Out-of-Plane Optical Coupling to Photonic Integrated Circuits Using Turning-Mirror Lens Arrays

Kamil Gradkowski; Peter O'Brien

doi:10.1109/TCPMT.2025.3552840

Out-of-Plane Optical Coupling to Photonic Integrated Circuits Using Turning-Mirror Lens Arrays

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We demonstrate an out-of-plane optical coupling between a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) and a fiber array (FA). The presented scheme utilizes a molded glass microlens with an integrated turning mirror. We show that by expanding the beam, the alignment tolerances between the fiber and PIC assemblies are expanded by an order of magnitude. The reported coupling losses of 2.1 dB per coupler are only limited by the optical design of the off-the-shelf micro-optics.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1601-1605
Number of pages	5
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology
Volume	15
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TCPMT.2025.3552840
Publication status	Published - 2025

Keywords

Edge couplers (ECs)
expanded-beam optical connectors
micro-optical devices
out-of-plane coupling
photonic integrated circuits (PICs)

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10.1109/TCPMT.2025.3552840

Cite this

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title = "Out-of-Plane Optical Coupling to Photonic Integrated Circuits Using Turning-Mirror Lens Arrays",

abstract = "We demonstrate an out-of-plane optical coupling between a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) and a fiber array (FA). The presented scheme utilizes a molded glass microlens with an integrated turning mirror. We show that by expanding the beam, the alignment tolerances between the fiber and PIC assemblies are expanded by an order of magnitude. The reported coupling losses of 2.1 dB per coupler are only limited by the optical design of the off-the-shelf micro-optics.",

keywords = "Edge couplers (ECs), expanded-beam optical connectors, micro-optical devices, out-of-plane coupling, photonic integrated circuits (PICs)",

author = "Kamil Gradkowski and Peter O'Brien",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2011-2012 IEEE.",

year = "2025",

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T1 - Out-of-Plane Optical Coupling to Photonic Integrated Circuits Using Turning-Mirror Lens Arrays

AU - Gradkowski, Kamil

AU - O'Brien, Peter

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - We demonstrate an out-of-plane optical coupling between a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) and a fiber array (FA). The presented scheme utilizes a molded glass microlens with an integrated turning mirror. We show that by expanding the beam, the alignment tolerances between the fiber and PIC assemblies are expanded by an order of magnitude. The reported coupling losses of 2.1 dB per coupler are only limited by the optical design of the off-the-shelf micro-optics.

AB - We demonstrate an out-of-plane optical coupling between a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) and a fiber array (FA). The presented scheme utilizes a molded glass microlens with an integrated turning mirror. We show that by expanding the beam, the alignment tolerances between the fiber and PIC assemblies are expanded by an order of magnitude. The reported coupling losses of 2.1 dB per coupler are only limited by the optical design of the off-the-shelf micro-optics.

KW - Edge couplers (ECs)

KW - expanded-beam optical connectors

KW - micro-optical devices

KW - out-of-plane coupling

KW - photonic integrated circuits (PICs)

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105000476741

U2 - 10.1109/TCPMT.2025.3552840

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SN - 2156-3950

VL - 15

SP - 1601

EP - 1605

JO - IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology

JF - IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology

IS - 8

ER -

Out-of-Plane Optical Coupling to Photonic Integrated Circuits Using Turning-Mirror Lens Arrays

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Keywords

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