Abstract: An optical system includes a silicon (Si) substrate, a buried oxide (BOX) layer formed on the substrate, a silicon nitride (SiN) layer formed above the BOX layer, and a SiN waveguide formed in the SiN layer. In some embodiments, the optical system may additionally include an interposer waveguide adiabatically coupled to the SiN waveguide to form a SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler that includes at least the tapered section of the SiN waveguide, the optical system further including at least one of: a cavity formed in the Si substrate at least beneath the SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler or an oxide overlay formed between a top of a SiN core of the SiN waveguide and a bottom of the interposer waveguide. Alternatively or additionally, the optical system may additionally include a multimode Si—SiN adiabatic coupler that includes a SiN taper of a SiN waveguide and a Si taper of a Si waveguide.

Abstract: In an example, a photonic system includes a Si PIC with a Si substrate, a SiO2 box formed on the Si substrate, a first layer, and a second layer. The first layer is formed above the SiO2 box and includes a SiN waveguide with a coupler portion at a first end and a tapered end opposite the first end. The second layer is formed above the SiO2 box and vertically displaced above or below the first layer. The second layer includes a Si waveguide with a tapered end aligned in two orthogonal directions with the coupler portion of the SiN waveguide such that the tapered end of the Si waveguide overlaps in the two orthogonal directions and is parallel to the coupler portion of the SiN waveguide. The tapered end of the SiN waveguide is configured to be adiabatically coupled to a coupler portion of an interposer waveguide.

Abstract: An optical receiver with improved dynamic range may include at least one directional coupler having at least one input configured to couple to an optical fiber. The optical receiver may include a first signal path including a first photodetector coupled to an output of the at least one directional coupler, a first transimpedance amplifier (TIA) including an input coupled to the first photodetector, and an adder coupled to an output of the first TIA. The optical receiver may include a second signal path including a second photodetector coupled to an output of the at least one directional coupler, a second TIA including an input coupled to the second photodetector, and the adder coupled to an output of the second TIA. Further, the optical receiver may include an optical power sensing circuit coupled to at least one of the first TIA, the second TIA, and the adder.

Abstract: An integrated optical component includes at least one input waveguide, at least one output waveguide; a first slab waveguide having a first refractive index, n1. The first slab waveguide may be disposed between at least one of the input waveguides and at least one of the output waveguides. The integrated optical component may further include a second slab waveguide having a second refractive index, n2. The integrated optical component may also include a third cladding slab having a third refractive index, n3. The third cladding slab may be disposed between the first slab and the second slab. The thickness of the second slab waveguide and the thickness of the third slab waveguide are adjustable to reduce a birefringence of the integrated optical component.

Abstract: A system includes a surface coupled edge emitting laser that includes a core waveguide, a fan out region optically coupled to the core waveguide in a same layer of the surface coupled edge emitting laser as the core waveguide; and a first surface grating formed in the fan out region; and a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) that includes an optical waveguide and a second surface grating formed in an upper layer of the PIC, wherein the second surface grating is in optical alignment with the first surface grating.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, an integrated silicon photonic wavelength division demultiplexer includes an input waveguide, an input port, a plurality of output waveguides, a plurality of output ports, a first auxiliary waveguide, and a plurality of auxiliary waveguides. The input waveguide may be formed in a first layer and having a first effective index n1. The input port may be optically coupled to the input waveguide. The output waveguides may be formed in the first layer and may have the first effective index n1. Each of the output ports may be optically coupled to a corresponding output waveguide. The first auxiliary waveguide may be formed in a second layer below the input waveguide in the first layer. The first auxiliary waveguide may have a second effective index n2 and may have two tapered ends, and n2 may be higher than n1.

Abstract: An optical system includes a silicon (Si) substrate, a buried oxide (BOX) layer formed on the substrate, a silicon nitride (SiN) layer formed above the BOX layer, and a SiN waveguide formed in the SiN layer. In some embodiments, the optical system may additionally include an interposer waveguide adiabatically coupled to the SiN waveguide to form a SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler that includes at least the tapered section of the SiN waveguide, the optical system further including at least one of: a cavity formed in the Si substrate at least beneath the SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler or an oxide overlay formed between a top of a SiN core of the SiN waveguide and a bottom of the interposer waveguide. Alternatively or additionally, the optical system may additionally include a multimode Si—SiN adiabatic coupler that includes a SiN taper of a SiN waveguide and a Si taper of a Si waveguide.

