Holographic fiber to waveguide coupler

Claim 1

A device for optically coupling a light-carrying fiber and an optical waveguide in an integrated optical circuit to each other, comprising an optical circuit having an optical waveguide for propagating an optical guided wave, an optical fiber mounted over the waveguide to direct an output beam from an end thereof upon a coupling surface of the optical waveguide, and a hologram positioned in the path of the fiber output beam and in optical communication with the optical waveguide, said hologram having an interference pattern function selected to convert the output light field from the fiber to that of an optical guided wave.

Claim 2

A device for optically coupling a light-carrying fiber and an optical waveguide in an integrated optical circuit to each other, comprising an optical circuit having an optical waveguide for propagating an optical guided wave, an optical fiber mounted over the waveguide to direct an output beam from an end thereof upon a coupling surface of the optical waveguide, and a hologram positioned in the path of the fiber output beam and in optical communication with the optical waveguide, said hologram having an interference pattern function selected to convert the output light field from the fiber to that of an optical guided wave.

Claim 4

A device for optically coupling a light-carrying fiber and an optical waveguide in an integrated optical circuit comprising an optical circuit having an optical waveguide for propagating an optical guided wave, an optical fiber mounted over the optical circuit to direct a beam in the far field upon a surface of the optical waveguide, and a photo-recording material layer interposed between the optical fiber and the surface of the optical waveguide, saiD material having a coupling segment in close adjacency to the optical waveguide to receive a portion of the optical waves propagating therealong, said photo-recording material further being provided with an interference pattern in the coupling segment thereof, said interference pattern formed by light propagating in said optical waveguide interfering with light beam propagating from said optical fiber, to produce a hologram having a conversion function selected to convert the light in the far field propagating from the fiber to that of said optical guided wave.

Claim 5

A device for optically coupling a light-carrying fiber and an optical waveguide in an integrated optical circuit comprising an optical circuit having an optical waveguide for propagating an optical guided wave, an optical fiber mounted over the optical circuit to direct a beam in the far field upon a surface of the optical waveguide, and a photo-recording material layer interposed between the optical fiber and the surface of the optical waveguide, saiD material having a coupling segment in close adjacency to the optical waveguide to receive a portion of the optical waves propagating therealong, said photo-recording material further being provided with an interference pattern in the coupling segment thereof, said interference pattern formed by light propagating in said optical waveguide interfering with light beam propagating from said optical fiber, to produce a hologram having a conversion function selected to convert the light in the far field propagating from the fiber to that of said optical guided wave.

Claim 8

A device for coupling a plurality of light-carrying fibers to an integrated optical circuit comprising an integrated optical circuit having a thin-film optical path for guiding a plurality of optical waves, a plurality of light-carrying fibers mounted on said circuit, with said fibers oriented to direct their beams of light at said thin-film path in the far field, and a hologram material layer interposed between the beams from the fibers and the thin-film path, said layer being provided with an interference pattern established by light propagating in said thin-film path interfering with light in the far field propagating from said fibers, said interference pattern to produce a hologram which transforms the light beams from the fibers into guided waves in said thin-film path.

Claim 9

A device for coupling a plurality of light-carrying fibers to an integrated optical circuit comprising an integrated optical circuit having a thin-film optical path for guiding a plurality of optical waves, a plurality of light-carrying fibers mounted on said circuit, with said fibers oriented to direct their beams of light at said thin-film path in the far field, and a hologram material layer interposed between the beams from the fibers and the thin-film path, said layer being provided with an interference pattern established by light propagating in said thin-film path interfering with light in the far field propagating from said fibers, said interference pattern to produce a hologram which transforms the light beams from the fibers into guided waves in said thin-film path.

Claim 12

A method for forming a device to couple light-carrying fibers to optical waveguides comprising the steps of mounting an optical fiber with its far-field output light beam in light communication relationship with an optical waveguide, placing a photosensitive material layer between the light-carrying fiber to be optically coupled to the waveguide and a coupling surface of the waveguide, said photosensitive material having an interference pattern carrying segment in close proximity with the coupling surface to receive an evanescent portion of light waves propagating along the optical waveguide, launching a first coherent light wave in the waveguide and simultaneously directing a second coherent light wave through the fiber and the photosensitive material layer and its interference pattern carrying segment onto the waveguide to generate a permanent hologram in the photosensitive material upon interference of the output light field from the fiber with the evanescent portion of the light wave in the waveguide, and placing said hologram in the path of the far-field optical fiber beam and in coupling relationship with the optical waveguide, said hologram being effective to convert the optical fiber beam to an optical guided wave in said waveguide.

Claim 13

A method for forming a device to couple light-carrying fibers to optical waveguides comprising the steps of mounting an optical fiber with its far-field output light beam in light communication relationship with an optical waveguide, placing a photosensitive material layer between the light-carrying fiber to be optically coupled to the waveguide and a coupling surface of the waveguide, said photosensitive material having an interference pattern carrying segment in close proximity with the coupling surface to receive an evanescent portion of light waves propagating along the optical waveguide, launching a first coherent light wave in the waveguide and simultaneously directing a second coherent light wave through the fiber and the photosensitive material layer and its interference pattern carrying segment onto the waveguide to generate a permanent hologram in the photosensitive material upon interference of the output light field from the fiber with the evanescent portion of the light wave in the waveguide, and placing said hologram in the path of the far-field optical fiber beam and in coupling relationship with the optical waveguide, said hologram being effective to convert the optical fiber beam to an optical guided wave in said waveguide.