Abstract: A light amplifying device for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy is disclosed herein. The device includes a dielectric layer having two opposed surfaces. A refractive index of the dielectric layer is higher than a refractive index of a material or environment directly adjacent thereto. At least one opening is formed in one of the two opposed surfaces of the dielectric layer, and at least one nano-antenna is established on the one of the two opposed surfaces of the dielectric layer. A gain region is positioned in the dielectric layer or adjacent to another of the two opposed surfaces of the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A lens is described which includes a substrate having a first side and an opposite second side. A first guided mode resonance grating is supported by the first side of the substrate and a second guided mode resonance grating is supported by the second side of the substrate. The second guided mode resonance grating can be offset from the first guided mode resonance grating. The second guided mode resonance grating can shape and reflect a wave front of an incident optical beam within the substrate towards the first guided mode resonance grating. The first guided mode resonance grating can redirect the reflected incident optical beam out of the second side of the substrate.

Abstract: A small-mode-volume, vertical-cavity, surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). The VCSEL includes an active structure to emit light upon injection of carriers, and two reflecting structures at least one of which is a grating reflector structure. The active structure is disposed within at least one of the reflecting structures. The reflecting structures are configured as a vertical-cavity resonator of small mode-volume. An optical-bus transmitter including a plurality of small-mode-volume VCSELs, and a system including at least one optical bus and at least one optical-bus transmitter in a digital-information processor, or a data-processing center, are also provided.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an optical system includes a microfluidic chip assembly. The microfluidic chip assembly includes a first structure that provides a first wall of a fluid channel. A second structure provides a second wall of the fluid channel. The second structure includes a diffraction grating configured to provide, in the presence of incident light of a wavelength band of interest on a first surface of the second structure, a plurality of regions of high intensity light within the fluid channel.

Abstract: A photodetector receiver circuit, including: a photodetector for receiving an optical signal and converting the optical signal into a current; and a dynamic impedance circuit connected to the photodetector; wherein the dynamic impedance circuit is configured to have a first impedance during a charging phase and a second impedance during a discharging phase, the first impedance comprising a slower decay time than the second impedance.

Abstract: A non-volatile sampler including a row line for receiving an input signal to be sampled, the row line intersecting a number of column lines, non-volatile storage elements being disposed at intersections between the row line and the column lines; a bias voltage source connected to the column lines, the bias voltage source for selectively applying a bias voltage to at least one of the non-volatile storage elements to cause the at least one of the storage elements to store a sample of the input signal at the instance the bias voltage is applied.

Abstract: Planar reflective devices that operate as reflective blazed diffraction gratings are disclosed. In one aspect, a reflective device includes a substrate with a planar surface, and a planar, high-contrast, sub-wavelength grating disposed on the surface. The grating is divided into a number of regions that each reflect incident light of a particular wavelength and with a particular angle of incidence into a single diffraction order and associated diffraction angle.

Abstract: A scattering spectroscopy apparatus, system and method employ guided mode resonance (GMR) and a GMR grating. The apparatus includes a GMR grating having a subwavelength grating, and an optical detector configured to receive a portion of a scattered signal produced by an interaction between an excitation signal and an analyte associated with a surface of the GMR grating. A propagation direction of the received portion of the scattered signal is substantially different from a propagation direction of a GMR-coupled portion of the excitation signal within the GMR grating. The system includes the apparatus and an optical source. The method includes exciting a GMR in a GMR grating, interacting a GMR-coupled portion of the excitation signal with an analyte to produce a scattered signal and detecting a portion of the scattered signal.

Abstract: A chip includes a grating coupler and an optoelectronic converter. The grating coupler is patterned to extract a first fraction of incident light and to transmit a second fraction of the incident light as an output optical signal from the chip. The optoelectronic converter receives the first fraction of the incident light from the grating coupler and produces an electrical signal from light received.

Abstract: An angle sensor, system and method employ a guided-mode resonance. The angle sensor includes a guided-mode resonance (GMR) grating and a resonance processor. The resonance processor determines an angle of incidence of a signal incident on the GMR grating. The resonance processor uses a guided-mode resonance response of the GMR grating to the signal to determine the angle of incidence. The angle sensing system includes the GMR grating, the resonance processor and further includes an optical source that produces the signal. The method includes providing a GMR grating, detecting a guided-mode resonance produced in the GMR grating when subjected to an incident signal, and determining an angle of incidence of the incident signal from one or both of a number of and a spectral distance between guided-mode resonances present in a response of the GMR grating to the incident signal.

