Abstract: An apparatus comprises: at least one transmit aperture configured to provide an optical beam having a far-field angular intensity pattern comprising first and second lobes at first and second angular positions; and a plurality of receive apertures configured to receive optical beams, each receive aperture comprising a respective optical phased array (OPA) formed by a plurality of antenna elements, where each antenna element comprises: a waveguide coupled to a phase shifter, and a plurality of grating elements arranged along the waveguide according to an element factor; wherein the element factors associated with at least two different OPAs of respective receive apertures correspond to different respective far-field angular intensity patterns that at least partially overlap; wherein the far-field angular intensity pattern of the at least one transmit aperture at least partially overlaps with the far-field angular intensity patterns of the at least two different OPAs of respective receive apertures.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises: a transmitter module comprising: a first optical beam steering module, and timing circuitry configured to control timing of steering of the first optical beam steering module; and a receiver module comprising: a second optical beam steering module, and timing circuitry configured to control timing of steering of the second optical beam steering module; wherein timing of the steering of the first optical beam steering module and second optical beam steering module are controlled to include a delay based at least in part on a predetermined maximum target range.

Abstract: A first (second) chip comprises a first (second) surface in proximity to a first (second) set of two or more waveguide couplers. The chips are optically coupled to each other by an interface between the surfaces in which: a first waveguide coupler of the first set is in proximity to a second waveguide coupler of the second set within a distance that supports evanescent optical coupling between the first waveguide coupler and the second waveguide coupler that are overlapped within a first coupling region, and a third waveguide coupler of the first set is in proximity to a fourth waveguide coupler of the second set within a distance that supports evanescent optical coupling between the third waveguide coupler and the fourth waveguide coupler that are overlapped within a second coupling region.

Abstract: Steering light includes: providing, from a plurality of optical source ports, a respective optical wave that is tuned over different respective wavelengths, within different respective time slots; emitting at least a portion of the light from at least one optical phased array comprising a plurality of optical phase shifters, and a plurality of optical grating antennas; distributing at least a portion of the light using at least one optical distribution network (ODN) comprising: one or more ODN input ports, and two or more ODN output ports each coupled to a different respective one of the optical phase shifters; and coupling at least a portion of the light using at least one optical coupler (OC) comprising: at least one OC input port coupled to one of the optical source ports, and at least one OC output port coupled to one of the one or more ODN input ports.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: an optical phased array (e.g., on a photonic integrated circuit), a focusing element, which can be at a fixed position relative to the optical phased array and configured to receive an optical beam from the optical phased array, and a steering element, which can be at a fixed position relative to the focusing element and configured to transmit the optical beam received from the focusing element. In some implementations, at least one of the focusing element or the steering element is externally coupled to the photonic integrated circuit.

Abstract: Controlling an optical phased array includes applying optical phase shifts by an array of phase shifter (PS) elements, each PS element applying an optical phase shift based on an input voltage signal applied across first and second terminals of the PS element, providing output voltage signals from an array of driver elements. During a charging time period, each driver element provides an output voltage signal to determine a corresponding input voltage signal applied across at least one of the PS elements; an array of switches control connectivity between the driver elements and respective PS elements; and all of the second terminals of all of the PS elements in the array of PS elements are maintained at a common voltage. The total number of switches in the array of switches is at least as large as the total number of PS elements in the array of PS elements.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises: a first integrated circuit comprising: a plurality of sets of optical waveguides, each set of optical waveguides including a plurality of optical waveguide segments, and a plurality of optical emitter elements arranged over a first surface of the first integrated circuit, each optical emitter element coupled to a distal end of one of the optical waveguide segments; and a second integrated circuit comprising: a plurality of optical phase shifters that each provide a phase-shifted optical wave that is coupled to the first integrated circuit from a first edge surface of the second integrated circuit. The first edge surface of the second integrated circuit is in proximity to a row of proximal ends of the optical waveguide segments of a first set of the plurality of sets of optical waveguides.

Abstract: Operating an OPA includes: applying, by each phase shifter element an optical phase shift to an optical wave that propagates through the phase shifter element and propagates to a corresponding emitter element, where the optical phase shift is based on an electrical signal provided to the phase shifter element; providing, by each driver element an electrical signal to at least one of the phase shifter elements based on a digital code value received at an input of the driver element; and computing one or more digital code values that are provided to respective inputs of driver elements in the array of driver elements based on processing OPA control information. The processing includes: computing optical phase shift information based at least in part on the OPA control information, and computing a corresponding digital code value based at least in part on the optical phase shift information.

Abstract: A plurality of waveguide structures are formed in at least one silicon layer of a first member. The first member includes: a first surface of a first silicon dioxide layer that is attached to a second member that consists essentially of an optically transmissive material having a thermal conductivity less than about 50 W/(m·K), and a second surface of material that was deposited over at least some of the plurality of waveguide structures. An array of phase shifters is formed in one or more layers of the first member. An array of temperature controlling elements are in proximity to the array of phase shifters.

Abstract: A plurality of waveguide structures are formed in at least one silicon layer of a first member. The first member includes: a first surface of a first silicon dioxide layer that is attached to a second member that consists essentially of an optically transmissive material having a thermal conductivity less than about 50 W/(m·K), and a second surface of material that was deposited over at least some of the plurality of waveguide structures. An array of phase shifters is formed in one or more layers of the first member. An array of temperature controlling elements are in proximity to the array of phase shifters.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: an optical phased array (e.g., on a photonic integrated circuit), a focusing element, which can be at a fixed position relative to the optical phased array and configured to receive an optical beam from the optical phased array, and a steering element, which can be at a fixed position relative to the focusing element and configured to transmit the optical beam received from the focusing element. In some implementations, at least one of the focusing element or the steering element is externally coupled to the photonic integrated circuit.

