Tapered rib fiber coupler for semiconductor optical devices

Patent · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001

OSTI ID:873722

Vawter, Gregory A ^[1]; Smith, Robert Edward ^[1]

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1. Albuquerque, NM

A monolithic tapered rib waveguide for transformation of the spot size of light between a semiconductor optical device and an optical fiber or from the fiber into the optical device. The tapered rib waveguide is integrated into the guiding rib atop a cutoff mesa type semiconductor device such as an expanded mode optical modulator or and expanded mode laser. The tapered rib acts to force the guided light down into the mesa structure of the semiconductor optical device instead of being bound to the interface between the bottom of the guiding rib and the top of the cutoff mesa. The single mode light leaving or entering the output face of the mesa structure then can couple to the optical fiber at coupling losses of 1.0 dB or less.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
• Patent Number(s): US 6229947
• OSTI ID: 873722
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

tapered
rib
fiber
coupler
semiconductor
optical
devices
monolithic
waveguide
transformation
spot
size
light
device
integrated
guiding
atop
cutoff
mesa
type
expanded
mode
modulator
laser
force
guided
structure
bound
interface
bottom
top
single
leaving
entering
output
couple
coupling
losses
db
optical fiber
semiconductor device
single mode
optical device
mode optical
optical devices
rib waveguide
semiconductor optical
spot size
optical modulator
tapered rib
cutoff mesa
mode laser
type semiconductor
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