Fiber Coupler Overview

Fiber Coupler Overview

Couplers High channel density Pitch Reducing Optical Fiber Array (PROFA) with or without spot-size reduction: Builds on proven spot-size converting (SSC) technology - highest spatial density demonstrated with IBM and Alcatel-Lucent 2 January 2013

1.5 µm x 2 Channels 19 m spacing, dual channel array coupled to an InP Multi-Wavelength Coherent Receiver (Alcatel-Lucent) C. R. Doerr, L. Zhang, and P. J. Winzer, OFC paper PDPB1, San Diego, CA, USA (2010) 3 January 2013

2 µm x 10 Channels 10 channel linear array - highest spatial channel density demonstrated with IBM F.E. Doany, B.G. Lee, et al., IEEE J. of Lightwave Technology 29, 475 (2011) 4 January 2013

Pitch Reducing Optical Fiber Array PROFA High channel density 2D PROFAs with or without spot-size reduction p 2-61 channels, Ø 250 µm ~ 1-3 mm ~ 80-400 µm p ~ 10-50 mm MFD in ~ 10 µm MFD out ~ 1.5-10 µm p ~ 5-50 µm Packaging solutions to suit custom applications and low profile package needs: Fiber stub - single channel spot size converter 7 mm Bent tip PROFA 5 January 2013

PROFA Pitch Reducing Optical Fiber Array High density, multi-channel optical input/output (I/O) for fiber-to-chip and fiber-to-optical waveguide Features 6 January 2013 Dramatically reduced channel spacing and device footprint Scalable channel count All-glass optical path No lens - no air gap Semi-automated production process Customizable: wavelength, mode field size, channel spacing, array configuration, fiber type

7 January 2013 Applications Fiber-to-the-chip / Fiber-to-the-board PIC or PCB-based (singlemode or multimode) Coupling to chip-based devices: e.g. VCSELs, photodiodes, vertically coupled gratings High power applications Laser diode coupling Power combining incoherent, coherent High density equipment I/O high density connectors Multicore fiber breakout Tailored for your Application Chip edge (1D) or chip face (2D) coupling NA optimized for the application, factoring in: Packaging alignment needs Chip processing needs / waveguide uptapering Polarization maintaining options available

Vanishing Core Concept Cladding (Diameter 125 µm) Fiber Vanishing Core n 3 Standard NA (MFD 10 µm) n 2 n 1 Waveguide Tailored NA Secondary Core n 1 - n 2 < n 2 - n 3 - reduced MFD n 1 - n 2 > n 2 - n 3 - expanded MFD n 1 - n 2 = n 2 - n 3 - preserved MFD Exemplary endface for PM coupling 8 January 2013

Principle of Operation of Multi-channel Array Common cladding (n 3 ) Vanishing inner cores (n 1 ) Channel 1 MFD 1 Low NA, SM or MM p 1 (MFD ~ 10 µm) Configurable NA, SM or MM p 2 MFD 2 MFD 2 Channel 2 MFD 1 Outer (new) cores (n 2 ) In a conventional single-lens focusing approach: if p 1 > p 2 then MFD 1 > MFD 2 For the PROFA : MFD 1 > MFD 2 if p 1 > p 2 then OR MFD 1 < MFD 2 OR MFD 1 = MFD 2 9 January 2013

10 January 2013 Typical Specifications

11 January 2013 Multicore Fiber Fan-out (7-channel MCF)

PROFA - 1 MCF Fan-out Performance 1 2 7... PROFA-700429 7-channel MCF (1 meter) PROFA - 1 PROFA - 2 PROFA-700430... 1 2 7 1 2 3 5 2 1 5 3 6 7 Channel-to-channel coupling (db) 7 6 PROFA - 2 ch. no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 1.4-48.0-47.0-44.0-50.0 X X 2 1.8 X -48.0-49.0-50.0-48.0 3 2.1-46.0 X -42.0 X 4 1.6-46.0-48.0-50.0 5 2.1 X -48.0 6 1.6-50.0 7 1.9 12 January 2013

PIC Packaging Service Utilize standard or custom coupler of choice (SSC, PROFA) depending on: MFD requirements Channel density requirements Pigtail/pluggable needs Edge or face coupling Waveguides (planar, multicore fibers), detectors, sources Scalable and customizable, e.g.: Channel count, PM/SM/MM, package environment requirements U.S. Patent # 7,308,173 Face Bent-tip coupling Edge Connect Coupling Others pending domestically and internationally All 3 coupling methods can be Polarization Maintaining (PM) Connectorized plugand-play coupling (edge or face coupling) 13 January 2013

PIC I/O and Packaging Work done with OpSIS http://opsisfoundry.org/ 14 January 2013

PIC-SSCI Interface Work done with OpSIS http://opsisfoundry.org/ 15 January 2013

PROFA Applications High-density interconnect Incoherent / coherent power combiner Multi-core fiber fan-out Multi-channel optical pump / signal combiner MEMS-based switch 16 January 2013

61 Channel PROFA Performance Position deviation from an ideal grid: Average error: 0.97 m Standard deviation: 0.34 m Maximum error: 1.7 m Insertion loss: Average: 0.3 db Standard deviation: 0.2 db 17 January 2013

Gen2 Gen1 Bandwidth Density PROFAs provide path to: Increasing bandwidth density Decreased cable congestion Improved airflow and thermal management MPO (State of the Art) PROFA enabled LC PROFA enabled MPO Number of singlemode channels 24 61 61 x 12 = 732 Channel Density (channels/ mm 2 ) 24/95 = 0.25 61/ 20.3 = 3.0 (12 x improvement) 732/95 = 7.7 (30x improvement) Number of singlemode channels 127 127 x 12 = 1524 Channel Density (channels/ mm 2 ) 127/ 20.3 = 6.3 ( 2 5x improvement) 1524/95 = 16.0 (64x improvement) 18 January 2013

Competing Technologies A. Free space optics micro-optic lenses or arrayed lenses Collimator B. Fiber arrays (e.g. v-grooves, MPO / MT connectors) 19 January 2013

PROFA Advantages PROFAs compete on the basis of: Spatial channel density Low-loss coupling Operational stability Form factor support Broad spectral range Matching NA Scalable channel count Polarization maintenance 20 January 2013