Abstract: An optoelectronic device and a method of making same. The optoelectronic device comprises a substrate, at least one dielectric waveguide in the substrate, and at least one active semiconductor layer physically bonded to the substrate and optically coupled to the at least one dielectric waveguide in the substrate, the at least one active semiconductor layer being able to generate light, detect light, amplify light or otherwise modulate amplitude or phase of light.

Abstract: An apparatus containing an integrated optical circuit that enhances phase stability of the injection-locking process of two slave lasers. The integrated optical circuit helps to reduce phase noise by keeping environmental or mechanical perturbations uniform everywhere on that circuit. Also, the integrated optical circuit provides connections for additional components to be coupled, which can monitor and control the performance characteristics of the integrated optical circuit and the injection-locking process.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device and a method of making same. The optoelectronic device comprises a substrate, at least one dielectric waveguide in the substrate, and at least one active semiconductor layer physically bonded to the substrate and optically coupled to the at least one dielectric waveguide in the substrate, the at least one active semiconductor layer being able to generate light, detect light, amplify light or otherwise modulate amplitude or phase of light.

Abstract: A multi-wavelength photonic oscillator has a plurality of lasers each emitting light at a different frequency. An optical wavelength multiplexer combines the light emitted by the plurality of lasers at an output thereof as a set of optical wavelengths. An optical modulator is arranged in a feedback loop and coupled to receive light at the output of the optical wavelength multiplexer, the feedback loop further including an optical tap for coupling at least a subset of said set of optical wavelengths to at least one optical output of the multi-wavelength photonic modulator; at least one optical channel having an associated photodetector arranged to receive light from the optical tap via the at least one optical channel; and an electronic loop portion coupled to receive output from the at least one associated photodetector and to provide an input for the optical modulator.

Abstract: A spread spectrum waveform generator has a photonic oscillator and an optical heterodyne synthesizer. The photonic oscillator is a multi-tone optical comb generator for generating a series of RF comb lines on an optical carrier. The optical heterodyne synthesizer includes first and second phase-locked lasers, where the first laser feeds the multi-tone optical comb generator and the second laser is a single tone laser whose output light provides a frequency translation reference. At least one photodetector is provided for heterodyning the frequency translation reference with the optical output of the photonic oscillator to generate a spread spectrum waveform. A receiver pre-processor may be provided to operate on the spread spectrum waveform.

Abstract: A solder bump structure for use on a substrate. The solder bump structure includes a multilayer underbump metallization having a major upper surface with a solder wetable caplayer for contacting a solder bump, the mutilayer underbump metallization projecting from the substrate with an exposed sidewall; a thin layer of a metal selected from a group consisting of titanium, chrome, a titanium-nickel-titanium composite, a titanium-nickel-chrome composite, a titanium-platinum-titanium alloy, and a titanium-nickel-oxidized silicon composite deposited over or under the multilayer underbump metallization and covering the exposed sidewall of the multilayer underbump metallization.

Abstract: The present invention provides a RF-lightwave modulator with improved efficiency by making use of a broken loop resonator having a gap therein. In the present invention a RF input signal is coupled into a broken loop resonator, thereby producing a RF output signal. An optical modulator connected across the gap receives the RF output signal and modulates a lightwave with the RF output signal to produce a RF modulated lightwave. Because the optical modulator is connected across the gap in the broken loop resonator, the voltage of the RF output signal applied to the optical modulator will be greater than the voltage of the RF input signal applied to the broken loop resonator.

Abstract: A delta-sigma modulator has a first node at which is produced a difference signal equal to the difference in magnitude between a continuous time analog signal and an analog feedback signal generated from a digital output signal; an integrator, coupled to the first node, to integrate the difference signal, thereby producing a first integrated signal; a photonic sampler, coupled to the integrator, to sample the first integrated signal, thereby producing a sampled integral signal; a quantizer, coupled to the sampler, to quantize the sampled integral signal, thereby producing the digital output signal; wherein an output of the quantizer is coupled to the first node through a digital to analog converter.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device and a method of making same. The optoelectronic device comprises a substrate, at least one dielectric waveguide in the substrate, and at least one active semiconductor layer physically bonded to the substrate and optically coupled to the at least one dielectric waveguide in the substrate, the at least one active semiconductor layer being able to generate light, detect light, amplify light or otherwise modulate amplitude or phase of light.

Abstract: A limiter for limiting selected frequency components by generating Stokes waves in a stimulated Brillouin scattering medium. The generated Stokes waves create a seed that is provided to another stimulated Brillouin scattering medium. The seed selecting the undesired frequency components to be attenuated.

Abstract: An optical frequency modulated transmitter includes a plurality of separately phased-controlled slave lasers, the outputs of which are combined to form a single output beam of the transmitter. A master optical oscillator outputs an optical signal for injection locking the plurality of slave lasers, the optical signal being frequency modulated directly in the master optical oscillator or externally thereof. Additionally, a method of frequency modulating an optical beam is disclosed using a plurality of slave lasers. Each of the slave lasers has an output, the outputs of which are combined to form the optical beam. The plurality of slave lasers is injection locked to an optical output of a master oscillator. The optical output of the master oscillator is frequency modulated before the optical output is applied to the plurality of lasers. Each slave laser of the plurality is phased controlled relative to other slave lasers of the plurality.

