Focusing-grating-coupler arrays for uniform and efficient signal distribution in a backboard optical interconnect.

Several one-dimensional arrays of focusing grating couplers are designed for uniform distribution of incident optical powers to several processing boards in a backboard interconnection scheme. As main design parameters, both the length and the duty cycle of each focusing grating coupler are determined on the bases of ray-optic propagation-mode analysis in a slab waveguide and of rigorous coupled-wave diffraction analysis for out-coupled radiation modes. The backboard interconnection scheme incorporating the one-dimensional focusing-grating-coupler arrays, when used to distribute a guided optical power of TE(0) mode to several converging waves radiated only toward a glass substrate, displayed a power uniformity of 5% and a total coupling efficiency of 99.1%, which can be highly acceptable in practical use.