Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to photonic integrated circuits with an on-chip optical isolator. A photonic transmitter chip may include a laser and an on-chip isolator optically coupled with the laser that includes an optical waveguide having a section coupled with a magneto-optic liquid phase epitaxy grown garnet film. In some embodiments, a cladding may be coupled with the garnet film, the on-chip isolator may be arranged in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration, the waveguide may include one or more polarization rotators, and/or the garnet film may be formed of a material from a rare-earth garnet family. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: A portion of an optical waveguide extending laterally within a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip is at least partially freed from the substrate to allow physical displacement of a released waveguide end relative to the substrate and relative to an adjacent photonic device also fabricated in the substrate. The released waveguide end may be displaced to modulate interaction between the photonic device and an optical mode propagated by the waveguide. In embodiments where the photonic device is an optical coupler, employing for example an Echelle grating or arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), mode propagation through the coupler may be modulated via physical displacement of the released waveguide end. In one such embodiment, thermal sensitivity of an integrated optical wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) is reduced by displacing the released waveguide end relative to the coupler in a manner that counters a temperature dependence of the optical coupler.

Abstract: An optical circuit includes solid state photonics. The optical circuit includes a phased array of solid state waveguides that perform beamsteering on an optical signal. The optical circuit includes a modulator to modulate a bit sequence onto the carrier frequency of the optical signal, and the beamsteered signal includes the modulated bit sequence. The optical circuit includes a photodetector to detect a reflection of the beamsteered optical signal. The optical circuit autocorrelates the reflection signal with the bit sequence to generate a processed signal.

Abstract: An optical circuit includes solid state photonics. The optical circuit includes a phased array of solid state waveguides that perform beamsteering on an optical signal. The optical circuit includes a modulator to modulate a bit sequence onto the carrier frequency of the optical signal, and the beamsteered signal includes the modulated bit sequence. The optical circuit includes a photodetector to detect a reflection of the beamsteered optical signal. The optical circuit autocorrelates the reflection signal with the bit sequence to generate a processed signal.

Abstract: An optical circuit includes solid state photonics. The optical circuit includes a phased array of solid state waveguides that perform beamsteering on an optical signal. The optical circuit includes a modulator to modulate a bit sequence onto the carrier frequency of the optical signal, and the beamsteered signal includes the modulated bit sequence. The optical circuit includes a photodetector to detect a reflection of the beamsteered optical signal. The optical circuit autocorrelates the reflection signal with the bit sequence to generate a processed signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensing apparatus, including a laser arrangement configured to generate a light beam, a first waveguide configured to receive and output the light beam, and a second waveguide aligned endface to endface with the first waveguide. The second waveguide may be configured to receive at least a portion of the light beam from the first waveguide via optical coupling through the aligned endfaces. Either the first or second waveguide may be configured to be moveable in response to an inertial change of the apparatus, wherein movement of the first or second waveguide causes a corresponding change in light intensity of the portion of the light beam, the change in light intensity indicating a measure of the inertial change. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to photonic integrated circuits with an on-chip optical isolator. A photonic transmitter chip may include a laser and an on-chip isolator optically coupled with the laser that includes an optical waveguide having a section coupled with a magneto-optic liquid phase epitaxy grown garnet film. In some embodiments, a cladding may be coupled with the garnet film, the on-chip isolator may be arranged in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration, the waveguide may include one or more polarization rotators, and/or the garnet film may be formed of a material from a rare-earth garnet family. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: An optical circuit includes solid state photonics. The optical circuit includes a phased array of solid state waveguides that perform beamsteering on an optical signal. The optical circuit includes a modulator to modulate a bit sequence onto the carrier frequency of the optical signal, and the beamsteered signal includes the modulated bit sequence. The optical circuit includes a photodetector to detect a reflection of the beamsteered optical signal. The optical circuit autocorrelates the reflection signal with the bit sequence to generate a processed signal.

Abstract: A solid state photonics circuit having a liquid crystal (LC) layer for beam steering. The LC layer can provide tuning of an array of waveguides by controlling the application of voltage to the liquid crystal. The application of voltage to the liquid crystal can be controlled to perform beam steering with the light signal based on different tuning in each of the waveguides of the array. The waveguides are disposed in a substrate having an oxide or other insulating layer with an opening. The opening in the oxide layer exposes a portion of a path of the array of waveguides. The waveguides are exposed to the liquid crystal through the oxide opening, which allows the voltage changes to the liquid crystal to tune the optical signals in the waveguides.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms for a monolithic photonic integrated circuit (PIC) to provide spectrometry functionality. In an embodiment, the PIC comprises a photonic device, a first waveguide and a second waveguide, wherein one of the first waveguide and the second waveguide includes a released portion which is free to move relative to a substrate of the PIC. During a metering cycle to evaluate a material under test, control logic operates an actuator to successively configure a plurality of positions of the released portion relative to the photonic device. In another embodiment, light from the first waveguide is variously diffracted by a grating of the photonic device during the metering cycle, where portions of the light are directed into the second waveguide. Different wavelengths of light diffracted into the second waveguide may be successively detected, for different positions of the released portion, to determine spectrometric measurements over a range of wavelength.

