Abstract: An optical coupler that provides evanescent optical coupling includes an optical fiber and a waveguide. The optical fiber has a glass core, a glass inner cladding surrounding the glass core, and a polymeric outer cladding surrounding the glass inner cladding. The glass core and glass inner cladding define for the fiber a glass portion, which can be exposed at one end of the fiber by removing a portion of the polymeric outer cladding. The glass portion has a glass-portion surface. The waveguide has a waveguide core and a surface, and can be part of a photonic device. The glass portion of the fiber is interfaced with the waveguide to establish evanescent coupling between the fiber and the waveguide. Alignment features are used to facilitate aligning the fiber core to the waveguide core during the interfacing process to ensure suitable efficiency of the evanescent coupling.

Abstract: The glass-based ferrules include a glass substrate and two spaced-apart guide tubes, which can also be made of glass. The guide tubes include bores sized to receive guide pins from another ferrule. The ferrule can be used to form an optical interconnection device in the form of a waveguide connector that includes a planar lightwave circuit that supports multiple waveguides. The ferrule can also be used to form an optical interconnection device in the form of a fiber connector that includes a support substrate and an array of optical fibers supported thereby. The waveguide connector and fiber connector when mated form an integrated photonic device. Methods of forming the ferrule components, the ferrules and the optical interconnection devices are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a portable vital monitoring system and a method for monitoring an individual's vitals using a portable vital monitoring system. The portable vital monitoring system includes a stand-alone portable vital monitoring device that allows the individual to detect or measure the individual's vitals. The stand-alone device includes a plurality of sensing devices for detecting data indicative of the individual's vitals and generating one or more signals indicative of the vital data. The system also includes a control unit connected to the sensing devices for processing the signal such that the data can be displayed to and understood by the individual. The system also includes a vital monitoring application in wireless communication with the vital monitoring device via a wireless communication module.

Abstract: Embodiments of an optical assembly and methods of making it are provided. The optical assembly includes a first waveguide, a second waveguide, and an optical adhesive for transmitting optical signals between the first waveguide and the second waveguide. The adhesive includes about 20% to about 60% by volume of first monomers. The first monomers have at least two acrylate or methacrylate groups. The optical adhesive also includes about 40% to about 80% by volume of second monomers. The second monomers have at least one fluorine atom and at least one acrylate or methacrylate group. The optical adhesive has a refractive index of from about 1.40 to about 1.55, and in the temperature range of about 10° C. to about 85° C., the refractive index of the optical adhesive has a thermal drift dn/dT of less than the absolute magnitude of |4×10?4/° C.| and the sign of that value is negative.

Abstract: An optical interface device for a photonic integrated system includes a plug and a receptacle. The receptacle is operably arranged on a PIC that supports waveguides. The plug operably supports optical fibers. The receptacle and plug are configured to operably engage to establish optical communication between the optical fibers and the waveguides. A tab on the receptacle is configured to constrain longitudinal motion while allowing for lateral motion of the receptacle to adjust its position relative to the PIC to optimize alignment. The plug can include a spacer sized to fit within a recess defined by the tab to further facilitate alignment. The plug can also include lenses to establish the optical communication between the optical fibers and the waveguides. The receptacle and plug can be engaged and disengaged in a manner similar to conventional electrical connectors.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a fiber optic-to-waveguide coupling assembly with an overlap for edge coupling. The fiber optic-to-waveguide coupling assembly includes a first coupler having a substrate and at least one data fiber, and an interposer with at least one waveguide. A first coupler overlap portion of the substrate is positionable proximate a first interposer overlap portion of the interposer to form a first overlap therebetween to align the at least one data fiber with the at least one waveguide. The substrate and the interposer may each include complementary alignment features to further align the at least one data fiber and the at least one waveguide. The fiber optic-to-waveguide coupling assembly provides simple and accurate alignment with simplified manufacture and assembly.

Abstract: Detachable optical connectors including a connector support for optical chips and methods of their fabrication are disclosed. In one embodiment, an optical assembly includes an optical chip including a surface, an edge extending from the surface, and at least one chip waveguide proximate the surface and terminating at the edge. The optical assembly further includes a waveguide support having a chip coupling surface, and at least one waveguide disposed within the waveguide support and terminating at the chip coupling surface, wherein the chip coupling surface is coupled to the edge of the optical chip such that the at least one waveguide within the waveguide support is optically coupled to the at least one chip waveguide of the optical chip. The optical assembly further includes a connector support having a first portion coupled to the optical chip, and a second portion coupled to the waveguide support.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a portable vital monitoring system and a method for monitoring an individual's vitals using a portable vital monitoring system. The portable vital monitoring system includes a stand-alone portable vital monitoring device that allows the individual to detect or measure the individual's vitals. The stand-alone device includes a plurality of sensing devices for detecting data indicative of the individual's vitals and generating one or more signals indicative of the vital data. The system also includes a control unit connected to the sensing devices for processing the signal such that the data can be displayed to and understood by the individual. The system also includes a vital monitoring application in wireless communication with the vital monitoring device via a wireless communication module.

Abstract: An optical interface device for a photonic integrated system includes a plug and a receptacle. The receptacle is operably arranged on a PIC that supports waveguides. The plug operably supports optical fibers. The receptacle and plug are configured to operably engage to establish optical communication between the optical fibers and the waveguides. A tab on the receptacle is configured to constrain longitudinal motion while allowing for lateral motion of the receptacle to adjust its position relative to the PIC to optimize alignment. The plug can include a spacer sized to fit within a recess defined by the tab to further facilitate alignment. The plug can also include lenses to establish the optical communication between the optical fibers and the waveguides. The receptacle and plug can be engaged and disengaged in a manner similar to conventional electrical connectors.

