An apparatus and method for increasing efficiency of grating couplers are
disclosed. The apparatus through the use of a defect or a reflective
element allows coupling of light around a normal or nearly normal angle
with a high efficiency. The method disclosed teaches how to increase the
efficiency of a grating coupler through the use of a defect or a mirror.
The apparatus and method can be of particular utility in the context of
optical clocking implemented with a III-V chip flip-chip bonded on a CMOS
chip.