Abstract: The invention relates to an optical transmitter assembly (OTA) for vertical coupling of light into a chip, and to a method for manufacturing the OTA. The OTA includes a laser diode, a microlens and a turning mirror mounted at a top face of a supporting substrate within a sealed enclosure, and an optical component, such as an optical isolator, a polarizer, or a microlens disposed in a substrate cavity that opens to the back face of the substrate. The optical component may be placed into the cavity after the enclosure is sealed.

Abstract: A wavelength selective switch (WSS) may include a first set of ports, each to launch a respective beam of a first set of beams, wherein the first set of beams is provided to a first position on a focal plane, and wherein a first set of wavelength channel sub-beams, included in a beam of the first set of beams, is to be incident on a particular section of a switching array. The WSS may include a second set of ports, each to launch a respective beam of a second set of beams, wherein the second set of beams is provided to a second position on the focal plane, wherein the second position is different from the first position, and wherein a second set of wavelength channel sub-beams, included in a beam of the second set of beams, is to be incident on the particular section of the switching array.

Abstract: A device may include a transient optical amplifier having stored energy associated with a lower boundary and an upper boundary of a dynamic equilibrium, and a target level defining stored energy for amplifying a high energy input pulse to a higher energy output pulse. The device may include a pump to increase the amplifier's stored energy, and a source to pass low energy control pulses or the high energy input pulse to the amplifier. The device may include a controller configured to maintain the amplifier's stored energy in the dynamic equilibrium by requesting low energy control pulses for the amplifier at a high repetition frequency. The controller may wait to receive a trigger. Based on receiving the trigger, the device may stop passing low energy control pulses to the amplifier, and may pass the high energy input pulse to the amplifier when the amplifier's stored energy reaches the target level.

Abstract: A cladding stripper includes a plurality of transversal notches or grooves in the outer surface of an exposed inner cladding of a double clad optical fiber. Position and orientation of the notches can be selected to even out cladding light release along the cladding light stripper, enabling more even temperature distributions due to released cladding light. The notches on the optical fiber can be made with a laser ablation system.

Abstract: A compact wavelength dispersing device and a wavelength selective optical switch based on the wavelength dispersing device is described. The wavelength dispersing device has a folding mirror that folds the optical path at least three times. A focal length of a focusing coupler of the device is reduced and the NA is increased, while the increased optical aberrations are mitigated by using an optional coma-compensating wedge. A double-pass arrangement for a transmission diffraction grating allows further focal length and overall size reduction due to increased angular dispersion.

Abstract: A transistor outline (TO) package may include a TO cap. The TO package may include a TO header. The TO header may include a header stem of a first material and a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) value. The TO header may include a header base of a second material and a second CTE value. The first material and the second material may be different. The first CTE value and the second CTE value may be different. The first CTE value and the second CTE value may be within a threshold percentage of each other.

Abstract: A device may include a first photodetector to generate a first current based on an optical power of an optical beam. The device may include a beam splitter to split a portion of the optical beam into a first beam and a second beam. The device may include a wavelength filter to filter the first beam and the second beam. The wavelength filter may filter the second beam differently than the first beam based on a difference between an optical path length of the first beam and an optical path length of the second beam through the wavelength filter. The device may include second and third photodetectors to respectively receive, after the wavelength filter, the first beam and the second beam and to generate respective second currents.

Abstract: A method and a controller for operating an array of variable optical retarders are disclosed. Neighboring pixels of the array of variable optical retarders are driven with disordered temporal bit sequences. An optical beam illuminating the pixels tends to integrate time-domain modulation caused by individual pixels driven in a non-coordinated or disordered fashion, which reduces the overall time-domain modulation amplitude of the optical beam.

Abstract: An optical node may include D (D?2) input ports, D output ports, and D degrees. Each degree may include an inbound M×N (M?D, N?2D) WSS and an outbound M×N WSS. Each inbound M×N WSS may include an input connected to one of the D input ports; inputs connected to outputs of inbound M×N WSSs of the other degrees; outputs connected to inputs of outbound M×N WSSs of the other degrees; outputs connected to inputs of inbound M×N WSSs of the other degrees; and a local drop port. Each outbound M×N WSS may include an output connected to one of the D input ports; outputs connected to inputs of outbound M×N WSSs of the other degrees; inputs connected to outputs of inbound M×N WSSs of the other degrees; inputs connected to outputs of outbound M×N WSSs of the other degrees; and a local add port.

Abstract: The invention relates to wavelength stabilization and wavelength multiplexing of multiple high-power multi-mode semiconductor lasers. The lasers are wavelength-stabilized in free space using multi-peak output reflectors to wavelength-lock their output at different reflection wavelength in dependence on operating conditions, to reduce output reflectivity required for locking and increase output power. Selecting output reflectors having different non-overlapping sets of reflectivity peaks for different lasers or groups of lasers enables combining their output by wavelength multiplexing.

