Nanoprecision Products, Inc.

Cudoquanta Florida, Inc.

Senko Advanced Components, Inc.

Rockley Photonics Limited

Shuhe Li

Robert Ryan Vallance

Michael K Barnoski

Gregory L Klotz

Rand Dannenberg

Matthew Gean

Laurence Ray McColloch

King-Fu Hii

Tewodros Mengesha

Yongsheng Zhao

Haydn Frederick Jones

Chia-Te Chou

Gerald Cois Byrd

Alexander Gondarenko

Albert Benzoni

Alexander Fast

William Vis

David Mccann

To couple light between an optical fiber and a grating coupler of a photonic integrated circuits, a mirror is provided to turn light to/from the optical fiber to allow the axis of the optical fiber to be oriented at small angles or parallel to the surface of the PIC, and lowered close to the surface of the PIC. The mirror is further configured to reshape light from a flat polished optical fiber to produce a mode field resembling the mode field of an angled polished optical fiber, to match the design angle of existing grating couplers that are designed to work with angled polished optical fibers. The mirror and optical fiber alignment structure in the optical connector are integrally/simultaneous formed by precision stamping.

Optical connection of optical fibers to grating couplers

An electro-optical package. In some embodiments, the package includes: a carrier; a first integrated circuit, on the carrier; a first bonding layer, between the carrier and the first integrated circuit; a thermoelectric cooler, on the carrier; a second integrated circuit, on the thermoelectric cooler; and a first wire bond. The first wire bond may connect a first pad, on the first integrated circuit, to a second pad, on the second integrated circuit, the first pad and the second pad having a height difference less than 100 microns.

Electro-optical package and method of fabrication

An optical assembly () for use in a wearable device is provided, the assembly () comprising: a prism (), a photonic integrated chip, PIC (), a substrate layer (), and a lid (); wherein the PIC () is mounted onto the substrate layer (); the prism () comprising: (i) a first input/output surface () optically coupled to the PIC (), and (ii) a second input/output surface () optically coupled to the lid (), the second input/output surface () orientated perpendicularly to the first input/output surface (), and wherein the prism () provides an optical path and reflects a percentage of light from the first input/output surface () to the second input/output surface (). Methods of manufacturing such an optical assembly are also provided.

Optical assemblies comprising a prism

A hermetic optical fiber alignment assembly includes a ferrule portion having a plurality of grooves receiving the end sections of optical fibers, wherein the grooves define the location and orientation of the end sections with respect to the ferrule portion. The assembly includes an integrated optical element for coupling the input/output of an optical fiber to the opto-electronic devices in the opto-electronic module. The optical element can be in the form of a structured reflective surface. The end of the optical fiber is at a defined distance to and aligned with the structured reflective surface. The structured reflective surfaces and the fiber alignment grooves can be formed by stamping.

Hermetic optical fiber alignment assembly having integrated optical element

The present disclosure includes a method of securing a photonic component to a semiconductor chip, the method including forming a thermosonic bond between the semiconductor chip and a cap to fix the cap against the photonic component. The present disclosure also includes an apparatus including a semiconductor chip having a V-groove, an optical fiber in the V-groove, and a cap secured to the semiconductor chip through a bond including a metal bump, wherein the cap fixes the optical fiber in the V-groove.

Thermosonic bonding for securing photonic components

An optical bench subassembly including an integrated photonic device. Optical alignment of the photonic device with the optical bench can be performed outside of an optoelectronic package assembly before attaching thereto. The photonic device is attached to a base of the optical bench, with its optical input/output in optical alignment with the optical output/input of the optical bench. The optical bench supports an array of optical fibers in precise relationship to a structured reflective surface. The photonic device is mounted on a submount to be attached to the optical bench. The photonic device may be actively or passively aligned with the optical bench. After achieving optical alignment, the submount of the photonic device is fixedly attached to the base of the optical bench. The optical bench subassembly may be structured to be hermetically sealed as a hermetic feedthrough, to be hermetically attached to a hermetic optoelectronic package.

Optical bench subassembly having integrated photonic device

A process of making a coupling device for physically and optically coupling an optical fiber to route optical signals to/from optical receiver/transmitter. The coupling device includes a structured reflective surface that functions as an optical element that directs light to/from the input/output ends of the optical fiber by reflection, and an optical fiber retention groove structure that positively receives the optical fiber in a manner with the end of the optical fiber at a defined distance to and aligned with the structured reflective surface. The open structure of the structured reflective surface and fiber retention structure lends itself to mass production processes such as precision stamping. The coupling device can be attached to an optical transmitter and/or receiver, with the structured reflective surface aligned to the light source in the transmitter or to the detector in the receiver, and adapted in an active optical cable.

