Abstract: An optical phase shifter may include a waveguide core that has a top surface, and a semiconductor contact that is laterally displaced relative to the waveguide core and is electrically connected to the waveguide core. A top surface of the semiconductor contact is above the top surface of the waveguide core. The waveguide core may include a p-type core region and an n-type core region. A p-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the n-type core region of the waveguide core, and an n-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the p-type core region of the waveguide core. A phase shifter region and a light-emitting region may be disposed at different depth levels, and the light-emitting region may emit light from a phase shifter region that is in a position adjacent to the light-emitting region.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe configurations of, and methods for operating a large-scale optical phased array for contemporary applications including LIDAR, optical communications, imaging, and displays—among others.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe photonic integrated circuits on a common substrate including an optical phased array having a plurality of emitters and a plurality of thermal phase shifters in which the thermal phase shifters are thermally isolated from one another through the effect of one or more trenches formed over and/or under and/or around the thermal phase shifters and/or waveguides including same.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe systems, methods, and structures for optical phased array calibration that advantageously may be performed as a single-pass measurement of phase offset with respect to only a single interference measurement. In sharp contrast to the prior art—systems, methods, and structures according to aspects of the present disclosure advantageously produce phase offsets and phase functions of each element without time-consuming iterative procedures or multiple detector signals as required by the prior art.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe systems, methods, and structures for aberration correction of optical phased arrays that employ a corrective optical path difference (OPD) in the near-field of an OPA to correct or cancel out aberrations in emitted beams of the OPA including those reaching far-field distances by generating a spatially-varying OPD across the aperture of the OPA that is substantially equal and opposite to an equivalent OPD of the aberration(s).

Abstract: An optical phase shifter may include a waveguide core that has a top surface, and a semiconductor contact that is laterally displaced relative to the waveguide core and is electrically connected to the waveguide core. A top surface of the semiconductor contact is above the top surface of the waveguide core. The waveguide core may include a p-type core region and an n-type core region. A p-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the n-type core region of the waveguide core, and an n-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the p-type core region of the waveguide core. A phase shifter region and a light-emitting region may be disposed at different depth levels, and the light-emitting region may emit light from a phase shifter region that is in a position adjacent to the light-emitting region.

Abstract: An optical phase shifter may include a waveguide core that has a top surface, and a semiconductor contact that is laterally displaced relative to the waveguide core and is electrically connected to the waveguide core. A top surface of the semiconductor contact is above the top surface of the waveguide core. The waveguide core may include a p-type core region and an n-type core region. A p-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the n-type core region of the waveguide core, and an n-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the p-type core region of the waveguide core. A phase shifter region and a light-emitting region may be disposed at different depth levels, and the light-emitting region may emit light from a phase shifter region that is in a position adjacent to the light-emitting region.

Abstract: An optical phase shifter may include a waveguide core that has a top surface, and a semiconductor contact that is laterally displaced relative to the waveguide core and is electrically connected to the waveguide core. A top surface of the semiconductor contact is above the top surface of the waveguide core. The waveguide core may include a p-type core region and an n-type core region. A p-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the n-type core region of the waveguide core, and an n-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the p-type core region of the waveguide core. A phase shifter region and a light-emitting region may be disposed at different depth levels, and the light-emitting region may emit light from a phase shifter region that is in a position adjacent to the light-emitting region.

Abstract: An optical phase shifter may include a waveguide core that has a top surface, and a semiconductor contact that is laterally displaced relative to the waveguide core and is electrically connected to the waveguide core. A top surface of the semiconductor contact is above the top surface of the waveguide core. The waveguide core may include a p-type core region and an n-type core region. A p-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the n-type core region of the waveguide core, and an n-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the p-type core region of the waveguide core. A phase shifter region and a light-emitting region may be disposed at different depth levels, and the light-emitting region may emit light from a phase shifter region that is in a position adjacent to the light-emitting region.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe large scale steerable optical switched arrays that may be fabricated on a common substrate including many thousands or more emitters that may be arranged in a curved pattern at the focal plane of a lens thereby allowing the directional control of emitted light and selective reception of reflected light suitable for use in imaging, ranging, and sensing applications including accident avoidance.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe optical structures and devices, and more particularly to improved, tunable optical structures including optical gratings that are dynamically affected and/or tuned by acousto-optic or electro-optic mechanisms.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe optical phased array structures and devices in which hyperbolic phase envelopes are employed to create focusing and diverging emissions in one and two dimensions. Tuning the phase fronts moves focal point spot in depth and across the array. Grating emitters are also used to emit light upward (out of plane). Adjusting the period of the gratings along the light propagation direction results in focusing the light emitted from the gratings. Changes in the operating wavelengths employed moves the focal spot along the emitters.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe systems, methods, and structures including integrated laser systems that employ external chirping structures that may advantageously include phase shifters and/or one or more filters. Further aspects of the present disclosure describe systems, methods, and structures including laser systems that employ external chirping structures that may advantageously include optical phased arrays.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe systems, methods, and structures—including LiDAR—that employ multiple detectors that may determine multiple incident angles of multiple received radiation beams and advantageously do not require or employ phase shifters in illustrative embodiments and may instead—employ optical Fourier transform structures.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe systems, methods, and structures providing speckle reduction in photonic phased array structures.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe photonic circuits that include an amplifier section or multiple amplifier sections to boost the output power of an optical transmitter and includes additional components including—but not limited to—a band pass optical filter, a wavelength demultiplexer and additional components—all on a single chip.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe wavelength division multiplexed LiDAR systems, methods, and structures that advantageously provide a wide field of view without employing lasers having a large tuning range.

Abstract: An optical device may include at least two waveguides with different propagation constants. Each waveguide is associated with a grating antenna with a grating period selected to emit light at the same emission angle despite the different propagation constants. Each waveguide may be part of an optical path that includes phase shifters. Additionally, the waveguides may be formed in a waveguide layer that is separate from a perturbation layer in which the grating antennas as formed.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe large scale steerable optical switched arrays that may be fabricated on a common substrate including many thousands or more emitters that may be arranged in a curved pattern at the focal plane of a lens thereby allowing the directional control of emitted light and selective reception of reflected light suitable for use in imaging, ranging, and sensing applications including accident avoidance.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure describe photonic integrated circuits on a common substrate including an optical phased array having a plurality of emitters and a plurality of thermal phase shifters in which the thermal phase shifters are thermally isolated from one another through the effect of one or more trenches formed over and/or under and/or around the thermal phase shifters and/or waveguides including same.