Abstract

As the optical fiber transmission is widely applied to communication systems, we require a technology of large-scale production and integration of the optical circuits. In the conventional micro-optics^1,2 we use distributed index rod lenses (or GRIN rods) as lens devices and this type of lens makes us difficult to make optical circuits in a single batch process. Stacked planar optics we propose here is based on the idea that we construct optical circuits by stacking planar optical devices such as planar micro-lenses, holes, apertures, filters, reflectors, polarizers and so on which are arranged on a substrate as a 2-dimensional array as shown in Fig 1. In this structure a number of optical circuits or the array of them can be formed monolithicaliy, and thus mass-production is possible by separating individual components.

© 1982 Optical Society of America