Abstract: The optical device includes a waveguide on a base. The waveguide is configured to guide a light signal through a light-transmitting medium to a light sensor. The light sensor includes a sensor waveguide on the base. The sensor waveguide receives the light signal from the input waveguide. Additionally, the sensor waveguide includes a light-absorbing medium having an input side. The input side is interfaced with the light-transmitting medium such that at least a portion of the light signal received by the sensor waveguide travels through the input side of the light-absorbing medium upon being received by the sensor waveguide. The light-absorbing medium includes doped regions. One or more of the doped regions each extends from within the light-absorbing medium to the input side of the light-absorbing medium.

Abstract: The modulator includes a ring resonator having a phase modulator that tunes blocked wavelengths within phase modulator bandwidths. The blocked bands include blocked wavelengths at which the intensity of an output light signal is minimized. Each of the blocked bands is associated with the phase modulator bandwidth within which the blocked wavelength is tuned. A bandwidth shifting device is configured to shift a selection of wavelengths that falls within each of the phase modulator bandwidths. Electronics are configured to operate the bandwidth shifting device so as to shift the phase modulator bandwidths from a location where a first target wavelength falls within a first one of the phase modulator bandwidths to a location where a second target wavelength falls within a second one of the phase modulator bandwidths.

Abstract: The system includes a first optical device and a second optical device. The second optical device has a second facet. The first optical device has a waveguide on a base. The waveguide terminates at a waveguide facet. The waveguide facet is positioned so as to exchange light signals with the second facet. The first optical device also has one or more actuators that are each configured to move the waveguide facet relative to the second facet.

Abstract: A system includes optical modules. Each module includes a different base and one or more module waveguides on the base. Module waveguides from different modules are aligned such that the aligned module waveguides exchange light signals. At least a portion of one of the aligned module waveguides is between the base of one of the modules and the base of another module. First electronics operate a transmitter on a first one of the optical modules so as to generate one of the light signals. Second electronics operate a receiver on a second one of the modules such that the electronics generate an electrical signal in response to the receiver receiving one of the light signals.

Abstract: An optical device has a waveguide immobilized on a base. A lens is defined by the base. A reflecting side reflects a light signal that travels on an optical pathway that extends through the lens and into the waveguide. The reflecting side is positioned to reflect the light signal as the light signal travels along a portion of the optical pathway between the lens and the waveguide. An optical insulator that confines the light signal within the waveguide. The portion of the optical pathway between the lens and the waveguide extends through the optical insulator such that the light signal is transmitted through the optical insulator.

Abstract: An optical device includes a gain medium on a substrate. The device also includes one or more laser cavities and an amplifier on the substrate. The one or more laser cavities each guides a light signal through a different region of the gain medium such that each of the light signals is amplified within the gain medium. The amplifier guides an amplified light signal through the gain medium such that the amplified light signal is amplified in the gain medium.

Abstract: The device includes a main waveguide on a base. The main waveguide is configured to guide a light signal through a light-transmitting medium. The device also includes multiple transition waveguides on the base. Each of the transition waveguide intersects a terminal end of the main waveguide such that each transition waveguide receives a different portion of the light signal from the main waveguide. The device also includes one or more light sensors positioned on the base. Each transition waveguide guides the received light portions to the one or more light sensors such that each of the light signal portions is received at the one or more light sensors.

Abstract: The optical device includes an active component on a base. The active component is a light sensor and/or a light modulator. The active component including an active medium that includes a ridge and slab regions. The ridge extends upwards from the base and is positioned between the slab regions. The ridge defines a portion of a waveguide on the base. One or more isolation trenches each extends into the slab regions of the active medium and is at least partially spaced apart from the ridge of the active medium.

Abstract: The multi-channel optical device includes a demultiplexer in a laser cavity. The demultiplexer is configured to demultiplex a multi-channel light beam into a plurality of channels. The demultiplexer limits the wavelengths of the channels that are output from the laser cavity. The gain element includes quantum dots as the gain medium.

Abstract: The ring resonator includes waveguides configured to guide light signals. The waveguides include an input waveguide and one or more loop waveguides. One of the loop waveguides is a primary loop waveguide that is optically coupled with the input waveguide at a wavelength of light. A tuner is configured to tune the wavelength at which the light is optically coupled from the input waveguide into the primary loop waveguide. One or more light detectors are each configured to provide an output indicating an intensity of light guided in one of the one or more loop waveguides. Electronics are configured to tune the tuner in response to the output from the light detector.

