METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SELF-ALIGNMENT CONNECTION OF OPTICAL FIBER TO WAVEGUIDE OF PHOTONIC INTEGRATED CIRCUIT

摘要

An optical device comprises a fiber having a cladding and a core, and a target PIC waveguide having a cladding and a core. The cladding on one side of the input fiber is removed at the end of the fiber and a flat surface is created along the fiber core, close to the core, exposing the fiber core. A flat-bottomed channel optionally having an in-plane angle with respect to the symmetric axis of the PIC waveguide is fabricated on the top layer of the PIC waveguide in the coupling area, exposing the upper surface of the optionally tapered planar waveguide. The flat surface of the fiber and the top surface of the waveguide is contacting, so the core of the fiber is intersected at an angle with respect to the symmetric axis of the target waveguide and close together at the intersection as an interacting region to define a hybrid waveguide.