HIGH EFFICIENCY VERTICAL OPTICAL COUPLER USING SUB-WAVELENGTH HIGH CONTRAST GRATING

摘要

A vertical optical coupler which redirects light transmission in response to the interaction between a sub-wavelength high contrast grating (HCG) having a plurality of spaced apart segments of grating material which is optically coupled to a waveguide. For a selected set of material, grating geometry, gaps and spacing, the light directed at a normal incidence into the optical coupler is angularly displaced in traveling in the optical waveguide, while light directed along the optical waveguide is angularly displaced in being output at normal incidence from the optical coupler. The coupler is integrated into a number of device embodiments, including: a coupler between angularly displaced waveguides, lasers, light emitting diodes (LEDs) and solar cells.

主权项

1. An apparatus for optical coupling, comprising:
a sub-wavelength high contrast grating (HCG) having a plurality of separate spaced apart segments of material with a gap between adjacent segments; and an optical waveguide proximally coupled through a selected gap to said sub-wavelength high contrast grating (HCG); wherein light is coupled between normal incidence on said sub-wavelength high contrast grating (HCG) and transmission through said optical waveguide.