Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a process that provides a semiconductor substrate and forms repeating, conductive patterns configured for coupling to active circuitry. Each pattern comprises a group of thermally conductive layers, wherein the group of thermally layers is thermally coupled to a thermal source generated by the active circuitry. Thermally conductive vias interconnect the group of thermally conductive layers, wherein a combination of the vias and the group of thermally conductive layers is configured to transfer heat from the thermal source with a desired directionality. The first repeating patterns are thermally coupled to each other to combine the desired directionality of each of the patterns, wherein the combination results in a distributed directionality of the heat from the thermal source thereby reducing a localized concentration of the heat. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises: a gain medium configured to be pumped by a pump source; a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) positioned in a laser cavity that includes the gain medium, the PIC comprising a substrate comprising silicon, a plurality of photonic structures, and one or more ports coupling an optical wave into the PIC, and coupling an optical wave out of the PIC; an optical isolator configured to limit propagation of an optical wave in a single direction through the optical isolator; and an output coupler configured to provide an output that comprises a fraction of the power of an optical wave that is incident upon the output coupler and to redirect remaining power of the optical wave around a closed path of the laser cavity, where the fraction is greater than 0.5.

Abstract: A gain medium is pumped by a source. An optical wave passes through a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) that comprises: a substrate comprising silicon, multiple photonic structures, an input port coupling an optical wave into a waveguide formed in the PIC, and an output port coupling an optical wave out of a waveguide formed in the PIC. Propagation of an optical wave circulating around a closed path of a laser ring cavity is limited using an optical isolator such that, when the pump source exceeds a lasing threshold, the optical wave propagates in a single direction through the gain medium and PIC. From an output coupler, an output is provided that comprises a fraction (e.g., >0.5) of the power of an optical wave that is incident upon the output coupler, and remaining power of the optical wave is redirected around the closed path of the laser ring cavity.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide optical referencing in an optical system including a plurality of optical devices with variable perturbative drift rates. A method includes, subsequent to determining a tuning rate of one or more interrogator devices, which are tunable, and subsequent to locking the plurality of optical devices including the one or more interrogator devices, detecting a drift in spectrum of the optical system based on a perturbation; and tracking the drift based on variable perturbative drift rates of each of the plurality of optical devices which are each exposed to the perturbation.

Abstract: A coherent receiver includes a receive signal path including i) an input configured to connect a receive signal, ii) one or more signal paths connected to the input and to one or more optical hybrids, and iii) a variable optical attenuator (VOA) in each of the one or more signal paths; and a local oscillator (LO) signal path including i) an input configured to connect to an LO and the one or more optical hybrids, and ii) one or more complementary VOAs located between the input and the one or more optical hybrids, wherein the one or more complementary VOAs are configured to cancel any phase changes from the VOA in each of the one or more signal paths. The VOA in each of the one or more signal paths and the one or more complementary VOAs can be p-i-n junctions.

Abstract: A method for per-span optical fiber nonlinearity compensation comprises determining values of fiber parameters characterizing one or more target optical fibers in one or more respective spans of a link, and applying selected weight values to one or more photonic computing chips (PCCs), each PCC integrated in a different respective span of the link, wherein selection of the weight values is based on the values of the fiber parameters and a mapping associated with each PCC. The method further comprises transmitting an optical signal through the link, wherein each integrated PCC emulates an inverse of a nonlinear transfer function of the target optical fiber in the respective span, thereby reducing nonlinearity contributed by the one or more target optical fibers to the optical signal.

Abstract: A loss-based wavelength meter includes a first photodiode configured to measure power of monochromatic light; and a loss section having a monotonic wavelength dependency, wherein a wavelength of the monochromatic light is determined based on measurements of the first photodiode after the monochromatic light has gone through the loss section. This provides a compact implementation that may be used in integrated optics devices using silicon photonics as well as other embodiments.

Abstract: An article of manufacture, having a semiconductor layer and a dielectric layer. The semiconductor layer comprising a first surface and a second surface. The dielectric layer located adjacent to the first surface of the semiconductor layer. One or more base portions of the semiconductor in direct contact with and extending from the dielectric layer. One or more collector portions of the semiconductor in direct contact with and extending from the dielectric layer. One or more emitter portions of the semiconductor in direct contact with and extending from the dielectric layer. The one or more collector portions are spaced apart from the one or more emitter portions by the one or more base portions.

Abstract: A gain medium is pumped by a source. An optical wave passes through a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) that comprises: a substrate comprising Silicon, a plurality of photonic structures, an input port coupling an optical wave into a waveguide formed in the PIC, and an output port coupling an optical wave out of a waveguide formed in the PIC. Propagation of an optical wave circulating around a closed path of a laser ring cavity is limited using an optical isolator such that, when the pump source exceeds a lasing threshold, the optical wave propagates in a single direction through the gain medium and the PIC. From output coupler, an output that is provided that comprises a fraction of the power of an optical wave that is incident upon the output coupler, and remaining power of the optical wave is redirected around the closed path of the laser ring cavity. The fraction can be greater than 0.5.

Abstract: A loss-based wavelength meter includes a first photodiode configured to measure power of monochromatic light; and a loss section having a monotonic wavelength dependency, wherein a wavelength of the monochromatic light is determined based on measurements of the first photodiode after the monochromatic light has gone through the loss section. This provides a compact implementation that may be used in integrated optics devices using silicon photonics as well as other embodiments.