Patent ID: 6563988
Filing Date: 2003-05-13
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An optical apparatus comprising:at least one transition segment configured to optically couple at least one waveguide to a slab waveguide, said at least one transition segment comprising a taper having a narrow end and a wide end, said narrow end of said taper configured to optically couple to said at least one waveguide, said transition segment further comprising an extension having a first end and a second end wherein said first end of said extension is configured to optically couple to said wide end of said taper and said second end of said extension is configured to optically couple to said slab waveguide wherein said first end has a first end width and said second end has a second end width equal to said first end width wherein at least one of the taper and the extension comprises a core material and a cladding material, said cladding material separating the core material into at least two discrete core-material sections and wherein at least one of said discrete core-material sections has a width different than another of said discrete sections and wherein the extension is a channel waveguide substantially constant in width and wherein the wide end of the taper and the extension are equal in width and wherein the taper increases in width not more than 2 &mgr;m per 1 &mgr;m in length and wherein the extension further comprises an element selected from the group consisting of: a thermo-optic element, an electro-optic element, and an acousto-optic element.