Optical engine

1. An optical engine comprising:

a given layer of given material overlaying an optical waveguide of another material, the given layer of given material comprising:

an aligning seat including;

a first side surface;

a second side surface opposite the first side surface; and

a bottom surface extending from the second side surface,

wherein the aligning seat is to:

receive an optical transmitter to provide an optical signal; and

align the optical transmitter such that the optical transmitter provides the optical signal in a direction that is substantially non-oblique relative to a longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide; and

an optical signal redirector including a surface extending from the first side surface such that a gap is formed between a bottommost surface of the optical transmitter and the given layer of given material,

wherein the optical signal redirector is to tilt the optical signal by a tilt angle;

the optical waveguide comprising:

a grating coupler to diffract the optical signal provided at the tilt angle into the optical waveguide.

2. The optical engine of claim 1 , wherein the given material comprises silicon dioxide.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the another material comprises silicon nitride.

4. The optical engine of claim 1 , wherein the tilt angle is about 2° to about 20° relative to a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide.

5. The optical engine of claim 1 , wherein the aligning seat is to align the optical transmitter such that the optical transmitter provides the optical signal in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide.

6. The optical engine of claim 5 , wherein the gap comprises an air filled trench.

7. The optical engine of claim 6 , wherein the surface of the optical redirector has an incline angle that tilts the optical signal to the tilt angle.

8. The optical engine of claim 7 , wherein:

θ

<

90

°

-

sin

-

1

⁡

(

n

1

n

2

)

;

wherein:

θ is the tilt angle;

n 1 is the index of refraction of air, and

n 2 is the index of refraction of the given material.

9. An optical engine comprising:

a given layer of a given material;

another layer of the given material; and

an optical waveguide sandwiched between the given and the another layers;

the given layer comprising:

an aligning seat to align an optical transmitter, such that the optical transmitter provides an optical signal that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide; and

an optical signal redirector disposed between the aligning seat and the optical waveguide and having a surface that extends from the aligning seat to redirect the optical signal at a tilt angle, such that the optical signal intersects with a grating coupler of the optical waveguide.

10. The optical engine of claim 9 , wherein the tilt angle is between about 2° and about 20° relative to a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide.

11. The optical engine of claim 9 comprising an air filled gap between a bottommost surface of the optical transmitter and the surface of the optical signal redirector.

12. The optical engine of claim 9 , wherein the surface of the optical signal redirector extends from a side surface of the aligning seat.

13. The optical engine of claim 12 , wherein the grating coupler has a side surface that is substantially coplanar with the side surface of the aligning seat.

14. A system comprising:

an optical transmitter to provide a plurality of independently controllable optical signals in a given direction; and

an optical engine comprising:

a given layer of silicon dioxide;

another layer of silicon dioxide; and

an optical waveguide formed of silicon nitride sandwiched between the given and the another layers of silicon dioxide, the optical waveguide comprising:

a grating coupler to diffract the independently controllable optical signals into the optical waveguide;

the given layer of silicon dioxide comprising:

an aligning seat to align an optical transmitter, such that the optical transmitter provides the independently controllable optical signals at a substantially non-oblique angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide; and

an optical signal redirector disposed between the aligning seat and the optical waveguide and having a surface that extends from the aligning seat comprising an air filled trench to redirect the optical signal at a tilt angle, such that each of the independently controllable optical signals intersects with the grating coupler of the optical waveguide at the tilt angle.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the air filled trench extends to a bottommost surface of the optical transmitter aligned by the aligning seat.