Patent attributes
Systems and methods for coupling optical fiber to a photonic chip are described. The apparatus may include a low index contrast waveguide overlapping a region of a photonic chip, a high index contrast waveguide at least partially embedded within the overlapped region of the photonic chip, where the high index contrast waveguide comprises a tapered region and a fixed-width routing region, and where the tapered region comprises an adiabatic crossing region and a wide waveguide region connecting the adiabatic crossing region and the fixed-width routing region. A rate of increase of the width of the high index contrast waveguide with respect to position along the length of the high index contrast waveguide is substantially non-linear within the adiabatic crossing region and substantially asymmetric about a minimum slope point.