Abstract: A plurality of waveguide structures are formed in at least one silicon layer of a first member. The first member includes: a first surface of a first silicon dioxide layer that is attached to a second member that consists essentially of an optically transmissive material having a thermal conductivity less than about 50 W/(m·K), and a second surface of material that was deposited over at least some of the plurality of waveguide structures. An array of phase shifters is formed in one or more layers of the first member. An array of temperature controlling elements are in proximity to the array of phase shifters.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises: a first integrated circuit comprising: a plurality of sets of optical waveguides, each set of optical waveguides including a plurality of optical waveguide segments, and a plurality of optical emitter elements arranged over a first surface of the first integrated circuit, each optical emitter element coupled to a distal end of one of the optical waveguide segments; and a second integrated circuit comprising: a plurality of optical phase shifters that each provide a phase-shifted optical wave that is coupled to the first integrated circuit from a first edge surface of the second integrated circuit. The first edge surface of the second integrated circuit is in proximity to a row of proximal ends of the optical waveguide segments of a first set of the plurality of sets of optical waveguides.

Abstract: Controlling an optical phased array includes applying optical phase shifts by an array of phase shifter (PS) elements, each PS element applying an optical phase shift based on an input voltage signal applied across first and second terminals of the PS element, providing output voltage signals from an array of driver elements. During a charging time period, each driver element provides an output voltage signal to determine a corresponding input voltage signal applied across at least one of the PS elements; an array of switches control connectivity between the driver elements and respective PS elements; and all of the second terminals of all of the PS elements in the array of PS elements are maintained at a common voltage. The total number of switches in the array of switches is at least as large as the total number of PS elements in the array of PS elements.

Abstract: A plurality of waveguide structures are formed in at least one silicon layer of a first member. The first member includes: a first surface of a first silicon dioxide layer that is attached to a second member that consists essentially of an optically transmissive material having a thermal conductivity less than about 50 W/(m·K), and a second surface of material that was deposited over at least some of the plurality of waveguide structures. An array of phase shifters is formed in one or more layers of the first member. An array of temperature controlling elements are in proximity to the array of phase shifters.

Abstract: A plurality of waveguide structures are formed in at least one silicon layer of a first member. The first member includes: a first surface of a first silicon dioxide layer that is attached to a second member that consists essentially of an optically transmissive material having a thermal conductivity less than about 50 W/(m·K), and a second surface of material that was deposited over at least some of the plurality of waveguide structures. An array of phase shifters is formed in one or more layers of the first member. An array of temperature controlling elements are in proximity to the array of phase shifters.

Abstract: Devices and techniques for integrated optical data communication. A method of encoding symbols in an optical signal may include encoding a first symbol by injecting charge carriers, at a first rate, into a semiconductor device, such as a PIN diode. The method may also include encoding a second symbol by injecting charge carriers, at a second rate, into the semiconductor device. The first rate may exceed the second rate. A modulator driver circuit may include a resistive circuit coupled between supply terminal and drive terminals. The modulator driver circuit may also include a control circuit coupled between a data terminal and the resistive circuit. The control circuit may modulate a resistance of the resistive circuit by selectively coupling one or more of a plurality of portions of the resistive circuit to the drive terminal based on data to be optically encoded.

Abstract: A plurality of waveguide structures are formed in at least one silicon layer of a first member. The first member includes: a first surface of a first silicon dioxide layer that is attached to a second member that consists essentially of an optically transmissive material having a thermal conductivity less than about 50 W/(m·K), and a second surface of material that was deposited over at least some of the plurality of waveguide structures. An array of phase shifters is formed in one or more layers of the first member. An array of temperature controlling elements are in proximity to the array of phase shifters.

Abstract: Devices and techniques for integrated optical data communication. A method of encoding symbols in an optical signal may include encoding a first symbol by injecting charge carriers, at a first rate, into a semiconductor device, such as a PIN diode. The method may also include encoding a second symbol by injecting charge carriers, at a second rate, into the semiconductor device. The first rate may exceed the second rate. A modulator driver circuit may include a resistive circuit coupled between supply terminal and drive terminals. The modulator driver circuit may also include a control circuit coupled between a data terminal and the resistive circuit. The control circuit may modulate a resistance of the resistive circuit by selectively coupling one or more of a plurality of portions of the resistive circuit to the drive terminal based on data to be optically encoded.

Abstract: Devices and techniques for integrated optical data communication. A method of encoding symbols in an optical signal may include encoding a first symbol by injecting charge carriers, at a first rate, into a semiconductor device, such as a PIN diode. The method may also include encoding a second symbol by injecting charge carriers, at a second rate, into the semiconductor device. The first rate may exceed the second rate. A modulator driver circuit may include a resistive circuit coupled between supply terminal and drive terminals. The modulator driver circuit may also include a control circuit coupled between a data terminal and the resistive circuit. The control circuit may modulate a resistance of the resistive circuit by selectively coupling one or more of a plurality of portions of the resistive circuit to the drive terminal based on data to be optically encoded.