Apparatus for coupling electromagnetic energy and method of making

• US 7,369,727 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Dasgupta, Samhita, Nielsen, Matthew Christian, Shih, Min-Yi, Ma, Kelvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Assaf; Fayez G.
• Application Number:
  US11/131,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20050249453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 385/43
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12004 Combinations of two or more optical elements
• 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 6/125 Bends, branchings or intersections
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device

Abstract

An electromagnetic coupler comprising: a coupling waveguide adapted for receiving input modes along an input axis, propagating coupling modes along a coupling axis, and transmitting output modes along an output axis, the output axis being not parallel to the coupling axis; and an output waveguide disposed adjacent the coupling waveguide and adapted for receiving the output modes.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic coupler comprising:

a coupling waveguide adapted for receiving input modes along an input axis, propagating coupling modes along a coupling axis, and transmitting output modes along an output axis, said output axis being to not in-plane with said coupling axis;

an output waveguide disposed adjacent said coupling waveguide and adapted for receiving said output modes, and

an active layer disposed adjacent said output waveguide.

2. The coupler of claim 1 wherein at least one of said coupling waveguide and said output waveguide comprises a photonic band gap material.

3. The coupler of claim 1 wherein at least one end of said coupling waveguide is tapered.

4. The coupler of claim 3 wherein at least one end of said coupling waveguide has a widthwise taper.

5. The coupler of claim 4 wherein said coupling waveguide has a taper angle in a range from about 5 degrees to about 10 degrees.

6. The coupler of claim 3 wherein said at least one end of said coupling waveguide has a heightwise taper.

7. The coupler of claim 6 wherein said coupling waveguide has a taper angle of about 45 degrees.

8. The coupler of claim 1 wherein said active layer comprises at least one quantum well.

9. The coupler of claim 8 wherein said quantum well comprises a multilayer quantum well.

10. The coupler of claim 1 wherein said active layer comprises a material exhibiting at least one effect selected from the group consisting of the electro-optic effect, Kerr effect, thermo-optic effect, and acousto-optic effect.

11. The coupler of claim 1 wherein said active layer comprises a material adapted for promoting lasing in coupling waveguide.

12. The coupler of claim 1 further comprising an input waveguide disposed adjacent said coupling waveguide and adapted for transmitting said input modes along said input axis, said input axis being not parallel to said coupling axis.

13. The coupler of claim 12 wherein at least one of said input waveguide, said coupling waveguide, and said output waveguide comprises a photonic band gap material.

14. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the coupler is configured as an active optical modulator and wherein the optical properties of the active layer are modulatable by an actuation means.

15. An electromagnetic coupler comprising:

a coupling waveguide adapted for receiving input modes along an input axis, propagating coupling modes along a coupling axis, and transmitting output modes along an output axis, said output axis being not in-plane with said coupling axis;

an output waveguide disposed adjacent said coupling waveguide and adapted for receiving said output modes; and

an active layer disposed adjacent said output waveguide;

at least one of said coupling waveguide and said output waveguide comprising a photonic band gap material,

at least one end of said coupling waveguide being tapered.

16. The coupler of claim 15 wherein said at least one end of said coupling waveguide has a heightwise taper.

17. The coupler of claim 15 wherein said at least one end of said coupling waveguide has a widthwise taper.

18. The coupler of claim 15 wherein said active layer comprises at least one quantum well.

19. The coupler of claim 15 wherein said active layer comprises a material exhibiting at least one effect selected from the group consisting of the electro-optic effect, Kerr effect, thermo-optic effect, and acousto-optic effect.

20. The coupler of claim 15 wherein said active layer comprises a material adapted for promoting lasing in coupling waveguide.

21. The coupler of claim 15 further comprising an input waveguide disposed adjacent said coupling waveguide and adapted for transmitting said input modes along said input axis, said input axis being not parallel to said coupling axis.

22. The coupler of claim 15, wherein the coupler is configured as an active optical modulator and wherein the optical properties of the active layer are modulatable by an actuation means.

23. A method of making an electromagnetic coupler comprising the acts of:

providing a coupling waveguide adapted for receiving input modes along an input axis, propagating coupling modes along a coupling axis, and transmitting output modes along an output axis, said output axis being not in-plane with said coupling axis;

disposing an output waveguide adjacent said coupling waveguide so as to receive said output modes; and

disposing an active layer adjacent said output waveguide.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein at least one of said coupling waveguide and said output waveguide comprises a photonic band gap material.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising tapering at least one end of said coupling waveguide.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said act of tapering at least one end of said coupling waveguide comprises producing a heightwise taper.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said act of tapering at least one end of said coupling waveguide comprises producing a widthwise taper.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein said active layer comprises at least one quantum well.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said quantum well comprises a multilayer quantum well.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein said active layer comprises a material exhibiting at least one effect selected from the group consisting of the electro-optic effect, Kerr effect, thermo-optic effect, and acousto-optic effect.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein said active layer comprises a material adapted for promoting leasing in coupling waveguide.

32. The method of claim 23 further comprising disposing an input waveguide adjacent said coupling waveguide, said input waveguide being adapted for transmitting said input modes along said input axis, said input axis being not parallel to said coupling axis.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein at least one of said input waveguide, said coupling waveguide, and said output waveguide comprises a photonic band gap material.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein the coupler is configured as an active optical modulator and wherein the optical properties of the active layer are modulatable by an actuation means.

35. A method of making an electromagnetic coupler comprising the acts of:

providing a coupling waveguide adapted for receiving input modes along an input axis, propagating coupling modes along a coupling axis, and transmitting output modes along an output axis, said output axis being not in-plane with said coupling axis;

disposing an output waveguide adjacent said coupling waveguide so as to receive said output modes;

disposing an active layer disposed adjacent said output waveguide; and

tapering at least one end of said coupling waveguide,

at least one of said coupling waveguide and said output waveguide comprising a photonic band gap material.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising disposing an input waveguide adjacent said coupling waveguide, said input waveguide being adapted for transmitting said input modes along said input axis, said input axis being not parallel to said coupling axis.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the coupler is configured as an active optical modulator and wherein the optical properties of the active layer are modulatable by an actuation means.