Optical Waveguide Component With Inclined-Mirror Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques face challenges in achieving high coupling efficiency between optical waveguides and optical fibers.
Innovation Solution
An optical waveguide component is designed with a first optical connector featuring a mirror on its optical axis that is inclined to reflect light as collimated light, and a second optical connector with similarly inclined mirrors for optical fibers, allowing for improved alignment and coupling efficiency through passive alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional coupling techniques are used between optical waveguide and optical fiber, then the device complexity is low, but the coupling efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
An optical connector is introduced as an intermediary component between the optical waveguide and optical fiber. This connector includes a lens that converts divergent light from the waveguide into collimated light, and a mirror that redirects the collimated light to match the optical axis of the fiber, thereby achieving high coupling efficiency without requiring direct precise alignment between waveguide and fiber
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling system is divided into separate functional modules: the optical waveguide, the optical connector (containing lens and mirror), and the optical fiber. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates passive alignment during assembly, improving coupling efficiency while maintaining manageable device complexity
2Reliability
If direct coupling between optical waveguide and optical fiber is attempted, then the device complexity is low, but light loss increases due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The optical connector acts as a mediator that compensates for alignment deviations. The lens collimates the divergent light from the waveguide core, and the mirror redirects this collimated light to match the fiber's optical axis, ensuring efficient light coupling even when there are slight deviations in the optical axes of the waveguide and fiber
Solution Approach 2:
The optical connector introduces additional spatial dimensions through the lens-mirror arrangement. By converting divergent light into collimated light and redirecting it via the inclined mirror, the system creates a new optical path that decouples the alignment requirements between waveguide and fiber, reducing sensitivity to misalignment and minimizing light loss
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
The design achieves high coupling efficiency and reduced light loss by using collimated light to align and couple optical waveguides and fibers effectively, even with slight deviations in optical axes.
Implementation Method 1
the first mirror has a second optical axis inclined from the first optical axis, and is configured to reflect light incident from the first core as collimated light
Data Source
AI summary
An optical waveguide component includes a substrate having a first principal surface, an optical waveguide provided on the first principal surface and including a first core, and a first optical connector fixed to the first principal surface. The first optical connector includes a first mirror provided on a first optical axis of the first core. The first mirror has a second optical axis inclined from the first optical axis, and is configured to reflect light incident from the first core as collimated light.