Design methods for focusing grating coupler using holographic optical elements

Abstract

Light can be coupled out of a waveguide to a focused point by a focusing grating coupler and has possible applications in optical data storage. The grating can be fabricated with either e-beam techniques or holographic techniques. Two design methods are demonstrated that model the focusing grating coupler with holographic optical elements. Both methods take a geometrical optics approach to designing the holographic optical elements and both methods make use of commercially available ray trace programs. The first method uses complicated non-rotationally symmetric construction optics and requires either a modified ray trace program or special user defined surfaces. The second method involves a much simpler approach which did not require any changes to an existing ray trace program and requires only rotationally symmetric elements to correct the aberrations.