US 11,988,872 B2
Optical waveguide coupling using fabricated waveguide coupling structures
Kelvin Prosyk, Luskville (CA); and Ronald Richard Millett, Ottawa (CA)
Assigned to Ciena Corporation, Hanover, MD (US)
Filed by Ciena Corporation, Hanover, MD (US)
Filed on Nov. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/536,392.
Prior Publication US 2023/0168430 A1, Jun. 1, 2023
Int. Cl. G02B 6/26 (2006.01); G02B 6/02 (2006.01); G02B 6/136 (2006.01); G02B 6/14 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 6/26 (2013.01) [G02B 6/02 (2013.01); G02B 6/136 (2013.01); G02B 6/14 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An article of manufacture, comprising:
a first waveguide structure supporting a first optical mode coupled to a waveguide coupling structure, the first waveguide structure comprising
a first guiding core structure formed on a first cladding structure, and
a second cladding structure formed on the first guiding core structure,
where the first waveguide structure has a guiding ridge of a first width; and
a second waveguide structure supporting a second optical mode coupled to the waveguide coupling structure, the second waveguide structure comprising
a second guiding core structure formed on a third cladding structure, and
a fourth cladding structure formed on the second guiding core structure,
where the second waveguide structure has a guiding ridge of a second width;
where the waveguide coupling structure comprises
a transition structure having a third width larger than the first width and larger than the second width, and
a multimode interference structure between the transition structure and the second waveguide structure having a width larger than the second width and smaller than the third width;
where the first waveguide structure includes a first aperture notch on a first side of the first waveguide structure and a second aperture notch on a second side of the first waveguide structure to provide a narrower aperture in a proximal portion of first waveguide structure that is narrower than a distal portion of the first waveguide structure without aperture notches;
where the proximal portion of the first waveguide structure is closer in proximity to the transition structure than the distal portion of the first waveguide structure; and
where each of the first and second aperture notches is etched from a top of the second cladding structure, through a portion of the first guiding core structure, and into a portion of the first cladding structure.