Pluggable single-mode fiber-array-to-pic coupling using micro-lenses

Scarcella, Carmelo; Gradkowski, Kamil; Carroll, Lee; Lee, Jun Su; Duperron, Matthieu; Fowler, Daivid; O'Brien, Peter A.

Pluggable single-mode fiber-array-to-pic coupling using micro-lenses

Files

Pluggable Single-Mode Fiber-Array-to-PIC.pdf(929.71 KB)

Published Version

Date

2017

Authors

Scarcella, Carmelo

Gradkowski, Kamil

Carroll, Lee

Lee, Jun Su

Duperron, Matthieu

Fowler, Daivid

O'Brien, Peter A.

Publisher

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Published Version

10.1109/LPT.2017.2757082

Abstract

Single-mode optical coupling between fiber and photonic integrated circuit (PIC) requires precision alignment and bonding, and significantly adds to the cost of photonic packaging. This article describes how a pair of micro-lens arrays-one on the Si-PIC and the other on the fiber-array-can be used to achieve fiber-to-PIC grating-coupling with an insertion-loss of 1.7 dB (i.e., a coupling efficiency of 68%) at 1300 nm, and a 1 dB alignment tolerance of +/- 30 mu m. Such relaxed tolerances allow for a "pluggable" connector to have a make-break insertion-loss reproducibility of 0.2 dB (one standard deviation).

Keywords

Gratings , Integrated optics devices , Micro-optical devices , Photonic integrated circuits

Citation

Scarcella, C., Gradkowski, K., Carroll, L., Lee, J. S., Duperron, M., Fowler, D. and O’Brien, P. (2017) 'Pluggable single-mode fiber-array-to-pic coupling using micro-lenses', IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, 29(22), pp. 1943-1946. doi: 10.1109/LPT.2017.2757082