Coupler and optical waveguide chip applying the coupler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9971098-B2
Application number	US-201715467044-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A coupler and a waveguide chip including the coupler are provided. The coupler connects a first optical waveguide to a second optical waveguide and includes an entity region and a first waveguide grating. A first end of the entity region is coupled to the first optical waveguide. A second end of the entity region is coupled to a second end of the first waveguide grating. A first end of the first waveguide grating is coupled to the second optical waveguide. Size of the first end of the entity region matches size of an end plane of the first optical waveguide, size of an end plane of the second end of the entity region matches size of an end plane of the second end of the first waveguide grating, and size of the first end of the first waveguide grating matches size of an end plane of the second waveguide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coupler for connecting a first optical waveguide to a second optical waveguide, the coupler comprising:
an entity region, comprising:
a first end of the entity region configured to be coupled to a first optical waveguide,
a second end of the entity region, and
width of the entity region gradually changes from the first end of the entity region to the second end of the entity region; and

a first waveguide grating, comprising:
a first end of the first waveguide grating configured to be coupled to a second optical waveguide, wherein the first end of the first waveguide grating is parallel to a grating plane of each grating period of the first waveguide grating; and
a second end of the first waveguide grating coupled to the second end of the entity region.

2. The coupler according to claim 1 , wherein:
a first size difference between the first end of the entity region and an end plane of the first optical waveguide is within a first preset range;
a second size difference between the second end of the entity region and the second end of the first waveguide grating is within a second preset range; and
a third size difference between the first end of the first waveguide grating and an end plane of the second optical waveguide is within a third preset range.

3. The coupler according to claim 1 , wherein:
when the second optical waveguide is a round fiber, width of the first end of the first waveguide grating is the same as a diameter of the round fiber.

4. The coupler according to claim 1 , wherein:
the width of the entity region renders a linear gradient from the first end of the entity region to the second end of the entity region.

5. The coupler according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first waveguide grating comprises one or more grating periods; and
each grating period of the first waveguide grating comprises a gap region and a core region; and
a length ratio between the core region and the gap region in each grating period of the first waveguide grating gradually changes from the first end of the first waveguide grating to the second end of the first waveguide grating.

6. The coupler according to claim 5 , wherein:
the length ratio between the core region and the gap region in each grating period of the first waveguide grating renders a linear gradient from the first end of the first waveguide grating to the second end of the first waveguide grating.

7. The coupler according to claim 5 , wherein:
the length ratio between the core region and the gap region in each grating period of the first waveguide grating increases from the first end of the first waveguide grating to the second end of the first waveguide grating.

8. The coupler according to claim 5 , wherein:
the gap region in each grating period of the first waveguide grating comprises a uniform light medium; and
the core region in each grating period of the first waveguide grating comprises a core layer and a cladding enclosing the core layer.

9. The coupler according to claim 5 , wherein length of each grating period of the first waveguide grating is equal.

10. The coupler according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a second waveguide grating disposed between the first end of the first waveguide grating and the second optical waveguide, wherein:
the second waveguide grating comprises one or more grating periods, and
each grating period of the second waveguide grating comprises a gap region and a core region.

11. The coupler according to claim 10 , wherein:
length of each grating period of the second waveguide grating is equal, and
length of the core region and the gap region in each grating period of the second waveguide grating is equal.

12. The coupler according to claim 10 , wherein:
length of the second waveguide grating is longer than or equal to a maximum error range of precision of a grating grinding process.

13. The coupler according to claim 10 , wherein:
thickness of the entity region, the first waveguide grating, and the second waveguide grating is equal to thickness of the first optical waveguide.

14. The coupler according to claim 1 , wherein the first waveguide grating is a Bragg grating.

15. An optical waveguide chip, comprising:
a coupler configured to connect a first optical waveguide to a second optical waveguide, the coupler comprising:
an entity region, comprising:
a first end of the entity region configured to be coupled to a first optical waveguide,
a second end of the entity region, and
width of the entity region gradually changes from the first end of the entity region to the second end of the entity region; and

a first waveguide grating, comprising:
a first end of the first waveguide grating configured to be coupled to the second optical waveguide, wherein the first end of the first waveguide grating is parallel to a grating plane of each grating period of the first waveguide grating, and
a second end of the first waveguide grating coupled to the second end of the entity region.

16. The optical waveguide chip according to claim 15 , wherein:
a first size difference between the first end of the entity region and an end plane of the first optical waveguide is within a first preset range;
a second size difference between the second end of the entity region and the second end of the first waveguide grating is within a second preset range; and
a third size difference between the first end of the first waveguide grating and an end plane of the second optical waveguide is within a third preset range.

17. The optical waveguide chip according to claim 15 , wherein:
when the second optical waveguide is a round fiber, width of the first end of the first waveguide grating is the same as a diameter of the round fiber.

18. The optical waveguide chip according to claim 15 , wherein:
the width of the entity region renders a linear gradient from the first end of the entity region to the second end of the entity region.

19. The optical waveguide chip according to claim 15 , wherein:
the first waveguide grating comprises one or more grating periods;
each grating period of the first waveguide grating comprises a gap region and a core region; and
a length ratio between the core region and the gap region in each grating period of the first waveguide grating gradually changes from the first end of the first waveguide grating to the second end of the first waveguide grating.

20. The optical waveguide chip according to claim 19 , wherein:
the length ratio between the core region and the gap region in each grating period of the first waveguide grating renders a linear gradient from the first end of the first waveguide grating to the second end of the first waveguide grating.

21. The optical waveguide chip according to claim 19 , wherein:
the length ratio between the core region and the gap region in each grating period of the first waveguide grating increases from the first end of the first waveguide grating to the second end of the first waveguide grating.

22. The optical waveguide chip according to claim 19 , wherein:
the gap region in each grating period of the first waveguide grating comprises a uniform light medium; and
the core region in each grating period of the first waveguide grating comprises a core layer and a cladding enclosing the core layer.

23. The optical waveguide chip according to claim 19 , wherein the coupler further comprises:
a second waveguide grating disposed between th

Assignees

• Hisense Broadband Multimedia Technology Co Ltd
• Hisense Usa Corp
• Hisense Int Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Hua

Classifications

• G02B6/305

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

• G02B6/124

  Geodesic lenses or integrated gratings · CPC title

• G02B6/34 Primary

  utilising prism or grating {(G02B6/293 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G02B6/30

  for use between fibre and thin-film device · CPC title