Vertically-tapered optical waveguide and optical spot transformer formed therefrom
US6768855B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 5, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jul 27, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 17, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B6/1228
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical waveguide is disclosed in which a section of the waveguide core is vertically tapered during formation by spin coating by controlling the width of an underlying mesa structure. The optical waveguide can be formed from spin-coatable materials such as polymers, sol-gels and spin-on glasses. The vertically-tapered waveguide section can be used to provide a vertical expansion of an optical mode of light within the optical waveguide. A laterally-tapered section can be added adjacent to the vertically-tapered section to provide for a lateral expansion of the optical mode, thereby forming an optical spot-size transformer for efficient coupling of light between the optical waveguide and a single-mode optical fiber. Such a spot-size transformer can also be added to a III-V semiconductor device by post processing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.