Patent ID: 7945132
Filing Date: 2011-05-17
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. An optical apparatus comprising: a waveguide substrate; a first planar optical waveguide formed on the substrate comprising a first transmission core and cladding; a second planar optical waveguide formed on the substrate comprising a second transmission core and cladding; a third planar optical waveguide formed on the substrate comprising a third transmission core and cladding; a laser positioned so as to launch at least a portion of its optical output to propagate along the first transmission core toward a proximal end thereof; a photodetector positioned so as to receive at least a portion of an optical signal propagating along the second transmission core away from a proximal end thereof; and a lateral splitter planar optical waveguide core connecting the proximal ends of the three transmission cores, wherein: the lateral splitter core is arranged to connect the proximal ends of the first and third transmission cores in a substantially collinear arrangement, with a first lateral edge of the lateral splitter core and corresponding first lateral edges of the first and third transmission cores aligned substantially collinearly; a second lateral edge of the lateral splitter core protrudes beyond second lateral edges of the first and third transmission cores and is connected to the proximal end of the second transmission core; proximal portions of the second and third transmission cores form an acute angle with respect to one another; the lateral splitter core is arranged so that a first fraction of the laser optical output propagating along the first transmission core toward the proximal end thereof is transferred, by optical propagation along the lateral splitter core past the second lateral edge thereof, from the first transmission core to the second transmission core to propagate away from a proximal end thereof; and the lateral splitter core is arranged so that a second fraction of the laser optical output propagating along the first transmission core toward the proximal end thereof is transferred, by optical propagation along the lateral splitter core, from the first transmission core to the third transmission core to propagate away from a proximal end thereof.