Multichannel Optical Coupler Array With Vanishing Core Waveguides
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical couplers face challenges in interfacing dissimilar NA waveguide devices with channel spacing less than the diameter of conventional fibers, leading to increased insertion losses and decreased coupling coefficients, particularly in multichannel applications where precise positioning and low back reflection are critical.
Innovation Solution
A multichannel optical coupler array with a common housing structure featuring vanishing core waveguides, where the refractive indices and core sizes are optimized to reduce back reflection and improve coupling efficiency, allowing for adjustable channel spacing and precise positioning of waveguides to match different optical devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional optical fibers are used with standard channel spacing, then manufacturing and alignment are easier, but coupling efficiency decreases when interfacing with dissimilar NA waveguide devices having smaller channel spacing
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler array is divided into multiple independent waveguide channels, each capable of coupling to individual optical fibers or waveguide interfaces. This segmentation allows each channel to be optimized for its specific coupling requirements while maintaining overall system functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Each waveguide channel in the coupler array has locally optimized parameters including numerical aperture (NA), core size, and spacing tailored to match the specific requirements of the connected optical devices. This local optimization enables efficient coupling across channels with different specifications without compromising other channels.
2Loss of energy
If channel spacing is reduced to match dissimilar waveguide devices, then coupling coefficient improves, but positioning precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The waveguides are pre-positioned and pre-aligned during fabrication with precise control over their spatial arrangement. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the coupler array is assembled and connected to optical devices, the coupling interfaces are already optimized, reducing the need for post-fabricration adjustment and meeting tight positioning requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupler array incorporates waveguides with variable parameters including different numerical apertures, core diameters, and spacing between channels. These parameter changes are designed into the fabrication process, allowing the array to adapt to different optical device specifications while maintaining precise positioning through controlled manufacturing variations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multichannel coupler array is designed with varying channel spacing, then adaptability to different optical devices improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler array is designed as a universal interface that can connect to multiple types of optical devices with different specifications through its multi-channel waveguide structure. Each channel can be configured to match different NA, core size, and spacing requirements, allowing a single device to serve multiple coupling applications without requiring separate specialized couplers for each device type.
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 solution enhances optical coupling efficiency, reduces back reflection, and facilitates easy alignment between optical fibers and devices, even with small channel spacings, thereby improving the performance of multichannel optical couplers in telecommunications and sensing applications.
Implementation Method 1
each said at least one vanishing core waveguide comprising: an inner vanishing core, having a first refractive index (N-1)... an outer core, longitudinally surrounding said inner core, having a second refractive index (N-2)... wherein a relative magnitude relationship between said first, second, and third refractive indices (N-1, N-2, and N-3, respectively), comprises the following magnitude relationship: (N-1>N-2>N-3)
Implementation Method 2
each having a capacity for at least one optical mode of a predetermined mode field profile
Data Source
AI summary
The optical fiber coupler array can be capable of providing a low-loss, high-coupling coefficient interface with high accuracy and easy alignment between a plurality of optical fibers (or other optical devices) with a first channel-to-channel spacing, and an optical device having a plurality of closely-spaced waveguide interfaces with a second channel-to-channel spacing, where each end of the optical fiber coupler array can be configurable to have different channel-to-channel spacing, each matched to a corresponding one of the first and second channel-to-channel spacing. Advantageously, the refractive indices and sizes of both inner and outer core, and/or other characteristics of vanishing core waveguides in the optical coupler array can be configured to reduce the back reflection for light propagating from the plurality of the optical fibers at the coupler first end to the optical device at the coupler second end, and/or vice versa.