Abstract: The light sensor and waveguide are positioned on a base such that a light signal guided by the waveguide is received at the light sensor. The waveguide includes a taper configured such that a ratio of a width of the waveguide at a first location in the taper:the width of the waveguide at a second location in the taper is greater than 1.2:1 where a length of the taper between the first location and the second location is less than 60 ?m.

Abstract: The light sensor is included on an optical device having a waveguide on a base. The waveguide is configured to guide a light signal through a crystalline light-transmitting medium. The light sensor is also positioned on the base and is configured to receive the light signal from the waveguide. The light sensor includes a planar interface between two different materials. The interface is at a 45° angle relative to a <110> direction of the light-transmitting medium.

Abstract: An optical device includes a ridge on a base. The ridge includes an active medium. An active component on the base is a light sensor and/or a light modulator. The active component is configured to guide a light signal through the active medium included in the ridge. Electrical current carriers contact the lateral sides of the ridge on opposing sides of the ridge. Each of the electrical current carriers includes a carrier material that is doped so as to increase the electrical conductivity of the carrier material. The carrier material is different from the active medium.

Abstract: An optical device includes a light-transmitting medium positioned on a base. The light-transmitting medium includes a slab region and a ridge extending upward from the slab region. The ridge defines a portion of an optical waveguide on the device. A modulator is also positioned on the base. The modulator includes a first doped region of the light-transmitting medium and a second doped region of the light-transmitting medium. The first doped region and the second doped region are configured such that a depletion region forms in the waveguide when an electrical bias is not applied to the modulator. At least a portion of the first doped region is positioned in the ridge and at least a portion of the second doped region is positioned in the slab region. The light-transmitting medium includes a first electrical pathway extending from a first location to the first doped region. The first location is on top of the light-transmitting medium and is spaced apart from the ridge.

Abstract: A method of forming an optical device includes generating a device precursor having a layer of a light-transmitting medium on a base. The method also includes forming an etch stop on the layer of light-transmitting medium. An active medium is grown on the etch stop and on the light-transmitting medium such that the light-transmitting medium is between the base and the grown active medium. The grown active medium is etched down to the etch stop so as to define a ridge in the active medium. The ridge of active medium defines a portion of a component waveguide that will guide a light signal through an active component on the device.

Abstract: The system includes an optical device having both optical components and one or more waveguides on a base. The system also includes a heat sink and a zone definer contacting the base and the heat sink. The zone definer is configured to conduct thermal energy from the optical device to the heat sink. The zone definer includes a thermal insulator having a lower thermal conductivity than both the heat sink and the base. The zone definer also includes a thermal via that extends through the thermal insulator. A via medium is positioned in the thermal via and has a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal insulator. The via medium is located under one of the optical components.

Abstract: A wafer includes multiple optical devices that each includes one or more optical components. The optical components include light-generating components that each generates a light signal in response to application of electrical energy to the light-generating component from electronics that are external to the wafer. The optical components also include receiver components that each outputs an electrical signal in response to receipt of light. The wafer also includes testing waveguides that each extends from within a boundary of one of the optical devices across the boundary of the optical device and also provides optical communication between a first portion of the optical components and a second portion of the optical components. The first portion of the optical components includes one or more of the light-generating components and the second portion of the optical components include one or more of the receiver components.

Abstract: The optical device includes a Fabry-Perot laser positioned on a base. A modulator is also positioned on the base so as to receive the output from the laser. The modulator is a Franz-Keldysh modulator that uses the Franz-Keldysh effect to modulate light signals. The laser and modulator are configured such that the modulator modulates the output from the laser and also such that the temperature dependence of the modulator tracks the temperature dependence of the laser.

Abstract: The system includes a light-transmitting medium positioned on a base. The light-transmitting medium included a ridge and a slab region. The ridge extends upward from the slab region and defines a portion of a waveguide on the base. The waveguide is configured to guide a light signal through the device. The device also includes an avalanche effect light sensor positioned on the base and configured to detect the presence of the light signal. The light sensor includes a light-absorbing medium positioned on the ridge of the light-transmitting medium such that the light signal is coupled from the light-transmitting medium into the light-absorbing medium. The light-transmitting includes a charge layer located at an interface of the light-transmitting medium and the light-absorbing medium. A multiplication region is formed in the slab regions of the light-transmitting medium such that the multiplication region receives charge carriers from the charge layer during the operation of the light sensor.

Abstract: An optical device includes an active component on a base. The active component is a light sensor and/or a light modulator. The active component is configured to guide a light signal through a ridge of an active medium extending upwards from slab regions of the active medium. The slab regions are on opposing sides of the ridge. The active medium includes a doped region that extends into a lateral side of the ridge and also into one of the slab regions. The depth that the doped region extends into the slab region is further than the depth that the doped region extends into the ridge.