Silicon Photonics Connector with 90-Degree Deflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in Silicon Photonics (SiP) devices is accurately aligning light signals with external optical elements, as SiP waveguides have a small diameter, making precise alignment crucial for effective optical communication, especially when coupling with optical fibers.
Innovation Solution
An optical system that deflects light from SiP waveguides by a significant angle, typically 90 degrees, to collimating lenses, allowing for better alignment accuracy and enabling the use of collimating substrates with separate deflection surfaces, which can be produced independently for precise alignment with external optical elements like optical fibers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If light is directly coupled from SiP waveguides to optical fibers, then the coupling efficiency is improved, but the alignment precision requirement increases due to the small diameter of waveguides
Solution Approach 1:
A collimating lens is introduced as an intermediary optical element between the SiP waveguide and the optical fiber. The lens receives divergent light from the waveguide, collimates it into parallel beams, and then the collimated light is coupled into the optical fiber. This intermediary element transforms the divergent light pattern into a parallel beam that is easier to couple, thereby improving coupling efficiency while reducing the stringent alignment precision requirements that would otherwise be necessary for direct waveguide-to-fiber coupling.
2Device complexity
If collimating lenses are integrated directly with SiP waveguides, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is segmented into separate functional modules: the SiP waveguide chip, the collimating lens assembly, and the optical fiber connection. The collimating lens is positioned in a receptacle on the SiP device rather than being permanently integrated with the waveguide. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and tested independently with optimized tolerances, reducing the overall manufacturing precision difficulty while maintaining functional integration through the receptacle interface.
3Length of stationary object
If optical fibers are used for light transmission, then the transmission distance is improved, but the device structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The collimating lens serves as a mediator that enables efficient coupling between the compact SiP waveguide and the optical fiber. By transforming the divergent light from the waveguide into collimated beams, the lens allows for more flexible and robust fiber coupling, reducing the need for complex alignment mechanisms and fiber handling structures. This simplifies the overall device structure while maintaining the long transmission distance capability provided by optical fibers.
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 approach enhances alignment accuracy and simplifies the structure by eliminating the need for optical fibers in the interconnection, allowing for efficient coupling of light between SiP devices and external optical elements, even with larger numerical apertures, thereby improving the reliability of optical communication.
Implementation Method 1
a collimating lens, configured to receive light from the optical waveguide and to collimate the light from the optical waveguide into a collimated beam
Implementation Method 2
a light deflection surface which deflects light from the waveguides by an angle greater than 30 degrees, to the array of collimating lenses
Data Source
AI summary
Optical apparatus connecting a Silicon Photonics (SiP) device, which comprises multiple optical waveguides to an array of collimating lenses, configured to collimate light of the multiple optical waveguides into collimated beams. The optical apparatus includes a deflection element, distinct from the SiP device, including a light deflection surface which deflects light from the waveguides by an angle greater than 30 degrees, to the array of collimating lenses.