Abstract: Detachable optical connectors including a connector support for optical chips and methods of their fabrication are disclosed. In one embodiment, an optical assembly includes an optical chip including a surface, an edge extending from the surface, and at least one chip waveguide proximate the surface and terminating at the edge. The optical assembly further includes a waveguide support having a chip coupling surface, and at least one waveguide disposed within the waveguide support and terminating at the chip coupling surface, wherein the chip coupling surface is coupled to the edge of the optical chip such that the at least one waveguide within the waveguide support is optically coupled to the at least one chip waveguide of the optical chip. The optical assembly further includes a connector support having a first portion coupled to the optical chip, and a second portion coupled to the waveguide support.

Abstract: The evanescent optical coupler is constituted by an IOX waveguide and an optical fiber. The IOX waveguide is formed in a glass substrate and has a tapered section that runs in an axial direction. The IOX waveguide supports a waveguide fundamental mode having an waveguide effective index NW0 that varies within a range ?NW0 as a function of the axial direction. The IOX waveguide can also support a few higher-order modes. The optical fiber supports a fiber fundamental mode having a fiber effective index NF0 that falls within the waveguide effective index range ?NW0 of the waveguide fundamental mode of the tapered section of the IOX waveguide. A portion of the optical fiber is interfaced with the tapered section of the IOX waveguide to define a coupling region over which evanescent optical coupling occurs between the optical fiber and the IOX waveguide.

Abstract: Optical waveguide connector elements for optical coupling optical components of an optical assembly, such as the edge coupling of optical printed circuit boards. In one embodiment, a waveguide connector element includes a first end face and a second end face, a pre-existing optical waveguide within or on a surface of the waveguide connector element, and a laser written optical waveguide optically coupled to an end of the pre-existing optical waveguide and extending toward one of the first end face and the second end face.

Abstract: The channel waveguides disclosed herein have bend compensation in the form of at least one compensated bend section. The channel waveguides are formed in a glass-based substrate having a glass-based matrix. The channel waveguide has an waveguide IOX region with a straight section and a bend section. The waveguide IOX region at the bend section is superimposed with a quasi-linear modifying IOX region to form a compensated bend IOX region that defines the compensated bend section. The compensated bend section has a reduced amount of optical loss as compared to if the compensated bend section had a refractive index profile that was the same as the straight section. Methods of forming the compensated bend sections for the channel waveguides are also disclosed.

Abstract: The channel waveguides disclosed herein have bend compensation in the form of at least one compensated bend section. The channel waveguides are formed in a glass-based substrate having a glass-based matrix. The channel waveguide has an waveguide IOX region with a straight section and a bend section. The waveguide IOX region at the bend section is superimposed with a quasi-linear modifying IOX region to form a compensated bend IOX region that defines the compensated bend section. The compensated bend section has a reduced amount of optical loss as compared to if the compensated bend section had a refractive index profile that was the same as the straight section. Methods of forming the compensated bend sections for the channel waveguides are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical coupler that provides evanescent optical coupling includes an optical fiber and a waveguide. The optical fiber has a glass core, a glass inner cladding surrounding the glass core, and a polymeric outer cladding surrounding the glass inner cladding. The glass core and glass inner cladding define for the fiber a glass portion, which can be exposed at one end of the fiber by removing a portion of the polymeric outer cladding. The glass portion has a glass-portion surface. The waveguide has a waveguide core and a surface, and can be part of a photonic device. The glass portion of the fiber is interfaced with the waveguide to establish evanescent coupling between the fiber and the waveguide. Alignment features are used to facilitate aligning the fiber core to the waveguide core during the interfacing process to ensure suitable efficiency of the evanescent coupling.

Abstract: Detachable optical connectors for optical chips and methods of their fabrication are disclosed. In one embodiment, an optical connector includes a ferrule that supports ferrule waveguides. The optical connector further includes a waveguide support coupled to the ferrule and that supports transition waveguides that are optically coupled to the ferrule waveguides. Ends of the ferrule waveguides are exposed at one end of the ferrule to define a first pitch while ends of the second waveguides are exposed at a chip coupling surface of the waveguide support. The transition waveguides provide at least one type of transition for the guided light traveling within the ferrule waveguides to enable either edge coupling, surface coupling or evanescent coupling to chip waveguides of an optical chip. The transition can include a change in mode-field diameter, direction of the guided light, and/or pitch.

