Optical assemblies for free-space optical propagation between waveguide(s) and/or fiber(s)

1. A method for making an optical apparatus, the method comprising:

mounting first and second segments of a GRIN optical medium on a first substrate in at least one groove thereon, the first and second GRIN segments being longitudinally spaced apart from one another on the first substrate and having respective proximal and distal end faces, the first and second GRIN segments being arranged so as to enable a free-space optical beam to be received through the distal end face of the first GRIN segment so that the optical beam thus received (i) is transmitted through the proximal end face of the first GRIN segment, (ii) propagates to the proximal end face of the second GRIN segment, (iii) is received through the proximal end face of the second GRIN segment, and (iv) is transmitted as a free-space optical beam through the distal end face of the second GRIN segment;

mounting the first substrate and the first and second GRIN segments on a second substrate with the first and second GRIN segments received in at least one groove on the second substrate;

positioning an optical component between the proximal end faces of the first and second GRIN segments, the optical component having first and second end faces facing the proximal end faces of the first and second GRIN segments, respectively, so that the optical component is thereby arranged so that an optical beam propagating between the proximal end faces of the GRIN segments is transmitted through the first and second end faces of the optical component;

positioning a first transmission optical element on the second substrate, the first transmission optical element having a proximal end face facing the distal end face of the first GRIN segment and being arranged so that a divergent optical beam emergent from the proximal end face of the first transmission optical element is received through the distal end face of the first GRIN segment; and

positioning a second transmission optical element on the second substrate, the second transmission optical element having a proximal end face facing the distal end face of the second GRIN segment and being arranged so that a convergent optical beam emergent from the distal end face of the second GRIN segment is received through the proximal end face of the second transmission optical element.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first transmission optical element comprises a first optical fiber mounted in a groove on the second substrate so that the first optical fiber is optically substantially coaxial with the first GRIN segment; and

the second transmission optical element comprises a second optical fiber mounted in a groove on the second substrate so that the second optical fiber is optically substantially coaxial with the second GRIN segment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first transmission optical element comprises a first planar optical waveguide formed on the second substrate so that the first planar optical waveguide is optically substantially coaxial with the first GRIN segment; and

the second transmission optical element comprises a second planar optical waveguide formed on the second substrate so that the second planar optical waveguide is optically substantially coaxial with the second GRIN segment.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first transmission optical element comprises a planar optical waveguide formed on the second substrate so that the planar optical waveguide is optically substantially coaxial with the first GRIN segment; and

the second transmission optical element comprises an optical fiber mounted in a groove on the second substrate so that the optical fiber is optically substantially coaxial with the second GRIN segment.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

substantially filling an optical path between the first end face of the optical component and the proximal end face of the first GRIN segment with a substantially transparent, non-gaseous embedding medium; and

substantially filling an optical path between the second end face of the optical component and the proximal end face of the second GRIN segment with a substantially transparent, non-gaseous embedding medium.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

substantially filling an optical path between the proximal end face of the first transmission optical element and the distal end face of the first GRIN segment with a substantially transparent, non-gaseous embedding medium; and

substantially filling an optical path between the proximal end face of the transmission optical element and the distal end face of the second GRIN segment with a substantially transparent, non-gaseous embedding medium.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising encapsulating the optical component, the first and second GRIN segments, and proximal portions of the first and second transmission optical elements.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical component is mounted on the first substrate.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical component is mounted on the second substrate.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical component comprises an optical isolator.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the optical component comprises a Faraday rotator and a linear polarizer;

at least one of the transmission optical elements comprises a polarization-selective planar waveguide formed on the second substrate; and

the Faraday rotator, polarizer, and polarization-selective planar waveguide together function as an optical isolator.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising optically coupling a laser source to the first transmission optical element at a distal portion thereof so that optical output power from the laser source is transmitted into the second transmission optical element through the first transmission optical element, the first GRIN segment, the optical component, and the second GRIN segment.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising optically coupling an optical transceiver to the first transmission optical element at a distal portion thereof so that optical power is transmitted between the optical transceiver and the second transmission optical element through the first transmission optical element, the first GRIN segment, the optical component, and the second GRIN segment.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising optically coupling a photodetector to the first transmission optical element at a distal portion thereof so that optical power is transmitted from the second transmission optical element to the photodetector through the second GRIN segment, the optical component, the first GRIN segment, and the first transmission optical element.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising arranging the first substrate to maintain the first and second GRIN segments in the arrangement that enables the free-space optical beam received through the distal end face of the first GRIN segment (i) to be transmitted through the proximal end face of the first GRIN segment, (ii) to propagate to the proximal end face of the second GRIN segment, (iii) to be received through the proximal end face of the second GRIN segment, and (iv) to be transmitted as a free-space optical beam through the distal end face of the second GRIN segment.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising arranging the second substrate to maintain the first GRIN segment and the first transmission optical element in the arrangement that enables the divergent optical beam emergent from the proximal end face of the first transmission optical element to be received through the distal end face of the first GRIN segment.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising arranging the second substrate to maintain the second GRIN segment and the second transmission optical element in the arrangement that enables the convergent optical beam emergent from the distal end face of the second GRIN segment to be received through the proximal end face of the second transmission optical element.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second GRIN segments comprise discrete, separated segments of a single GRIN optical medium mounted on the first substrate.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the first GRIN segment comprises a first segment of GRIN optical fiber, and the second GRIN segment comprises a second segment of GRIN optical fiber.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second GRIN segments comprise discrete, separated segments of a single GRIN optical fiber mounted on the first substrate.