The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Jul. 09, 2019

Filed:

Dec. 22, 2016
Applicants:

Jia Jiang, Kanata, CA;

Eric Bernier, Kanata, CA;

Inventors:

Jia Jiang, Kanata, CA;

Eric Bernier, Kanata, CA;

Assignee:
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G02B 6/30 (2006.01); G02B 6/122 (2006.01); G02B 6/14 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G02B 6/305 (2013.01); G02B 6/1228 (2013.01); G02B 6/14 (2013.01);
Abstract

An optical coupler at an edge of a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is provided and configured to match a mode of a waveguide of the PIC to a mode of an external optical fiber. A core of the waveguide terminates prior to the edge and can include an inverted taper for mode enlargement. The waveguide cladding includes an inverted taper and is surrounded by an outer cladding material of lower refractive index, forming a second waveguide. The cladding and outer cladding cooperate to guide light between the core and the edge while the inverted taper contributes to mode enlargement. The outer cladding material is selected to have a refractive index which facilitates the mode matching to optical fiber. The coupler can be provided using lithography. Material underneath the waveguide cladding can be removed by an undercutting process and the outer cladding material deposited in place thereof.


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