Abstract: The glass waveguide assembly includes a substrate with glass optical waveguides formed in the body of the glass substrate without adding or removing any glass from the substrate body. The glass optical waveguides run generally from a front-end section to a back-end section. A protective coating is formed over at least a portion of the top surface of the glass substrate where the glass optical waveguides reside. Optical connectors are formed at or adjacent the back end at corresponding connector regions. Each connector includes an end portion of at least one of the glass optical waveguides. In some configurations, the glass waveguide assembly includes a bend section that facilitates forming an optical interconnection in a photonic system between an optical-electrical printed circuit board and photonic integrated circuit.

Abstract: The evanescent optical coupler is constituted by an IOX waveguide and an optical fiber. The IOX waveguide is formed in a glass substrate and has a tapered section that runs in an axial direction. The IOX waveguide supports a waveguide fundamental mode having an waveguide effective index NW0 that varies within a range ?NW0 as a function of the axial direction. The IOX waveguide can also support a few higher-order modes. The optical fiber supports a fiber fundamental mode having a fiber effective index NF0 that falls within the waveguide effective index range ?NW0 of the waveguide fundamental mode of the tapered section of the IOX waveguide. A portion of the optical fiber is interfaced with the tapered section of the IOX waveguide to define a coupling region over which evanescent optical coupling occurs between the optical fiber and the IOX waveguide.

Abstract: An optical coupler that provides evanescent optical coupling includes an optical fiber and a waveguide. The optical fiber has a glass core, a glass inner cladding surrounding the glass core, and a polymeric outer cladding surrounding the glass inner cladding. The glass core and glass inner cladding define for the fiber a glass portion, which can be exposed at one end of the fiber by removing a portion of the polymeric outer cladding. The glass portion has a glass-portion surface. The waveguide has a waveguide core and a surface, and can be part of a photonic device. The glass portion of the fiber is interfaced with the waveguide to establish evanescent coupling between the fiber and the waveguide. Alignment features are used to facilitate aligning the fiber core to the waveguide core during the interfacing process to ensure suitable efficiency of the evanescent coupling.

Abstract: Optical waveguide connector elements for optical coupling optical components of an optical assembly, such as the edge coupling of optical printed circuit boards. In one embodiment, a waveguide connector element includes a first end face and a second end face, a pre-existing optical waveguide within or on a surface of the waveguide connector element, and a laser written optical waveguide optically coupled to an end of the pre-existing optical waveguide and extending toward one of the first end face and the second end face.

Abstract: Detachable optical connectors including a connector support for optical chips and methods of their fabrication are disclosed. In one embodiment, an optical assembly includes an optical chip including a surface, an edge extending from the surface, and at least one chip waveguide proximate the surface and terminating at the edge. The optical assembly further includes a waveguide support having a chip coupling surface, and at least one waveguide disposed within the waveguide support and terminating at the chip coupling surface, wherein the chip coupling surface is coupled to the edge of the optical chip such that the at least one waveguide within the waveguide support is optically coupled to the at least one chip waveguide of the optical chip. The optical assembly further includes a connector support having a first portion coupled to the optical chip, and a second portion coupled to the waveguide support.

Abstract: The glass waveguide assembly includes a substrate with glass optical waveguides formed in the body of the glass substrate without adding or removing any glass from the substrate body. The glass optical waveguides run generally from a front-end section to a back-end section. A protective coating is formed over at least a portion of the top surface of the glass substrate where the glass optical waveguides reside. Optical connectors are formed at or adjacent the back end at corresponding connector regions. Each connector includes an end portion of at least one of the glass optical waveguides. In some configurations, the glass waveguide assembly includes a bend section that facilitates forming an optical interconnection in a photonic system between an optical-electrical printed circuit board and photonic integrated circuit.