Crystalline Turning Mirror for Photonic Integrated Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
The compactness and manufacturing cost of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) devices are hindered by the need to optically couple components of different heights on a mounting surface.
Innovation Solution
An optical device comprising a substrate with a planar surface and an optical waveguide parallel to it, along with a crystalline turning mirror bonded to the surface, featuring a slanted reflecting surface that is oriented to direct light into or out of the waveguide, allowing for efficient light transfer and compact assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If components of different heights are optically coupled on a mounting surface, then light transfer between components is achieved, but device compactness and manufacturing cost are hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension by bonding the turning mirror to the bottom surface of the waveguide, allowing light to be redirected at an angle. This enables components at different heights to be optically coupled without requiring complex lateral alignment mechanisms, thereby improving compactness while maintaining light transfer efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The turning mirror acts as an intermediary element that facilitates optical coupling between components at different heights. By bonding the mirror to the waveguide bottom surface and utilizing its slanted reflecting surface, light is redirected to bridge the height difference, enabling efficient coupling without direct line-of-sight alignment.
2Reliability
If components of different heights are optically coupled on a mounting surface, then light transfer between components is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The turning mirror is bonded directly to the bottom surface of the waveguide, merging two separate components into a single integrated assembly. This eliminates the need for separate mounting structures and complex alignment mechanisms, thereby reducing manufacturing cost while achieving efficient optical coupling between components at different heights.
3Reliability
If a slanted reflecting surface is used to direct light, then light divergence is minimized, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The turning mirror is pre-bonded to the bottom surface of the waveguide at a specific slanted angle during the manufacturing process. This preliminary positioning ensures that the reflecting surface is correctly oriented before the waveguide is assembled with other components, thereby minimizing light divergence while managing manufacturing precision requirements through staged assembly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables efficient light transfer with minimal divergence, allowing for the use of smaller detectors and facilitating mass-assembly processes like flip-chip assembly, thereby improving the compactness and reducing manufacturing costs of PIC devices.
Implementation Method 1
reflecting the emitted light off of a reflecting surface of a crystalline turning mirror bound along a bottom surface thereof to the planar surface, the reflecting surface being slanted relative to the planar surface and oriented to direct the light into or out of the end of the waveguide
Data Source
AI summary
An optical device comprising a substrate having a planar surface and an optical waveguide located on and parallel to the planar surface and having an end located and oriented to emit or receive light propagating substantially parallel to the planar surface. The device also comprises a crystalline turning mirror bound to the planar surface, the crystalline turning mirror having a bottom surface along the planar surface and having a reflecting surface that is slanted relative to said planar surface. The crystalline turning mirror and the substrate are formed of different materials.