Abstract: A wavelength selective switch (WSS) may include a front-end unit that includes an input few-mode fiber (FMF) providing an input optical signal including multiple wavelengths. The multiple wavelengths may each have N modes. The front-end unit may include two or more output few-mode fibers (FMFs), and a side that has a 1×N port for each of the input FMF and the two or more output FMFs. Each of the 1×N ports may be single mode in a wavelength dispersion dimension and N-mode in a switching dimension. The WSS may include a switching element to receive the input optical signal from the front-end unit, switch each of the multiple wavelengths of the input optical signal to form one or more output optical signals, and direct each of the one or more output optical signals to a corresponding 1×N port of the front-end unit.

Abstract: A planar lightwave circuit may include a set of components. The set of components may include an input waveguide to couple to an optical communications transceiver. The set of components may include an output waveguide to couple to the optical communications transceiver. The set of components may include a common port to couple to an optical fiber. The set of components may include a first polarization beam splitter. The set of components may include a second polarization beam splitter. The set of components may include a third polarization beam splitter. The set of components may include a rotator assembly including a Faraday rotator and a quarter-wave plate.

Abstract: An optical device may include a laser emitter to generate a first laser beam and a second laser beam with orthogonal polarization states. The optical device may include first and second photodetectors to generate respective first currents based on optical powers of the first and second laser beams. The optical device may include a polarization-based beam splitter to combine the first and second laser beams. The optical device may include a wavelength filter to filter the first and second laser beams based on respective wavelengths of the first and second laser beams. The optical device may include a third photodetector and a fourth photodetector to generate respective second currents based on optical powers of the first and second laser beams after filtration. The wavelengths of the first and second laser beams may be controlled based on the first currents and the second currents.

Abstract: A zoned waveplate has a series of transversely stacked birefringent zones alternating with non-birefringent zones. The birefringent and non-birefringent zones are integrally formed upon an AR-coated face of a single substrate by patterning the AR coated face of the substrate with zero-order sub-wavelength form-birefringent gratings configured to have a target retardance. The layer structure of the AR coating is designed to provide the target birefringence in the patterned zones and the reflection suppression.

Abstract: A modulator may include a substrate. The modulator may include one or more waveguides formed upon or formed in the substrate. A signal electrode may be provided adjacent to at least one of the one or more waveguides and may include a curved outer surface. The modulator may include one or more ground electrodes provided adjacent to the signal electrode. Each ground electrode, of the one or more ground electrodes, may include a respective curved inner surface that is radially spaced from the curved outer surface of the signal electrode. The one or more ground electrodes and the substrate may at least substantially enclose the curved outer surface of the signal electrode.

Abstract: An optical cross-connect including two deflector arrays optically separated by an angle-to-offset (ATO) element, wherein each deflector array includes a plurality of deflectors aligned in an array direction, each deflector array having a switching direction substantially perpendicular to the corresponding array direction, the array direction of the two deflector arrays being substantially perpendicular. Beam shaping optics convert light transmitted towards the first deflector array to have an elliptical cross-section at the first deflector array, thus providing a relatively simple and compact optical cross-connect.

Abstract: A sub-wavelength grating is placed inside a liquid crystal variable optical retarder to reduce polarization dependence of the optical retardation generated by the variable optical retarder. A small thickness of the sub-wavelength grating, as compared to a conventional waveplate, reduces the driving voltage penalty due to the in-cell placement of the sub-wavelength grating.

Abstract: A method may include receiving, by a switching engine, an optical signal that includes a channel. The method may include applying, by the switching engine, a first beam steering grating to direct a first portion of the channel to a first output port. The method may include applying, by the switching engine, one or more second beam steering gratings to direct at least one of a second portion of the channel to a second output port, or a third portion of the channel to a photodetector. The third portion may be approximately less, in power, than 10 percent of the channel.

Abstract: A pump laser package may include an input fiber to send signal light on a first optical path. A first lens may be arranged on the first optical path. The pump laser package may include a source to send pump light on a second optical path. A second lens and a negative lens may be arranged on the second optical path. The first lens and the negative lens may be arranged to create a virtual image associated with the pump light. The pump laser package may include an output fiber on a third optical path. The first lens may be arranged on the third optical path. The pump laser package may include a combiner to receive the signal light on the first optical path, receive the pump light on the second optical path, and send the signal light and the pump light on the third optical path.

Abstract: A spot size converter may include a tapered periodic segmented waveguide (PSW). The tapered PSW may include a plurality of waveguide segments defined by a plurality of gaps between the plurality of waveguide segments. The plurality of gaps may be at one or more angles that are not substantially parallel to a direction of a width of the tapered PSW. The direction of the width of the tapered PSW may be substantially perpendicular to a direction in which light passes through the tapered PSW.