US5845022A
Expired / Lapsed
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Double-chirped waveguide grating router with angled ports
Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Ltd
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Filing: 1997-02-14
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Granted: 1998-12-01
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Expires: 2017-02-14
Abstract
Abstract An improved waveguide grating router occupies less physical volume than prior-art designs, and provides a spectral response with substantially one dominant passband, by providing nonlinearly-changing angles between the central axis of a waveguide coupler and each of a plurality of waveguide arms, and by providing waveguide arms having nonlinearly-changing lengths. The router includes a first waveguide coupler, a second waveguide coupler, and a plurality of M waveguides coupled between the first and second waveguide couplers. Each waveguide m has a length L(m) and forms an angle α(m) with respect to the central axis of the second waveguide coupler. The difference in angle (Δα) between any two adjacent waveguides, m and (m-1) is equal to an arbitrary constant j plus (B*m) for each of the waveguides. The difference in length (ΔL) between any two adjacent waveguides, m and (m-1), is equal to an arbitrary constant k plus (A*m) for each of the waveguides. Values of A and B are selected such that, for each of a plurality of waveguides, the transmissivity of a dominant passband selected from a plurality of passbands is enhanced.
Inventors
- 👤 Christopher Richard Doerr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 18:09
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/10; G02B6/12; G02B6/12007; G02B6/12009; G02B6/12011
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
172 words
An apparatus for guiding optical signals, comprising a first waveguide coupler, a second waveguide coupler having a central axis, and a plurality of m waveguides coupled between the first and second waveguide couplers; each of respective m waveguides having a length L(m), such that the difference in length ΔL between any two adjacent waveguides, m and (m-1), is substantially equal to an arbitrary constant k plus (A*m) for each of the waveguides, A representing a real number, wherein the length L(m) of the waveguide arms is a nonlinear function of m; each of respective m waveguides forming an angle α(m) with respect to the central axis of the second waveguide coupler, such that the difference in angle Δα between any two adjacent waveguides, m and (m-1) is substantially equal to an arbitrary constant j plus (B*m) for each of the waveguides, B representing a real number, wherein angle α m is a nonlinear function of m, and whereby the transmissivity of a dominant passband selected from a plurality of passbands is enhanced.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
172 words
An apparatus for guiding optical signals, comprising a first waveguide coupler, a second waveguide coupler having a central axis, and a plurality of m waveguides coupled between the first and second waveguide couplers; each of respective m waveguides having a length L(m), such that the difference in length ΔL between any two adjacent waveguides, m and (m-1), is substantially equal to an arbitrary constant k plus (A*m) for each of the waveguides, A representing a real number, wherein the length L(m) of the waveguide arms is a nonlinear function of m; each of respective m waveguides forming an angle α(m) with respect to the central axis of the second waveguide coupler, such that the difference in angle Δα between any two adjacent waveguides, m and (m-1) is substantially equal to an arbitrary constant j plus (B*m) for each of the waveguides, B representing a real number, wherein angle α m is a nonlinear function of m, and whereby the transmissivity of a dominant passband selected from a plurality of passbands is enhanced.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising first and second output ports coupled to the second waveguide coupler, wherein values for A and B are selected so as to enhance transmissivity of a first dominant passband at the first output port and a second dominant passband at the second output port.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus of claim 2 having a center propagation constant denoted as β c , a grating order ΔLβ c /(2π) wherein ΔL is a constant, and wherein the lengths of respective waveguides is substantially calculated from ##EQU13## wherein g(m) represents an arbitrary function, and "round" represents a function that rounds the value of its argument to an integer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the angular positions of each of respective m waveguides is substantially determined from the following mathematical relationship: ##EQU14## such that Δα represents an arbitrarily-selected constant angular spacing between each of respective waveguides and (ε) is an arbitrary constant.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the focal length of the first output port is determined such that the transmissivity of a dominant passband selected from a plurality of passbands is enhanced.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the focal lengths of the first and second output ports are determined such that the transmissivity of a dominant passband selected from a plurality of passbands is enhanced.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of guiding optical signals including the following steps: (a) providing a first waveguide coupler and a second waveguide coupler, the second waveguide coupler having a central axis; (b) coupling a plurality of m waveguides between the first and second waveguide couplers, each of respective m waveguides having a length L(m), wherein L(m) is a nonlinear function of m; and (c) each of the m respective waveguides forming an angle a(m) with the central axis of the second coupler, wherein α(m) is substantially equal to B*L(m)+C, where B and C are constants.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of guiding optical signals including the following steps: (a) providing a first waveguide coupler and a second waveguide coupler, the second waveguide coupler having a central axis; (b) coupling a plurality of m waveguides between the first and second waveguide couplers, each of respective m waveguides having a length L(m), wherein L(m) is a nonlinear function of m; and (c) each of the m respective waveguides forming an angle a(m) with the central axis of the second coupler, wherein α(m) is substantially equal to B*L(m)+C, where B and C are constants.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5136671A
Cited
US5339157A
Cited
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