Adiabatically coupled optical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10132997-B2
Application number	US-201715596958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2017
Priority date	May 16, 2016
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

An optical system includes a silicon (Si) substrate, a buried oxide (BOX) layer formed on the substrate, a silicon nitride (SiN) layer formed above the BOX layer, and a SiN waveguide formed in the SiN layer. In some embodiments, the optical system may additionally include an interposer waveguide adiabatically coupled to the SiN waveguide to form a SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler that includes at least the tapered section of the SiN waveguide, the optical system further including at least one of: a cavity formed in the Si substrate at least beneath the SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler or an oxide overlay formed between a top of a SiN core of the SiN waveguide and a bottom of the interposer waveguide. Alternatively or additionally, the optical system may additionally include a multimode Si—SiN adiabatic coupler that includes a SiN taper of a SiN waveguide and a Si taper of a Si waveguide.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical system comprising:
a silicon (Si) substrate;
a buried oxide (BOX) layer formed on the Si substrate;
a silicon nitride (SiN) waveguide layer formed above the BOX layer;
a SiN waveguide formed in the SiN waveguide layer, the SiN waveguide including a tapered section;
an interposer waveguide adiabatically coupled to the SiN waveguide to form a SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler that includes at least the tapered section of the SiN waveguide;
a cavity formed in the Si substrate at least beneath the SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler;
a Si waveguide layer formed above the BOX layer and below the SiN waveguide layer; and
a multimode Si waveguide formed in the Si waveguide layer, the multimode Si waveguide including a Si taper with a tip width greater than or equal to 100 nanometers (nm);
wherein:
the multimode Si waveguide is adiabatically coupled to a multimode SiN waveguide formed in the SiN waveguide layer; and
the multimode SiN waveguide includes a SiN taper that does not overlap the Si taper.

2. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein a width of the cavity formed in the Si substrate is at least 20 μm.

3. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising a low index material backfilled into the cavity formed in the Si substrate.

4. The optical system of claim 3 , wherein the low index material has an index of refraction between 1.4 and 1.6.

5. The optical system of claim 3 , wherein the low index material comprises epoxy.

6. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein a length of the cavity formed in the Si substrate is on an order of an interaction length of the SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler.

7. The optical system of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of remaining Si substrate in a light propagation direction between an end of the cavity and an edge of the Si substrate is at least 250 micrometers.

8. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of SiN-interposer adiabatic couplers that includes the SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler, wherein the cavity is formed in the Si substrate at least beneath two of the plurality of SiN-interposer adiabatic couplers.

9. The optical system of claim 8 , wherein a width of the cavity is less than 1 millimeter.

10. The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising an oxide overlay formed between a top of a SiN core of the SiN waveguide and a bottom of the interposer waveguide.

11. An optical system comprising:
a silicon (Si) substrate;
a buried oxide (BOX) layer formed on the Si substrate;
a silicon nitride (SiN) waveguide layer formed above the BOX layer;
a SiN waveguide formed in the SiN waveguide layer, the SiN waveguide including a tapered section;
an interposer waveguide adiabatically coupled to the SiN waveguide to form a SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler that includes at least the tapered section of the SiN waveguide; and
a cavity formed in the Si substrate at least beneath the SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler, wherein a thickness of remaining Si substrate in a light propagation direction between an end of the cavity and an edge of the Si substrate is at least 250 micrometers.

12. The optical system of claim 11 , wherein a width of the cavity formed in the Si substrate is at least 20 μm.

13. The optical system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a Si waveguide layer formed above the BOX layer and below the SiN waveguide layer; and
a multimode Si waveguide formed in the Si waveguide layer, the multimode Si waveguide including a Si taper with a tip width greater than or equal to 100 nanometers (nm);
wherein:
the multimode Si waveguide is adiabatically coupled to a multimode SiN waveguide formed in the SiN waveguide layer; and
the multimode SiN waveguide includes a SiN taper that does not overlap the Si taper.

14. The optical system of claim 11 , wherein a length in the light propagation direction of the cavity formed in the Si substrate is on an order of an interaction length of the SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler.

15. The optical system of claim 11 , further comprising a low index material backfilled into the cavity formed in the Si substrate, wherein the low index material comprises epoxy and has an index of refraction between 1.4 and 1.6.

16. An optical system comprising:
a silicon (Si) substrate;
a buried oxide (BOX) layer formed on the Si substrate;
a silicon nitride (SiN) waveguide layer formed above the BOX layer;
a SiN waveguide formed in the SiN waveguide layer, the SiN waveguide including a tapered section;
an interposer waveguide adiabatically coupled to the SiN waveguide to form a SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler that includes at least the tapered section of the SiN waveguide; and
a cavity formed in the Si substrate at least beneath the SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler, wherein the cavity extends vertically downward from a bottom of the BOX layer through the Si substrate.

17. The optical system of claim 16 , wherein a length of the cavity formed in the Si substrate is on an order of an interaction length of the SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler and is at least 1.3 millimeters.

18. The optical system of claim 16 , further comprising:
a Si waveguide layer formed above the BOX layer and below the SiN waveguide layer; and
a multimode Si waveguide formed in the Si waveguide layer, the multimode Si waveguide including a Si taper with a tip width greater than or equal to 100 nanometers (nm);
wherein:
the multimode Si waveguide is adiabatically coupled to a multimode SiN waveguide formed in the SiN waveguide layer; and
the multimode SiN waveguide includes a SiN taper that does not overlap the Si taper.

19. The optical system of claim 16 , wherein a width of the cavity formed in the Si substrate is at least 20 μm.

20. The optical system of claim 16 , wherein a thickness of remaining Si substrate in a light propagation direction between an end of the cavity and an edge of the Si substrate is at least 250 micrometers.

Assignees

• Finisar Corp

Inventors

• Mahgerefteh Daniel
• Park Bryan

Classifications

• G02B2006/1209

  Multimode · CPC title

• G02B6/2726

  in or on light guides, e.g. polarisation means assembled in a light guide · CPC title

• G02B2006/12147

  Coupler · CPC title

• G02B6/125 Primary

  Bends, branchings or intersections · CPC title

• G02B6/305

  and having an integrated mode-size expanding section, e.g. tapered waveguide · CPC title