Fiber-waveguide Evanescent Coupler
- Detailed Technology Description
- A novel technique was developed for evanescent coupling of an opticalfiber to a waveguide. The technique yields a large alignment tolerance, hence is relativelysimple to implement, and can significantly lower the cost of optoelectronicpackaging.
- Others
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US patent application 14/786,339
- *Abstract
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When fiber is used to transportlight in optical communications, coupling optical fibers to waveguides is an outstanding problem forintegrated optics packaging. The coupling efficiency is extremely sensitive toalignment accuracy because of the mismatch between fiber and waveguide opticalmodes. Commonly used packaging methods require active alignment (continuousmonitoring of optical power) which is expensive and not amenable to massproduction. Other approaches currently in practice involve vertical couplersand complicated lens assemblies to increase alignment tolerance. This drives upthe packaging cost to the point where it currently represents ~80% of the totalcost of an optoelectronic device.
We have developed a novel technique for evanescent coupling of an opticalfiber to a waveguide. The technique yields a large alignment tolerance, hence is relativelysimple to implement, and can significantly lower the cost of optoelectronicpackaging.
This new evanescent coupling scheme has tolerance of over6um, compared to a mere <0.5um tolerance in butt coupling (acommonly adopted coupling scheme), when coupled to a silicon nitride waveguide. Since low alignment tolerance leads to high packaging costs, the evanescent coupler has great potential for cost savings.
- *Licensing
- Patrick Govangpjg26@cornell.edu(607) 254-2330
- Country/Region
- USA
