Low Loss Optical Crossing and Method of Making Same

Abstract

A low loss optical crossing and a method of making an optical crossing in a photonic integrated circuit. An optical crossing embodiment includes a crossing region having a crossing length, wherein a light path through the crossing region is laterally unbound; an input waveguide having an input crossing end and an input distal end, and coupled to the crossing region at the input crossing end, thereby partially forming the light path; and an output waveguide having an output crossing end and an output distal end, and coupled to the crossing region at the output crossing end, thereby partially forming the light path, wherein a crossing width of the output waveguide at the output crossing end is larger than a crossing width of the input waveguide at the input crossing end according to the crossing length.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) having an optical crossing, comprising:
 a crossing region having a crossing length, wherein a light path through the crossing region is laterally unbound;   an input waveguide having an input crossing end and an input distal end, and coupled to the crossing region at the input crossing end, thereby partially forming the light path; and   an output waveguide having an output crossing end and an output distal end, and coupled to the crossing region at the output crossing end, thereby partially forming the light path,   wherein the crossing region is laterally planar with the input crossing end of the input waveguide, and laterally planar with the output crossing end of the output waveguide, and   wherein a crossing width of the output waveguide at the output crossing end is larger than a crossing width of the input waveguide at the input crossing end according to the crossing length.   
     
     
         2 . The PIC of  claim 1 , wherein the output waveguide is tapered from the crossing width at the output crossing end to the crossing width of the input waveguide at the output distal end. 
     
     
         3 . The PIC of  claim 1 , further comprising a crossing waveguide arranged perpendicular to and co-planar with respect to the input waveguide and the output waveguide, and having a first width equal to the crossing length. 
     
     
         4 . The PIC of  claim 3 , wherein the first width of the crossing waveguide is narrower than the crossing width of the input waveguide at the input crossing end, and narrower than the crossing width of the output waveguide at the output crossing end. 
     
     
         5 . The PIC of  claim 1 , wherein a difference between the crossing width of the output waveguide and the crossing width of the input waveguide accounts for light beam expansion through the crossing region. 
     
     
         6 . The PIC of  claim 1 , wherein the input waveguide and the output waveguide support multiple lateral modes. 
     
     
         7 . The PIC of  claim 6 , wherein only a lowest order mode of the multiple lateral modes is excited within the input waveguide and the output waveguide. 
     
     
         8 . The PIC of  claim 7 , wherein the lowest order mode is a transverse electrical wave. 
     
     
         9 . The PIC of  claim 7 , wherein the lowest order mode is a transverse magnetic wave. 
     
     
         10 . The PIC of  claim 1 , wherein the light path through the crossing region is vertically unbound, thereby causing vertical diffraction of an incident light beam. 
     
     
         11 . The PIC of  claim 10 , wherein a crossing height of the output waveguide at the output crossing end is larger than a crossing height of the input waveguide at the input crossing end according to the crossing length. 
     
     
         12 . The PIC of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical crossings. 
     
     
         13 . A method of making a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) having an optical crossing, comprising:
 forming a waveguide; and   forming a first crossing waveguide that bisects the waveguide into an input waveguide and an output waveguide, thereby forming a first crossing region laterally planar with the input and output waveguides adjacent the first crossing region, and   wherein the output waveguide at the first crossing region is wider than the input waveguide at the first crossing region.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the output waveguide tapers from the first crossing region to a width of the input waveguide. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising forming a second crossing waveguide that bisects the output waveguide, thereby forming a second crossing region between a first output waveguide and a second output waveguide,
 wherein the first output waveguide includes a tapered portion of the output waveguide and has the width of the input waveguide at the second crossing region, and   wherein the second output waveguide is wider than the first output waveguide at the second crossing region.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the input waveguide at the first crossing region and the first output waveguide at the first crossing region are wider than the first crossing waveguide at the first crossing region, and
 wherein the first output waveguide at the second crossing region and the second output waveguide at the second crossing region are wider than the second crossing waveguide at the second crossing region.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second output waveguide tapers from the second crossing region to the width of the input waveguide. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the waveguide supports multiple lateral modes. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the waveguide is configured to excite only a lowest order mode. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the waveguide and the first crossing waveguide intersect at a 90 degree angle. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the forming of the waveguide includes forming a waveguide core of silicon and forming a cladding of silica. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the forming further includes forming a laterally surrounding region of silicon around the waveguide core that is thinner than the waveguide core, thereby forming a ridge waveguide with shoulders. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising setting a difference in width of the output waveguide at the first crossing region and the input waveguide according to a light beam expansion through the first crossing region.