Coupling light source to photonic integrated circuit

US11649935B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC · US

Inventors

• Guohua Wei · Redmond, US
• Maik Andre Scheller · Redmond, US
• Karol Constantine Hatzilias · Kenmore, US
• Christopher Yuan Ting Liao · Seattle, US
• Qi Zhang · State College, US
• Joseph S. Corry · Seattle, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 29, 2022
• Grant date: May 16, 2023
• Expiry date: Jul 29, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B2027/0178
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A device includes a light source, a waveguide layer, and a light director layer. The light source emits illumination light. The waveguide layer includes a cladding layer and an optical waveguide. The cladding layer provides a top planar surface of the waveguide layer and the optical waveguide is immersed in the cladding layer and includes a light input coupler. The light director layer includes a bottom planar surface that is disposed on the top planar surface of the waveguide layer. The light director layer also includes a light director that receives and directs the illumination light to the light input coupler as shaped light. The light director is configured to tilt the illumination light to give the shaped light a tilt angle with respect to the light input coupler.