Patent ID: 6892008

Claim:
A one-to-n signal coupler comprising: a Free Propagation Region (FPR) comprising first and second opposing edge interfaces, the first edge interface defining at least two separated input ports thereon that terminate at least two separate waveguide subsections obtained from a single input waveguide, and the second edge interface defining an array of a plurality of n output ports thereon that provide inputs to a plurality of n output waveguides, respectively, where n is an integer greater than 1; each of the n output ports being separated from each other and intersecting different areas of a portion of the second edge interface defining the FPR; and the at least two input ports intersect a portion of the first edge interface opposite the second edge interface and are separated by a predetermined distance from each other such that portions of an input signal launched into the FPR from each of the at least first and second input ports diffracts in the FPR to generate a high intensity signal at each of the n output ports and a low intensity signal elsewhere on the second edge interface.