Integrated optical circuits: An overview and an optical beam combiner circuit

This presentation includes a short overview of integrated optics and a more detailed description of a realized optical beam combiner circuit for a space optic application. The introduction covers the basics of straight and bent waveguides, crossings and couplers. Integration of waveguides with fibers, lasers, detectors and electronics is briefly described, as well as the main differences between optical and electrical circuits. The design of the beam combiner is described more thoroughly. This part includes the theory and simulations of the multi mode interference (MMI) couplers, the principle of the optical beam combining and the design of the circuit layout. The fabrication of the device and the measurements are described briefly.