Abstract: In an example, an Echelle grating wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) device includes a first waveguide, a slab waveguide, multiple second waveguides, an Echelle grating, and a metal-filled trench. The first waveguide includes either an input waveguide or an output waveguide. The multiple second waveguides are optically coupled to the first waveguide through the slab waveguide. The multiple second waveguides include multiple output waveguides if the first waveguide includes the input waveguide or multiple input waveguides if the first waveguide includes the output waveguide. The Echelle grating includes multiple grating teeth formed in the slab waveguide. The metal-filled trench forms a mirror at the grating teeth to reflect incident light from the first waveguide toward the multiple second waveguides or from the multiple second waveguides toward the first waveguide.

Abstract: In an example, a photonic system includes a Si PIC with a Si substrate, a SiO2 box formed on the Si substrate, a first layer, and a second layer. The first layer is formed above the SiO2 box and includes a SiN waveguide with a coupler portion at a first end and a tapered end opposite the first end. The second layer is formed above the SiO2 box and vertically displaced above or below the first layer. The second layer includes a Si waveguide with a tapered end aligned in two orthogonal directions with the coupler portion of the SiN waveguide such that the tapered end of the Si waveguide overlaps in the two orthogonal directions and is parallel to the coupler portion of the SiN waveguide. The tapered end of the SiN waveguide is configured to be adiabatically coupled to a coupler portion of an interposer waveguide.

Abstract: An example system includes a grating coupled laser, a laser optical interposer (LOI), an optical isolator, and a light redirector. The grating coupled laser includes a laser cavity and a transmit grating optically coupled to the laser cavity. The transmit grating is configured to diffract light emitted by the laser cavity out of the grating coupled laser. The LOI includes an LOI waveguide with an input end and an output end. The optical isolator is positioned between the surface coupled edge emitting laser and the LOI. The light redirector is positioned to redirect the light, after the light passes through the optical isolator, into the LOI waveguide of the LOI.

Abstract: A system may include a polarization rotator combiner. The polarization rotator combiner may include a first stage, a second stage, and a third stage. The first stage may receive a first component of light with a TE00 polarization and a second component of light with the TE00 polarization. The first stage may draw optical paths of the first and second components together. The second stage may receive the first component and the second component from the first stage. The second stage may convert the polarization of the second component from the TE00 polarization to a TE01 polarization. The third stage may receive the first component and the second component from the second stage. The third stage may convert polarization of the second component from the TE01 polarization to a TM00 polarization. The third stage may output the first component and output the second component.

Abstract: In an example, a coupled system includes a first waveguide, at least one second waveguide, and an interposer. The first waveguide has a silicon (Si) core having first refractive index n1 and a tapered end. The at least one second waveguide each has a silicon nitride (SiN) core having a second refractive index n2. The interposer includes a third waveguide having a third refractive index n3 and a coupler portion, where n1>n2>n3. The tapered end of the first waveguide is adiabatically coupled to a coupler portion of one of the at least one second waveguide. A tapered end of one of the at least one second waveguide is adiabatically coupled to the coupler portion of the third waveguide of the interposer. The third waveguide of the interposer has an optical mode size that is similar to the mode size of a standard single mode optical fiber.

Abstract: In an example, a photonic system includes a Si PIC with a Si substrate, a SiO2 box formed on the Si substrate, a first layer, and a second layer. The first layer is formed above the SiO2 box and includes a SiN waveguide with a coupler portion at a first end and a tapered end opposite the first end. The second layer is formed above the SiO2 box and vertically displaced above or below the first layer. The second layer includes a Si waveguide with a tapered end aligned in two orthogonal directions with the coupler portion of the SiN waveguide such that the tapered end of the Si waveguide overlaps in the two orthogonal directions and is parallel to the coupler portion of the SiN waveguide. The tapered end of the SiN waveguide is configured to be adiabatically coupled to a coupler portion of an interposer waveguide.

