Patent ID: 6870987

Claim:
An optical mode transformer, comprising: a low index core; a high index core having a first tapered region, wherein the high index core is embedded within the low index core and wherein the low index core serves as a cladding for a waveguide defined by the high index core embedded in the low index core; and a cladding layer surrounding the low index core, wherein the cladding layer is composed of one or more materials with different refractive indices than those of the low index core and high index core, wherein a first channel-like mode defined by the low index core and cladding layer gradually transforms into a second channel-like mode defined by the high index core embedded within the low index core, wherein the low index core increases in dimension while embedding the high index core, wherein the dimension of the low index core is increased to a slab waveguide region that forms the cladding.