PLANAR OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE ELEMENT AND ALIGNMENT METHOD FOR THE PLANAR OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE ELEMENT AND OPTICAL FIBER ARRAY

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a planar optical waveguide element having an alignment structure and to provide an alignment method for the planar optical waveguide element with an optical fiber array in a splicing process.;SOLUTION: The planar optical waveguide element includes a plurality of waveguide circuits and at least two straight waveguide circuits fabricated on each side of the plurality of waveguide circuits with the splicing ends parallel to and coplanar with the splicing ends of the plurality of the waveguide circuits. The size and refractive index of the core in the straight waveguide circuits are equal to those of the plurality of waveguide circuits. Further, in the planar optical waveguide element, the speed of splicing the planar optical waveguide element with an optical fiber array can be increased by splicing both using the straight waveguide circuits.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI