Patent ID: 11105981

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.