Abstract: A slab of a rib waveguide includes geometric disruption features along a direction of propagation of the waveguide. The geometric disruption features scatter optical modes other than the fundamental mode in the slab without significantly impacting the fundamental optical mode that propagates primarily in the rib waveguide. The rib waveguide has a width to constrain the fundamental mode, and the fundamental mode primarily propagates through the rib waveguide, with some of the energy propagated via the slab. When the slab includes edges that are wider than the rib waveguide and smaller than the substrate on which the rib waveguide and slab are integrated, the slab can propagate optical modes other than the fundamental mode, such as higher-order modes. The geometric disruptions scatter the non-fundamental optical modes from the slab. The geometric disruptions can include serration features in one or both edges of the slab.

Abstract: A portion of an optical waveguide extending laterally within a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip is at least partially freed from the substrate to allow physical displacement of a released waveguide end relative to the substrate and relative to an adjacent photonic device also fabricated in the substrate. The released waveguide end may be displaced to modulate interaction between the photonic device and an optical mode propagated by the waveguide. In embodiments where the photonic device is an optical coupler, employing for example an Echelle grating or arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), mode propagation through the coupler may be modulated via physical displacement of the released waveguide end. In one such embodiment, thermal sensitivity of an integrated optical wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) is reduced by displacing the released waveguide end relative to the coupler in a manner that counters a temperature dependence of the optical coupler.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensing apparatus, including a laser arrangement configured to generate a light beam, a first waveguide configured to receive and output the light beam, and a second waveguide aligned endface to endface with the first waveguide. The second waveguide may be configured to receive at least a portion of the light beam from the first waveguide via optical coupling through the aligned endfaces. Either the first or second waveguide may be configured to be moveable in response to an inertial change of the apparatus, wherein movement of the first or second waveguide causes a corresponding change in light intensity of the portion of the light beam, the change in light intensity indicating a measure of the inertial change. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Systems and methods may provide for receiving an electrical measurement signal from a first photodetector coupled to a first waveguide and determining a total intensity level of reflected light in the first waveguide based on the electrical measurement signal. Additionally, a perspiration level of skin in contact with the first waveguide may be determined based on the total intensity level of the reflected light in the first waveguide. In one example, an electrical control signal is received from a second photodetector coupled to a second waveguide that is physically isolated from the skin, wherein the total intensity level of the reflected light in the first waveguide is determined further based on the electrical control signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensing device, including a laser arrangement configured to generate a light beam, a first waveguide configured to receive and output a first portion of the light beam, and a second waveguide having a section that is evanescently coupled to the first waveguide and configured to receive and output a second portion of the light beam. The section of the second waveguide is configured to be movable substantially parallel to the first waveguide, wherein a movement of the section of the second waveguide may be caused by an inertial change applied to the sensing device. The movement of the section may cause a detectable change in light intensity between the first and second portions of the light beam. Based on the detected change, the inertial change may be determined. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards techniques and configurations for MEMS sensing device configured to determine inertial change applied to the device. In one instance, the device may comprise a laser arrangement configured to generate a light beam, and a waveguide configured to split the light beam into two portions. The waveguide may include two arms through which the respective portions of the light beam may respectively pass, and disposed substantially parallel with each other and joined together around their respective ends to recombine the portions into a light beam. One of the arms may be deformable. A deformation of the arm may result in a change of an optical path length of a portion of the light beam traveling through the arm, causing a detectable change in light intensity of the recombined light beam outputted by the waveguide. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards techniques and configurations for a MEMS device configured to determine inertial change applied to the device. In one instance, the device may comprise a laser arrangement configured to generate a light beam having a resonant wavelength, a waveguide configured to receive and output the light beam, and an optical resonator comprising a deformable closed loop and optically coupled to the waveguide to receive a portion of the light beam. A deformation of the optical resonator may result in a change of an optical path length of a portion of the light beam traveling through the optical resonator, causing a change in the resonant wavelength of the light beam outputted by the waveguide. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms for a monolithic photonic integrated circuit (PIC) to provide spectrometry functionality. In an embodiment, the PIC comprises a photonic device, a first waveguide and a second waveguide, wherein one of the first waveguide and the second waveguide includes a released portion which is free to move relative to a substrate of the PIC. During a metering cycle to evaluate a material under test, control logic operates an actuator to successively configure a plurality of positions of the released portion relative to the photonic device. In another embodiment, light from the first waveguide is variously diffracted by a grating of the photonic device during the metering cycle, where portions of the light are directed into the second waveguide. Different wavelengths of light diffracted into the second waveguide may be successively detected, for different positions of the released portion, to determine spectrometric measurements over a range of wavelength.

Abstract: A solid state photonics circuit having a liquid crystal (LC) layer for beam steering. The LC layer can provide tuning of an array of waveguides by controlling the application of voltage to the liquid crystal. The application of voltage to the liquid crystal can be controlled to perform beam steering with the light signal based on different tuning in each of the waveguides of the array. The waveguides are disposed in a substrate having an oxide or other insulating layer with an opening. The opening in the oxide layer exposes a portion of a path of the array of waveguides. The waveguides are exposed to the liquid crystal through the oxide opening, which allows the voltage changes to the liquid crystal to tune the optical signals in the waveguides.

Abstract: Systems and methods may provide for receiving an electrical measurement signal from a first photodetector coupled to a first waveguide and determining a total intensity level of reflected light in the first waveguide based on the electrical measurement signal. Additionally, a perspiration level of skin in contact with the first waveguide may be determined based on the total intensity level of the reflected light in the first waveguide. In one example, an electrical control signal is received from a second photodetector coupled to a second waveguide that is physically isolated from the skin, wherein the total intensity level of the reflected light in the first waveguide is determined further based on the electrical control signal.