Abstract: A RF amplification system which includes a RF modulation unit fed by an optical carrier and an RF input signal, the modulation unit modulating the RF input signal onto the optical carrier to produce a modulated RF optical signal; an array of optical amplifiers coupled to the modulation unit for receiving and amplifying the modulated RF optical signals; and a detecting unit having at least one photodetector coupled to the array of optical amplifiers for receiving and detecting the modulated RF optical signals, the at least one photodetector producing an amplified RF output in response thereto.

Abstract: Optical bond-wire interconnections between microelectronic chips, wherein optical wires are bonded onto microelectronic chips. Such optical connections offer numerous advantages compared to traditional electrical connections. Among other things, these interconnections are insensitive to electromagnetic interference and need not be located at the edges of a chip but rather can be placed for optimal utility to the circuit function. In addition, such interconnections can be given the same or other pre-specified lengths regardless of the placement in the module and they are capable of signal bandwidths up to 20 Gigahertz without causing a cross-talk problem. A method of fabrication of such optical interconnections using optical fiber, a laser or photodetector and etched mirror and etched V-shaped grooves.

Abstract: Optical bond-wire interconnections between microelectronic chips, wherein optical wires are bonded onto microelectronic chips. Such optical connections offer numerous advantages compared to traditional electrical connections. Among other things, these interconnections are insensitive to electromagnetic interference and need not be located at the edges of a chip but rather can be placed for optimal utility to the circuit function. In addition, such interconnections can be given the same or other pre-specified lengths regardless of the placement in the module and they are capable of signal bandwidths up to 20 Gigahertz without causing a cross-talk problem. A method of fabrication of such optical interconnections using optical fiber, a laser or photodetector and etched mirror and etched V-shaped grooves.

Abstract: A low voltage optical phase modulator includes a splitter having an input, a first output, and a second output. The input receives an optical signal and is split between the first and second outputs. A phase adjustment element is coupled to the second output and produces a predetermined optical shift in the optical signal to produce a phase-shifted optical signal. A first electroabsorptive element is coupled to the first output and blocks transmission of the optical signal when the first electroabsorptive element is activated with a low voltage. A second electroabsorptive element is coupled to the phase adjustment element and blocks transmission of the phase-shifted optical signal when the second electroabsorptive element is activated using the low voltage. An optical combiner having a first combiner input, a second combiner input, and a combiner output is coupled to the first and second electroabsorptive elements and receives the optical signal and the phase-shifted optical signal.

Abstract: A frequency synthesizer for generating a multiple tone lightwave signal that can be converted into an RF carrier or local oscillator signal. The frequency synthesizer comprises a multiple mode master laser, two slave lasers injection-locked to the master laser, an optical coupler coupling the optical outputs of the two slave lasers, which produces an optical heterodyne output. The frequency synthesizer further comprises a homodyne phase-lock loop providing feedback control over one of the slave lasers and a heterodyne phase-lock loop providing feedback control over the other slave laser. A local oscillator selector is used to select the optical mode to which one of the slave lasers is locked, thus providing selection of the frequencies of the heterodyne output.

Abstract: An apparatus containing an integrated optical circuit that enhances phase stability of the injection-locking process of two slave lasers. The integrated optical circuit helps to reduce phase noise by keeping environmental or mechanical perturbations uniform everywhere on that circuit. Also, the integrated optical circuit provides connections for additional components to be coupled, which can monitor and control the performance characteristics of the integrated optical circuit and the injection-locking process.

Abstract: A low voltage optical phase modulator includes a splitter having an input, a first output, and a second output. The input receives an optical signal and is split between the first and second outputs. A phase adjustment element is coupled to the second output and produces a predetermined optical shift in the optical signal to produce a phase-shifted optical signal. A first electroabsorptive element is coupled to the first output and blocks transmission of the optical signal when the first electroabsorptive element is activated with a low voltage. A second electroabsorptive element is coupled to the phase adjustment element and blocks transmission of the phase-shifted optical signal when the second electroabsorptive element is activated using the low voltage. An optical combiner having a first combiner input, a second combiner input, and a combiner output is coupled to the first and second electroabsorptive elements and receives the optical signal and the phase-shifted optical signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for photonically sampling an analog signal and encoding the photonically sampled signal. The two interferometer arms of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer section are directly coupled to the dual input ports of a directional coupler switch section. Optical pulses transmitted through the interferometer arms are phase shifted in proportion to an analog signal applied at the electrical input port of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer section. The phase-shifted pulses in each interferometer arm are coupled in the directional coupler switch section and are directed to the dual output ports of the directional switch section based upon the binary code applied to the electrical input port of the directional coupler switch section. The directional switch section has an optical length designed to provide a net phase shift of 3&pgr;/4.

Abstract: A lead-frame for connecting and supporting an integrated circuit having an apertured frame with dimensions smaller than the corresponding dimensions of the chip so that chip-pad shoulder can be eliminated and the chip attach fillet is made remote from the chip corner.