US 11,988,880 B2
Optical coupling system and optical communication device
Yukito Saitoh, Minamiashigara (JP); Katsumi Sasata, Minamiashigara (JP); and Hiroshi Sato, Minamiashigara (JP)
Assigned to FUJIFILM Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by FUJIFILM Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Aug. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/886,535.
Application 17/886,535 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2021/004771, filed on Feb. 9, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-023146 (JP), filed on Feb. 14, 2020; and application No. 2020-161284 (JP), filed on Sep. 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0382000 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. G02B 6/42 (2006.01); H04B 10/50 (2013.01)
CPC G02B 6/4213 (2013.01) [H04B 10/501 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical coupling system comprising:
a λ/4 plate;
a liquid crystal optical element; and
a photonic device having a plurality of photonic chips,
wherein the optical coupling system couples an optical fiber to the photonic device,
each of the plurality of photonic chips includes a grating coupler,
the liquid crystal optical element separates light incident from the optical fiber and emits light in different directions, and
each of light components separated by the liquid crystal optical element is incident into the grating coupler of the corresponding photonic chip,
the λ/4 plate, the liquid crystal optical element, and the photonic device are arranged in this order,
the λ/4 plate converts linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light with opposite turning directions when orthogonal linearly polarized light is incident, and
the liquid crystal optical element separates light depending on rotation direction of circularly polarized light.