Abstract: An optical sensor comprises an optical element having diffractive elements and a sensing region. The diffractive elements are collectively arranged to comprise spectral and spatial transformation information and to transform an input optical signal into an output optical signal according to the transformation information. The sensing region is arranged for receiving sample material so that the optical signals spatially overlap the sample material in the sensing region. The diffractive element set and the sensing region are arranged so that the spectral or spatial transformation information varies according to an optical property of the sample material. A sensing method comprises: receiving into the sensing region the sample material; receiving into the optical element the input optical signal; and receiving from the optical element the output optical signal. The method may further comprise measuring the variation of the spectral transformation information resulting from the sample substance.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises a planar optical waveguide having at least two reflectors. The planar optical waveguide substantially confines in at least one transverse spatial dimension optical signals propagating therein, and the reflectors define an optical resonator that supports at least one resonant optical cavity mode. At least one of the reflectors comprises a set of diffractive elements arranged: so that an optical signal in one of the resonant optical cavity modes is successively incident on the diffractive elements; so as to exhibit a positional variation in amplitude, optical separation, or spatial phase; and so as to apply a transfer function to the optical signal successively incident on the diffractive elements. The transfer function is determined at least in part by said positional variation in amplitude, optical separation, or spatial phase exhibited by the diffractive elements.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises a planar optical waveguide and at least one set of diffractive elements formed in or on the waveguide. The waveguide is arranged to confine propagating optical signals in at least one transverse dimension. The diffractive element set collectively exhibits a positional variation in diffractive amplitude, optical separation, or spatial phase over some portion of the set. The diffractive element set is collectively arranged to route, as an output optical signal, between corresponding input and output optical ports, a corresponding diffracted portion of an input optical signal. The diffractive element set is collectively arranged so that the input optical signal or the output optical signal is successively incident on the diffractive elements.

Abstract: An optical waveguide includes a set of diffractive elements. The diffractive element set routes within the waveguide a diffracted portion of an input optical signal between input and output optical ports. The input optical signal is successively incident on the diffractive elements. The optical signal propagates in the waveguide in a corresponding signal optical transverse mode substantially confined in at least one transverse dimension. A modal index of the signal optical mode or a modal index of a loss optical mode spatially varies along a signal propagation direction within the optical waveguide, or the loss optical mode is optically damped as it propagates along the optical waveguide. Said signal modal index variation, said loss modal index variation, or said loss mode damping yields a level of optical coupling between the signal optical mode and the loss optical mode at or below an operationally acceptable level.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are contemplated for receiving from an input, an optical signal in a volume hologram comprising a transfer function that may comprise temporal or spectral information, and spatial transformation information; diffracting the optical signal; and transmitting the diffracted optical signal to an output. A plurality of inputs and outputs may be coupled to the volume hologram. The transformation may be a linear superposition of transforms, with each transform acting on an input signal or on a component of an input signal. Each transform may act to focus one or more input signals to one or more output ports. A volume hologram may be made by various techniques, and from various materials. A transform function may be calculated by simulating the collision of a design input signal with a design output signal.

Abstract: An optical multiplexing device includes an optical element having at least one set of diffractive elements, and an optical reflector. The reflector routes, between first and second optical ports, that portion of an optical signal transmitted by the diffractive element set. The diffractive element set routes, between first and multiplexing optical ports, a portion of the optical signal that is diffracted by the diffractive element set. More complex optical multiplexing functionality(ies) may be achieved using additional sets of diffractive elements, in a common optical element (and possibly overlaid) or in separate optical elements with multiple reflectors. Separate multiplexing devices may be assembled with coupled ports for forming more complex devices. The respective portions of an optical signal transmitted by and reflected/diffracted from the diffractive element set typically differ spectrally.

Abstract: A planar optical waveguide is formed having sets of locking diffractive elements and means for routing optical signals. Lasers are positioned to launch signals into the planar waveguide that are successively incident on elements of the locking diffractive element sets, which route fractions of the signals back to the lasers as locking feedback signals. The routing means route between lasers and output port(s) portions of those fractions of signals transmitted by locking diffractive element sets. Locking diffractive element sets may be formed in channel waveguides formed in the planar waveguide, or in slab waveguide region(s) of the planar waveguide. Multiple routing means may comprise routing diffractive element sets formed in a slab waveguide region of the planar waveguide, or may comprise an arrayed waveguide grating formed in the planar waveguide. The apparatus may comprise a multiple-wavelength optical source.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises a planar optical waveguide having at least one set of diffractive elements and confining in at least one transverse spatial dimension optical signals propagating therein. Each diffractive element set routes, between corresponding input and output optical ports, a corresponding diffracted portion of an input optical signal propagating in the waveguide that is successively incident on the diffractive elements and is diffracted by the diffractive element set. The optical signals propagate in the waveguide in corresponding diffractive-region optical transverse modes in regions where the diffractive elements are present, and in corresponding non-diffractive-region optical transverse modes in regions where the diffractive elements are absent.

Abstract: An optical time delay apparatus comprises: a multi-wavelength optical source; a diffractive element set imparting a wavelength-dependent delay on signals routed from the source to a 1×N optical switch; and N diffractive element sets routing signals from the 1×N switch to an output port. The optical propagation delay between the source and the output port varies according to the operational state of the source and the 1×N switch. A photodetector may receive the time-delayed signal at the output port.

