Arrangement for converting an optical wave having a small spot width into a wave having a larger spot width

US5153935A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventor

• Gustav Mueller · Munich, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 13, 1991
• Grant date: Oct 6, 1992
• Expiry date: Dec 13, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/262
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An arrangement for converting an optical wave having a small spot width into an optical wave having a larger spot width comprises a first integrated optical waveguide to which a semiconductor component may be coupled and is embedded in a second, larger optical waveguide to which a monomode fiber is to be coupled. The first optical waveguide preferably tapers as it extends into the second waveguide and ends at a distance from the end face of the second waveguide so that a first optical wave in the first waveguide will spread as a consequence of the first optical waveguide becoming thinner until the wave guidance is assumed by the second waveguide. The coupler enables coupling monomode fibers to optical semiconductor components without requiring microlenses for matching the various modes.