Glass couplers for photonic integrated circuits

Abstract

Described herein are fiber-connection structures for photonic integrated circuits (PICs). These fiber connection structures enable efficient optical coupling between integrated waveguides and corresponding optical fibers by facilitating reliable edge coupling. The fiber-connection designs developed by the inventor improve upon conventional approaches by increasing fan-out fiber capability, coupling efficiency and scalability. A photonic package comprises a substrate, a PIC, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and a glass coupler. The PIC is attached to the substrate and comprises a PIC waveguide having an end adjacent an edge of the PIC. The ASIC is attached to the PIC. The glass coupler is attached to the PIC and comprises a glass waveguide optically coupled to the PIC waveguide.