Abstract: The invention describes an integrated photonics platform comprising a plurality of at least three vertically-stacked waveguides which enables light transfer from one waveguide of the photonic structure into another waveguide by means of controlled tunneling method. The light transfer involves at least three waveguides wherein light power flows from initial waveguide into the final waveguide while tunneling through the intermediate ones. As an exemplary realization of the controlled tunneling waveguide integration, the invention describes a photonic integrated structure consisting of laser guide as upper waveguide, passive guide as middle waveguide, and modulator guide as lower waveguides. Controlled tunneling is enabled by the overlapped lateral tapers formed on the same or different vertical waveguide levels. In the further embodiments, the controlled tunneling platform is modified to implement wavelength-(de)multiplexing, polarization-splitting and beam-splitting functions.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a monolithically integrated coherent receiver chip which has a geometric arrangement of the on-chip components that significantly improves the performance and the manufacturability of a coherent receiver module for Dual Polarization Quadrature Phase Shift Keyed (DP-QPSK) applications and other optical coherent detection systems. The coherent receiver chip comprises two optical hybrids, three optical inputs and eight electrical outputs with the two optical hybrids oriented perpendicular to the optical inputs and the electrical outputs which are widely spaced and arranged in a co-linear fashion that simplifies module design and assembly. The proposed geometric arrangement also replaces any optical waveguide crossings with vertical electrical-optical crossings and includes electrical transmissions which are used to minimize channel skew. The proposed configuration also has the additional benefit of improved thermal management by separating the module's trans-impedance amplifiers.

Abstract: The invention describes an integrated photonics platform comprising a plurality of at least three vertically-stacked waveguides which enables light transfer from one waveguide of the photonic structure into another waveguide by means of controlled tunneling method. The light transfer involves at least three waveguides wherein light power flows from initial waveguide into the final waveguide whilst tunneling through the intermediate ones. As an exemplary realization of the controlled tunneling waveguide integration, the invention describes a photonic integrated structure consisting of laser guide as upper waveguide, passive guide as middle waveguide, and modulator guide as lower waveguides. Controlled tunneling is enabled by the overlapped lateral tapers formed on the same or different vertical waveguide levels. In the further embodiments, the controlled tunneling platform is modified to implement wavelength-(de)multiplexing, polarization-splitting and beam-splitting functions.