signal between a high refractive index waveguide of an integrated circuit and a waveguide external to the integrated circuit. The optocoupler includes a thinned high refractive index waveguide having a thickness configured to exhibit an effective refractive index substantially matching a refractive index of the external waveguide.
30 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit physical optical Input/Output (I/O) interface for coupling at least one mode of an optical signal between a waveguide external to the integrated circuit and a high refractive index waveguide internal to the integrated circuit, the physical optical interface comprising:
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a first I/O waveguide adapted to convey an external optical signal near the integrated circuit along an external signal path and having a first effective refractive index, said first I/O wavequide having a first core, said first core having a first bulk refractive index; and a second waveguide forming part of the integrated circuit and adapted to convey an internal optical signal along an internal signal path, said second waveguide having a second effective refractive index and having a second core having a second bulk refractive index higher than said first bulk refractive index, wherein said second core having a reduced thickness over at least a portion to exhibit a constant effective refractive index that matches said first effective refractive index of said first I/O waveguide over said at least a portion, said second core and said first core being arranged with an overlap there between and a separation distance there between over said at least a portion of said second core to permit tunnel coupling of said at least one mode of said optical signal between said internal signal path and said external signal path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An optical signal coupler for coupling at least one mode of an optical signal between at least one first Input/Output (I/O) waveguide and at least one second waveguide forming part of an integrated circuit, each of said at least one first I/O waveguide adapted to convey an external optical signal along an external signal path, said first I/O waveguide having a first effective refractive index and a first core having a first bulk refractive index, each of said at least one second waveguide adapted to convey an internal optical signal along an internal signal path, said at least one second waveguide having a second effective refractive index and a second core having a second bulk refractive index, said second bulk refractive index being higher than said first bulk refractive index, said second core having at least a portion with a reduced thickness to exhibit a constant effective refractive index matching said first effective refractive index of said first I/O waveguide over said at least a portion, said coupler comprising:
at least one alignment structure for positioning said first core of at least one first I/O waveguide with respect to said second core of at least one corresponding second waveguide with an overlap therebetween and a separation distance there between over said at least a portion to permit tunnel coupling of said at least one mode of said optical signal between said external signal path and said internal signal path. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
Specification