Abstract: A reconfigurable add-drop multiplexer (R-OADM) comprises an array of channel waveguides coupling two groups of diffractive element sets on a slab waveguide. The channel waveguides include switchable reflectors or are coupled to other channel waveguides by optical switches. Switching a reflector to reflect or setting a switch to couple two waveguides results in a corresponding wavelength channel being added or dropped. Switching the reflector to transmit or setting the switch to uncouple the two waveguides allows the corresponding wavelength channel to pass through the R-OADM without being added or dropped.

Abstract: A slab optical waveguide confines in one transverse dimension optical signals propagating in two dimensions therein, and has a set of diffractive elements collectively arranged so as to exhibit positional variation in amplitude, optical separation, or spatial phase. The diffractive elements are collectively arranged so as to apply a transfer function to an input optical signal to produce an output optical signal. The transfer function is determined at least in part by said positional variation in amplitude, optical separation, or spatial phase. The waveguide and diffractive elements are arranged so as to confine only one of the input and output optical signals to propagate in the waveguide so that the optical signal thus confined is successively incident on the diffractive elements, while the other optical signal propagates unconfined by the waveguide in a direction having a substantial component along the confined dimension of the waveguide.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises an optical interconnect structure defining one or more optical source and receiver ports and one or more interconnect optical signal pathways connecting corresponding optical signal source and receiver ports. The optical interconnect structure comprises an optical waveguide defining a portion of each interconnect optical signal pathway. Each interconnect pathway includes a wavefront diffractive transformation region and a corresponding set of diffractive elements thereof. Each diffractive element set diffractively transforms a corresponding diffracted portion of an incident signal with a corresponding design input signal wavefront into an emergent signal with a corresponding design output signal wavefront. For at least one diffractive element set, only one of the corresponding design input or output signal wavefronts is confined in at least one transverse dimension by the optical waveguide, while the other design wavefront propagates without confinement by the optical waveguide.

Abstract: A method comprises: formulating simulated design input and output optical signals propagating from/to respective designed optical input and output ports as optical beams substantially confined by a planar optical waveguide; computing an interference pattern between the simulated input and output signals; and computationally deriving an arrangement of diffractive elements of a diffractive element set from the computed interference pattern. When the diffractive element set is formed in the planar optical waveguide, each diffractive element routes, between corresponding input and output optical ports, a corresponding diffracted portion of an input optical signal propagating in the planar optical waveguide that is diffracted by the diffractive element set. The input optical signal is successively incident on the diffractive elements.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises a planar optical waveguide having at least two sets of diffractive elements. The planar optical waveguide substantially confines in at least one transverse spatial dimension optical signals propagating therein. The two diffractive element sets define an optical resonator that supports at least one resonant optical cavity mode. An optical signal in one of the resonant optical cavity modes is successively incident on the diffractive elements of each of the diffractive element sets.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for optical packet decoding, waveform generation, and wavelength multiplexing/demultiplexing using a programmed holographic structure. A configurable programmed holographic structure is disclosed. A configurable programmed holographic structure may be dynamically re-configured through the application of control mechanisms which alter operative holographic structures.

Abstract: A spectrally-encoded label comprises a spectrally-selective optical element having a label spectral signature. The label spectral signature is determined according to a spectral-encoding scheme so as to represent predetermined label information within the spectral encoding scheme. The label emits output light in response to input light selected by the label spectral signature of the optical element. A spectrally-encoded label system further comprises an optical detector sensitive to the output light emitted from the label, and a decoder operatively coupled to the detector for extracting the label information according to the spectral encoding scheme, and may also include a light source providing the input light for illuminating the label.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are contemplated for receiving from an input, an optical signal in a volume hologram comprising a transfer function that may comprise temporal or spectral information, and spatial transformation information; diffracting the optical signal; and transmitting the diffracted optical signal to an output. A plurality of inputs and outputs may be coupled to the volume hologram. The transformation may be a linear superposition of transforms, with each transform acting on an input signal or on a component of an input signal. Each transform may act to focus one or more input signals to one or more output ports. A volume hologram may be made by various techniques, and from various materials. A transform function may be calculated by simulating the collision of a design input signal with a design output signal.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises: a planar optical waveguide having sets of locking diffractive elements and means for routing optical signals; and corresponding lasers. Lasers launch signals into the planar waveguide that are successively incident on elements of the locking diffractive element sets, which route fractions of the signals back to the lasers as locking feedback signals. The routing means route between lasers and output port(s) portions of those fractions of signals transmitted by locking diffractive element sets. Locking diffractive element sets may be formed in channel waveguides formed in the planar waveguide, or in slab waveguide region(s) of the planar waveguide. Multiple routing means may comprise routing diffractive element sets formed in a slab waveguide region of the planar waveguide, or may comprise an arrayed waveguide grating formed in the planar waveguide. The apparatus may comprise a multiple-wavelength optical source.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for optical packet decoding, waveform generation and wavelength multiplexing/demultiplexing using a programmed holographic structure. A configurable programmed holographic structure is disclosed. A configurable programmed holographic structure may be dynamically re-configured through the application of control mechanisms which alter operative holographic structures.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises an optical element having at least two sets of diffractive elements, each diffractive element comprising at least one diffracting region thereof. At least one diffractive element set collectively routes, between a corresponding input optical port and a corresponding output optical port, at least a portion of a corresponding optical signal incident on the diffracting regions that is diffracted thereby as it propagates from the corresponding input optical port. The optical element includes at least one spatial region thereof wherein multiple diffracting regions of a first diffractive element set are present and diffracting regions of a second diffractive element set are absent. The diffractive elements of each set, the diffracting regions thereof, and each said spatial region are arranged so as to impart desired spatial characteristics, desired spectral characteristics, or desired temporal characteristics onto the corresponding routed portion of the optical signal.