Patent ID: 6282343
Filing Date: 2001-08-28
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An apparatus, comprising:an optical coupler dividing an optical signal into a plurality of N optical signals and outputting the N optical signals, said optical coupler further comprising:an input optical waveguide receiving the optical signal;a plurality of N output optical waveguides, each one of said N output optical waveguides outputting a respective one of the N optical signals, each adjacent one of said N output optical waveguides being separated by an equal distance;a plurality of Y-junction optical waveguides being arranged in a plurality of m stages, each one of said Y-junction optical waveguides dividing a received optical signal into two optical signals; anda plurality of curved optical waveguides being alternately connected to said Y-junction optical waveguides, at least one of said curved optical waveguides being connected between said Y-junction optical waveguides in an m-th stage and said output optical waveguides;when a guiding direction of the optical signal is set to be a longitudinal axis and when a junction between said input optical waveguide and a first stage Y-junction optical waveguide is set to be a starting location, said Y-junction optical waveguides and said curved optical waveguides having predetermined positions and sizes corresponding to a minimized longest optical path among a plurality of N optical paths, each one of said N optical paths being measured from the starting location to a respective one of said N output optical waveguides;said predetermined positions and sizes being determined in dependence upon solutions to a plurality of preset equations, said predetermined positions and sizes not being determined in dependence upon a trial-and-error process.