GENERIC WAVEGUIDE COMPONENT FOR PLANAR LIGHTWAVE CIRCUITS

摘要

A waveguide element for a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) provides at least an output of an optical element 13, such as a dielectric mirror, with a tapering waveguide output for greater efficiency of light collection from the optical element. The waveguide element is formed from an arrow-shaped waveguide having a non-tapering input waveguide 21 as a shaft of the arrow-shaped waveguide and a tapering output waveguide 22 as an arrowhead of the arrowshaped waveguide. A slot 24 is formed at a junction of the non-tapering input waveguide 21 and the tapering output waveguide 22 to receive the optical element 13. The fitting of optical components is thereby facilitated and the resultant power efficiency of the coupling is enhanced. This facilitates greater automation in construction as well as larger, more complex optical and optoelectronic integrated circuits. The waveguide element facilitates ease of sub-circuit fabrication, PLC construction, packaging automation, optical power efficiency and optical circuit size up-scaling.