Coupling device having a structured reflective surface of stamped malleable metal for coupling input/output of an optical fiber

Optoelectronic module assembly having an optical fiber alignment assembly coupled to an optoelectronic device assembly

An expanded beam ferrule includes a first ferrule halve having first reflective surfaces and a second ferrule halve having second reflective surfaces, which together retain optical fibers. The pair of reflective surfaces output collimated light parallel to the mid-plane of the ferrule. An external sleeve aligns the external surface of two similar ferrules, with corresponding second reflective surfaces of the ferrules facing each other. Output light from an optical fiber held in one ferrule is bent twice by the pair of reflective surfaces, with beam divergence after the first bent, and collimation after the second bent. The collimated light is transmitted to the facing second reflective surface in a facing second ferrule aligned by the sleeve, which is subject to optical reshaping in reverse to that undertaken in the first ferrule, so as to converge and focus light to input to the optical fiber held in the other ferrule.

Optical fiber connector ferrule assembly having dual reflective surfaces for beam expansion and expanded beam connector incorporating same

A hermetic optical fiber alignment assembly, including a first ferrule portion having a first surface provided with a plurality of grooves receiving the end sections of optical fibers, wherein the grooves define the location and orientation of the end sections with respect to the first ferrule portion, and a second ferrule portion having a second surface facing the first surface of the first ferrule, wherein the first ferrule portion is attached to the second ferrule portion with the first surface against the second surface, wherein a cavity is defined between the first ferrule portion and the second ferrule portion, wherein the cavity is wider than the grooves, and wherein a suspended section of each optical fiber is suspended in the cavity, and wherein the cavity is sealed with a sealant. The sealant extends around the suspended sections of the optical fibers within the cavity. An aperture is provided in at least one of the first ferrule portion and the second ferrule portion, exposing the cavity, wherein the sealant is feed through the aperture. In another aspect, the hermetic assembly provides optical alignment and a hermetic feedthrough for an opto-electronic module. In a further aspect, the hermetic assembly provides alignment and a terminal for access to an opto-electronic module.

Hermetic optical fiber alignment assembly

An expanded beam ferrule includes a first ferrule halve having reflective surfaces and a second ferrule halve, which together retain optical fibers. The reflective surfaces output light perpendicular to the mid-plane of the ferrule. A sleeve aligns the external surface of two similar ferrules, with the reflective surfaces of the respective ferrules facing each other. Output light from an optical fiber held in the first ferrule is bent and collimated by a reflective surface, transmitted to the facing reflective surface in a second ferrule aligned by the sleeve, which bends the light to input to the optical fiber held in the second ferrule. The ferrule components and/or sleeve are precision formed by high throughput metal stamping. The ferrule is incorporated in an optical fiber connector.

Optical fiber connector ferrule assembly having single reflective surface for beam expansion and expanded beam connector incorporating same

A composite structure includes a base and an auxiliary portion of dissimilar materials. The auxiliary portion is shaped by stamping. As the auxiliary portion is stamped, it interlocks with the base, and at the same time forming a desired structured feature on the auxiliary portion, such as a structured reflective surface, an alignment feature, etc. With this approach, relatively less critical structured features can be shaped on the bulk of the base with less effort to maintain a relatively larger tolerance, while the relatively more critical structured features on the auxiliary portion are more precisely shaped with further considerations to define dimensions, geometries and/or finishes at relatively smaller tolerances. The auxiliary portion may include a composite structure of two dissimilar materials associated with different properties for stamping different structured features.

Stamping to form a composite structure of dissimilar materials having structured features

A ferrule for an optical fiber connector has an external surface for alignment with a complementary surface of an alignment sleeve (i.e., the inside surface of a generally cylindrical or tubular sleeve). The external surface of the ferrule is generally cylindrical, having a sectional contact surface profile that is generally oval in shape. More specifically, a plurality of points of contact between the ferrule and the sleeve are defined along a curve in cross-section, wherein the center of curvature at each of the contact points along this contact point curve (i.e., the curve containing contact points that contribute to alignment) does not lie in the plane of the axis of the array of optical fibers.

Optical fiber connector ferrule having curved external alignment surface

The present invention provides a spring bias that is particularly suited for use to preload a low profile ferrule of an optical connector. In accordance with the present invention, an axial preload is applied to a connector ferrule by a spring structure provided external of the connector. In one embodiment, spring structure is provided outside a plurality of optical fiber connectors, which provides axial preload of multiple ferrules. Each ferrule could be of the type that supports a plurality of optical fibers of a fiber cable. In one embodiment, the spring bias is effected by a planar flexure external of the connector. The ferrule is coupled to the planar flexure with its longitudinal axis through the center of the planar flexure. The planar flexure is structured with flexure members in a plane that are configured to not create any torque load on the ferrule, or if torque loading is present, insignificant torque load to cause misalignment of the ferrule, when the flexure flexes out of its nominal plane to create an axial preload on the ferrule. In another embodiment, a common yoke is applied to bias planar flexures against a plurality of ferrules, wherein a planar flexure is coupled to each ferrule connector. In a further embodiment of the present invention, instead of using planar flexures, a yoke is provided to apply an axial preload to all ferrule connectors coupled to the yoke, by means of a coil spring applied to center of the yoke, external of the ferrule connectors.

Growing community of inventors

Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Shuhe Li