Patent ID: 7587106

Claim:
A silicon-on-insulator (SOI)-based optical device including a surface silicon waveguiding layer disposed over an insulating layer covering a silicon substrate, the SOI-based optical device comprising: a first optical input waveguide for supporting the propagation of a first optical signal; a second optical input waveguide for supporting the propagation of a second optical signal; a first optical output waveguide for supporting the propagation of the first optical signal; a second optical output waveguide for supporting the propagation of the second optical signal; an optical crossover region defined by an intersection of the first optical input waveguide with the second optical input waveguide, the optical crossover region comprising a first pair of curved reflecting sidewall surfaces ( 104 , 106 ) disposed to intercept the first optical signal propagating along the first input optical waveguide, an input curved sidewall surface of the first pair of curved reflecting sidewall surfaces for providing a first redirection of the first optical signal into the optical crossover region, and an output curved sidewall surface of the first pair of curved reflecting sidewall surfaces for providing a second redirection of the first optical signal out of the optical crossover region and into the first optical output waveguide; and a second pair of curved reflecting sidewall surfaces ( 112 , 114 ) disposed to intercept the second optical signal propagating along the second input optical waveguide, an input curved sidewall surface of the second pair of curved reflecting sidewall surfaces for providing a first redirection of the second optical signal into the optical crossover region and an output curved sidewall surface of the second pair of curved reflecting sidewall surfaces for providing a second redirection of the second optical signal out of the optical crossover region and into the second optical output waveguide.