Abstract: Methods of forming glass-based ferrules and glass-based coupling apparatus for use in forming optical interface devices for photonic systems are disclosed and include forming glass or polymer alignment members that each includes an alignment feature. Methods of forming the alignment members are also disclosed, and include glass drawing and molding processes. The alignment members can be attached in a spaced apart configuration to the surface of a glass support substrate to form a ferrule. The alignment members can also be attached to the surface of a photonic integrated circuit to form a coupling apparatus. The alignment members can be made in a way that allows for same alignment members to be used to form either the ferrules or the coupling apparatus.

Abstract: Ferrule assemblies and coupling apparatus as used to form optical interface devices for photonics systems are disclosed. The ferrule assemblies include a ferrule made of a glass substrate and a pair of spaced apart alignment members, which can be made of a glass or a polymer. The ferrule assembly supports an array of optical fibers. The coupling apparatus is incorporated into a photonic integrated circuit assembly that has optical waveguides and that includes spaced apart alignment members, which can also be made of a glass or a polymer. The ferrule assembly and the coupling apparatus have complementary alignment features that align the optical waveguides and the optical fibers when forming the optical interface device. The alignment members have a geometry that allows them to be used to form both the ferrule assemblies and the coupling apparatus.

Abstract: An optical interface device for a photonic integrated system includes a plug and a receptacle. The receptacle is operably arranged on a PIC that supports waveguides. The plug operably supports optical fibers. The receptacle and plug are configured to operably engage to establish optical communication between the optical fibers and the waveguides. A tab on the receptacle is configured to constrain longitudinal motion while allowing for lateral motion of the receptacle to adjust its position relative to the PIC to optimize alignment. The plug can include a spacer sized to fit within a recess defined by the tab to further facilitate alignment. The receptacle and plug can be engaged and disengaged in a manner similar to conventional electrical connectors.

Abstract: The micro-optical systems disclosed herein employ a glass tube having a body, a front end, a back end, an outer surface, and a bore that runs through the body between the front and back ends and that has a bore axis. The outer surface has a maximum outer dimension between 0.1 mm and 20 mm and includes at least one flat side. At least one optical element is inserted into and operably disposed and secured within the bore. The micro-optical assemblies are formed by securing one or more micro-optical systems to a substrate at the flat side of the glass tube. The glass tube is formed by a drawing process that allows for the dimensions of the glass tube to be small and formed with relatively high precision. An example of a compact WDM micro-optical assembly that employs micro-collimators is disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for smoothing a material having wrinkles. The material is positioned on a vacuum table having a group of segments. A smoothing device is moved across a surface of the material to form a substantially smooth section of the material. A vacuum is progressively applied to a portion of the group of segments in the vacuum table corresponding to the substantially smooth section of the material to pull the substantially smooth section of the material against the vacuum table.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system for steering an input packet stream includes a traffic splitter configured to split an input packet stream into a first packet stream and a second packet stream, and a photonic switching fabric coupled to the traffic splitter, where the photonic switching fabric is configured to switch the first packet stream. The system may also include an electrical packet switching fabric coupled to the traffic splitter, where the electrical packet switching fabric is configured to switch the second packet stream, and a traffic combiner coupled to the photonic switching fabric and to the electrical packet switching fabric, where the traffic combiner is configured to merge the first switched packet stream and the second switched packet stream to produce a first packet flow.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for smoothing a material having wrinkles. The material is positioned on a vacuum table having a group of segments. A smoothing device is moved across a surface of the material to form a substantially smooth section of the material. A vacuum is progressively applied to a portion of the group of segments in the vacuum table corresponding to the substantially smooth section of the material to pull the substantially smooth section of the material against the vacuum table.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of controlling a micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) photonic switch includes applying a voltage to an electrode of an initial mirror of a first mirror array of the MEMS photonic switch and illuminating a control beam. The method also includes reflecting the control beam off the initial mirror to form a control beam spot on a second mirror array of the MEMS photonic switch and detecting an initial location of the control beam spot to produce an initial optical response. Additionally, the method includes adjusting the voltage in accordance with the initial optical response while the control beam spot has a nonzero velocity.

Abstract: The micro-optical systems disclosed herein employ a glass tube having a body, a front end, a back end, an outer surface, and a bore that runs through the body between the front and back ends and that has a bore axis. The outer surface has a maximum outer dimension between 0.1 mm and 20 mm and includes at least one flat side. At least one optical element is inserted into and operably disposed and secured within the bore. The micro-optical assemblies are formed by securing one or more micro-optical systems to a substrate at the flat side of the glass tube. The glass tube is formed by a drawing process that allows for the dimensions of the glass tube to be small and formed with relatively high precision. An example of a compact WDM micro-optical assembly that employs micro-collimators is disclosed.

Abstract: A method of investigating a specimen using X-ray tomography, comprising (a) mounting the specimen to a specimen holder, (b) irradiating the specimen with a beam of X-rays along a first line of sight through the specimen, and (c) detecting a flux of X-rays transmitted through the specimen and forming a first image. Then (d) repeating the steps (b) and (c) for a series of different lines of sight through the specimen, thereby producing a corresponding series of images.

Abstract: A method of investigating a specimen using X-ray tomography, comprising (a) mounting the specimen to a specimen holder, (b) irradiating the specimen with a beam of X-rays along a first line of sight through the specimen, and (c) detecting a flux of X-rays transmitted through the specimen and forming a first image. Then (d) repeating the steps (b) and (c) for a series of different lines of sight through the specimen, thereby producing a corresponding series of images.