Waveguide coupler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015008993-A1
Application number	US-201414297717-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 6, 2014
Priority date	Jul 3, 2013
Publication date	Jan 8, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A waveguide coupler comprising: a first coupling portion arranged to couple with a first waveguide and a second coupling portion arranged to couple with a second waveguide so as to connect the first waveguide and the second waveguide together; wherein arranged between the first and second coupling portions is a wave modulation portion arranged to modulate wave signals transferred between the first waveguide and the second waveguide.

First claim

1 . A waveguide coupler comprising:
a first coupling portion arranged to couple with a first waveguide and a second coupling portion arranged to couple with a second waveguide so as to connect the first waveguide and the second waveguide together; wherein arranged between the first and second coupling portions is a wave modulation portion arranged to modulate wave signals transferred between the first waveguide and the second waveguide.

2 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the wave modulation portion is operable to modulate a power of the wave transferred between the first waveguide and the second waveguide.

3 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the first waveguide is a dielectric waveguide or a metallic waveguide; and the second waveguide is another one of a dielectric waveguide or a metallic waveguide.

4 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the waveguide coupler is made of dielectric materials.

5 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the waveguide coupler is made of plastic or thermoplastic material.

6 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the plastic or thermoplastic material comprises polypropylene.

7 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the waveguide coupler is made by injection moulding in a single mould or in multiple moulds.

8 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the first waveguide comprises a first shape or structure; and the second waveguide comprises a second shape or structure.

9 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the first coupling portion comprises a tapered structure arranged to be inserted into the first waveguide with the first shape for transferring wave signals between the first waveguide and the wave modulation portion of the waveguide coupler.

10 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the second coupling portion comprises a structure with the second shape for transferring wave signals between the wave modulation portion of the waveguide coupler and the second waveguide.

11 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the wave modulating portion comprises a curved tapered structure transiting between the tapered structure of the first coupling portion and the structure with the second shape of the second coupling portion.

12 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the wave modulating portion comprises a mode shaper arranged to modulate a first mode field received from the first waveguide to a second mode field adapted for the second waveguide; or to modulate the second mode field received from the second waveguide to the first mode field adapted for the first waveguide.

13 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a waveguide portion arranged between the first portion and the wave modulation portion.

14 . A waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 1 adapted for sub-millimeter wave and terahertz frequency range applications.

15 . A waveguide comprising at least one of the waveguide coupler in accordance with claim 1 .

Assignees

• Univ City Hong Kong

Inventors

• Chu Sai Tak
• Zhou Peng
• Tsui Jacky Ping Yuen

Classifications

• G02B6/262 Primary

  Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements · CPC title

• G02B6/1228 Primary

  Tapered waveguides, e.g. integrated spot-size transformers (for coupling with fibres G02B6/305) · CPC title

• H01P5/082

  Transitions between hollow waveguides of different shape, e.g. between a rectangular and a circular waveguide · CPC title

• G02B2006/12147

  Coupler · CPC title