Abstract:
A waveguide coupler has a compression region and an expansion region for coupling light between a silicon waveguide and an optical fiber. The compression region receives light from the silicon waveguide and compresses an optical mode of the light. Light is transmitted from the compression region to an expansion region. The expansion region expands the light to have a larger cross section. Light is then transmitted to the optical fiber.
Abstract:
A waveguide mode expander couples a smaller optical mode in a semiconductor waveguide to a larger optical mode in an optical fiber. The waveguide mode expander comprises a shoulder and a ridge. In some embodiments, the ridge of the waveguide mode expander has a plurality of stages, the plurality of stages having different widths at a given cross section.
Abstract:
A tunable laser has a first mirror, a second mirror, a gain medium, and a directional coupler. The first mirror and the second mirror form an optical resonator. The gain medium and the directional coupler are, at least partially, in an optical path of the optical resonator. The first mirror and the second mirror comprise binary super gratings. Both the first mirror and the second mirror have high reflectivity. The directional coupler provides an output coupler for the tunable laser.
Abstract:
A modulator and a capacitor are integrated on a semiconductor substrate for modulating a laser beam. Integrating the capacitor on the substrate reduces parasitic inductance for high-speed optical communication.
Abstract:
A polarization-independent, optical circulator is formed in silicon photonics. The polarization-independent, optical circulator uses an optical splitter having two couplers and two waveguides joining the two couplers. One of the two waveguides is thinner than the other to create a large effective index difference between TE and TM modes transmitted through the one waveguide. Polarization rotators, including reciprocal and/or non-reciprocal rotators, are further used to create the optical circulator.
Abstract:
A modulator and a capacitor are integrated on a semiconductor substrate for modulating a laser beam. Integrating the capacitor on the substrate reduces parasitic inductance for high-speed optical communication.
Abstract:
A tunable laser has a first mirror, a second mirror, a gain medium, and a directional coupler. The first mirror and the second mirror form an optical resonator. The gain medium and the directional coupler are, at least partially, in an optical path of the optical resonator. The first mirror and the second mirror comprise binary super gratings. Both the first mirror and the second mirror have high reflectivity. The directional coupler provides an output coupler for the tunable laser.
Abstract:
A waveguide mode expander couples a smaller optical mode in a semiconductor waveguide to a larger optical mode in an optical fiber. The waveguide mode expander comprises a shoulder and a ridge. In some embodiments, the ridge of the waveguide mode expander has a plurality of stages, the plurality of stages having different widths at a given cross section.
Abstract:
An optical receiver, used in wavelength-division multiplexing, has multiple photodetectors per channel. The optical receiver comprises a demultiplexer to separate incoming light into different output waveguides, one output waveguide for each channel. A splitter is used in each output waveguide to split each output waveguide into two or more branches. A separate photodetector is coupled with each branch so that two or more photodetectors are used to measure each channel.
Abstract:
A waveguide mode expander couples a smaller optical mode in a semiconductor waveguide to a larger optical mode in an optical fiber. The waveguide mode expander comprises a shoulder and a ridge. In some embodiments, the ridge of the waveguide mode expander has a plurality of stages, the plurality of stages having different widths at a given cross section.