Patent ID: 7065277

Claim:
An optical waveguide device, comprising: a first optical waveguide having a first end; a second optical waveguide having a first end, the first ends of the first and second optical waveguides being separated by a gap; and an optical coupler extending across the gap between the first ends of the first and second optical waveguides, the optical coupler comprising a waveguide region and a region surrounding the waveguide region, the waveguide region having a first refractive index and a shape that diverges from the first end of each of the first and second optical waveguides as defined by overlapping cones of light emitted from the first ends of the first and second optical waveguides into the optical coupler, the first refractive index having been increased by exposure to the overlapping cones of light and the region surrounding the waveguide region having a second refractive index different from the first refractive index.