Abstract: An optical system includes a silicon (Si) substrate, a buried oxide (BOX) layer formed on the substrate, a silicon nitride (SiN) layer formed above the BOX layer, and a SiN waveguide formed in the SiN layer. In some embodiments, the optical system may additionally include an interposer waveguide adiabatically coupled to the SiN waveguide to form a SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler that includes at least the tapered section of the SiN waveguide, the optical system further including at least one of: a cavity formed in the Si substrate at least beneath the SiN-interposer adiabatic coupler or an oxide overlay formed between a top of a SiN core of the SiN waveguide and a bottom of the interposer waveguide. Alternatively or additionally, the optical system may additionally include a multimode Si—SiN adiabatic coupler that includes a SiN taper of a SiN waveguide and a Si taper of a Si waveguide.

Abstract: An optically enabled multi-chip module has an optical engine transceiver and a host system chip. The optical engine transceiver has an optical engine front-end and an optical engine macro. The optical engine front-end has multiple laser diodes, laser driver circuitry electrically interfaced with each of the laser diodes, multiple photodiodes, amplifier circuitry electrically interfaced with each of the photodiodes, and at least one optical element optically positioned between the laser diodes and at least one optical fiber and between the photodiodes and the at least one optical fiber. The at least one optical element optically interfaces the laser diodes and photodiodes with the optical fiber. The optical engine macro is both electrically interfaced with and physically segregated from the optical engine front-end. The optical engine macro provides a subset of optical transceiver functionality to the optical engine front-end. The host system chip is electrically interfaced with the optical engine transceiver.

Abstract: A system includes a surface coupled edge emitting laser that includes a core waveguide, a fan out region optically coupled to the core waveguide in a same layer of the surface coupled edge emitting laser as the core waveguide; and a first surface grating formed in the fan out region; and a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) that includes an optical waveguide and a second surface grating formed in an upper layer of the PIC, wherein the second surface grating is in optical alignment with the first surface grating.

Abstract: An integrated optical component includes at least one input waveguide, at least one output waveguide; a first slab waveguide having a first refractive index, n1. The first slab waveguide may be disposed between at least one of the input waveguides and at least one of the output waveguides. The integrated optical component may further include a second slab waveguide having a second refractive index, n2. The integrated optical component may also include a third cladding slab having a third refractive index, n3. The third cladding slab may be disposed between the first slab and the second slab. The thickness of the second slab waveguide and the thickness of the third slab waveguide are adjustable to reduce a birefringence of the integrated optical component.

Abstract: In an example, a coupled system includes a first waveguide, at least one second waveguide, and an interposer. The first waveguide has a silicon (Si) core having first refractive index n1 and a tapered end. The at least one second waveguide each has a silicon nitride (SiN) core having a second refractive index n2. The interposer includes a third waveguide having a third refractive index n3 and a coupler portion, where n1>n2>n3. The tapered end of the first waveguide is adiabatically coupled to a coupler portion of one of the at least one second waveguide. A tapered end of one of the at least one second waveguide is adiabatically coupled to the coupler portion of the third waveguide of the interposer. The third waveguide of the interposer has an optical mode size that is similar to the mode size of a standard single mode optical fiber.

Abstract: An optically enabled multi-chip module has an optical engine transceiver and a host system chip. The optical engine transceiver has an optical engine front-end and an optical engine macro. The optical engine front-end has multiple laser diodes, laser driver circuitry electrically interfaced with each of the laser diodes, multiple photodiodes, amplifier circuitry electrically interfaced with each of the photodiodes, and at least one optical element optically positioned between the laser diodes and at least one optical fiber and between the photodiodes and the at least one optical fiber. The at least one optical element optically interfaces the laser diodes and photodiodes with the optical fiber. The optical engine macro is both electrically interfaced with and physically segregated from the optical engine front-end. The optical engine macro provides a subset of optical transceiver functionality to the optical engine front-end. The host system chip is electrically interfaced with the optical engine transceiver.

Abstract: In an example, a coupled system includes a first waveguide, at least one second waveguide, and an interposer. The first waveguide has a first refractive index n1 and a tapered end. The at least one second waveguide each has a second refractive index n2. The interposer includes a third waveguide having a third refractive index n3 and a coupler portion, where n1>n2>n3. The tapered end of the first waveguide is adiabatically coupled to a coupler portion of one of the at least one second waveguide. A tapered end of one of the at least one second waveguide is adiabatically coupled to the coupler portion of the third waveguide of the interposer. The coupled system is configured to adiabatically couple light between the first waveguide and the at least one second waveguide and between the at least one second waveguide and the third waveguide.