PHOTONIC CHIP/OPTICAL DEVICE FOR ALIGNING AND CONNECTING AN OPTICAL FIBER AND A PHOTONIC INTEGRATED WAVEGUIDE AND METHOD OF ITS PRODUCTION

摘要

The invention relates to a photonic chip (1) comprising a connecting means for aligning and connecting an optical fiber (7) to a photonic integrated waveguide (4) provided on the photonic chip (1). The photonic chip (1) comprises a substrate (2) and a waveguide layer (3), which is provided on the substrate (2) and which defines the photonic integrated waveguide (4). The photonic integrated waveguide (4) and the optical fiber (7) each have a front end portion (8, 9), each front end portion (8, 9) having an optical axis and a front surface. The connecting means comprises a groove (5) configured to receive a front end portion of the optical fiber (7), in such a way that the front surfaces of the photonic integrated waveguide (4) and the optical fiber (7) are positioned opposite each other and that the optical axes of the photonic integrated waveguide (4) and the optical fiber (7) are essentially aligned with each other. The photonic chip is characterized in that the groove (5) is essentially U-shaped in its cross section, wherein the groove (5) has a bottom surface (11) and two inner side surfaces (10), and wherein at least one of both inner side surfaces (10) of the U-shaped groove (5) has a coating (6) of an elastic material configured to hold in place the optical fiber (7) after it is inserted into the groove (5). The invention further relates to an optical device which comprises a photonic chip (1) and an optical fiber (7), as well as a method or production of such a photonic chip.