Abstract

This paper describes a new approach to the problem of connecting standard single-mode fiber¹ to thin-filro waveguides, in which emphasis is placed on the connection problem before the thin-film integration steps. The coupling device consists of a silica block with a groove cut at a shallow angle θ into which the fiber is bonded before being polished (Fig. 1). The thin-film waveguide is then formed on the polished silica substrate by, for example, dip-coating, sputtering, or GVD deposition. The advantages of simplicity, rigidity, and automatic alignment follow from this approach.

© 1986 Optical Society of America