Abstract: A lens and a method of forming a lens are included. A lens can include a plurality of concentric rings formed from a dielectric material interleaved by a plurality of gaps separating the plurality of concentric rings.

Abstract: A system includes a non-uniform grating having a first region with a first refractive index and second regions with a second refractive index. A pattern of the second regions varies with an angular coordinate such that phase shifts of an incident beam created by the grating cause destructive interference that creates an intensity minimum within an output beam from the grating.

Abstract: A hybrid guided-mode resonance (GMR) grating, an optical filter and a method of optical filtering employ distributed Bragg reflection. The hybrid GMR grating includes a waveguide layer that supports a GMR having a GMR resonant frequency. The hybrid GMR grating further includes a diffraction grating that couples a portion of a signal incident on the hybrid GMR grating into the waveguide layer; and a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) that reflects another portion of the incident signal. The coupled portion of the incident signal has a frequency corresponding to the GMR resonant frequency. The reflected portion has a frequency away from the GMR resonant frequency. The optical filter includes the hybrid GMR grating and a coupler. The method includes coupling an optical signal into the hybrid GMR grating and further coupling a reflected signal out of the hybrid GMR grating.

Abstract: An optical apparatus includes an optical fiber formed of a core surrounded by cladding, in which the optical fiber includes an end portion. In addition, an optical layer composed of a material having a relatively high refractive index is positioned on the end portion, in which the optical layer includes a non-periodic sub-wavelength grating positioned in optical communication with the core.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to light-emitting diodes. In one embodiment of the present invention, a light-emitting diode comprises at least one quantum well sandwiched between a first intrinsic semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer. An n-type heterostructure is disposed on a surface of the first intrinsic semiconductor layer, and a p-type heterostructure is disposed on a surface of the second intrinsic semiconductor layer opposite the n-type semiconductor heterostructure. The diode also includes a metal structure disposed on a surface of the light-emitting diode. Surface plasmon polaritons formed along the interface between the metal-structure and the light-emitting diode surface extend into the at least one quantum well increasing the spontaneous emission rate of the transverse magnetic field component of electromagnetic radiation emitted from the at least one quantum well.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to photonic devices that can be used to collect and convert incident ER into surface plasmons that can be used to enhance the operation of microelectronic devices. In one embodiment of the present invention, a photonic device comprises a dielectric layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a planar nanowire network covering at least a portion of the top surface of the dielectric layer. The bottom surface of the dielectric layer is positioned on the top surface of a substrate, and the planar nanowire network is configured to convert incident electromagnetic radiation into surface plasmons that penetrate through the dielectric layer and into at least a portion of the substrate.

Abstract: An optical device (15; 25; 315; 325; 345; 400; 500; 600; 700; 800) may include a light transmissive medium (450; 550; 650; 750; 850) having two sides. On one side may be a high reflectivity mirror (430; 530; 630; 830) and on the other side may be a plurality of partial reflectivity mirrors (460-466; 560-566; 662-666; 860-870) that may be guided mode resonance or nanodot mirrors. An optical system (25; 315; 325; 345; 500; 600; 700; 800) may have a plurality of light inputs (FIG. 2A; FIG. 5A), a light transmissive medium (550; 650; 750; 850), and a plurality of light outputs (FIGS. 2A-2B; FIG. 5B) from the light transmissive medium (550; 650; 750; 850). The light transmissive medium (550; 650; 750; 850) may have a high reflectivity mirror (530; 630; 830) on one side and a plurality of partial reflectivity mirrors (560-566; 662-666; 860-870) on a second side.

Abstract: An autonomous light amplifying device for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy includes a dielectric layer, at least one laser cavity defined by at least one light confining mechanism formed in the dielectric layer, at least one nano-antenna established on the dielectric layer in proximity to the at least one laser cavity, and a gain region positioned in the dielectric layer or adjacent to the dielectric layer.

Abstract: In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a system has a transmitter and a receiver, where the transmitter includes a beam source and an optical element. The beam source produces a beam that represents information, and the optical element alters the beam so that the beam has a uniform intensity over a cross-sectional area. The receiver is separated from the transmitter by free space through which the beam propagates and includes an active area positioned to receive a portion of the beam that the receiver converts into a received signal. To accommodate possible misalignment, the cross-sectional area of the beam is larger than the active area by an amount that accommodates a range of misalignment of the receiver with the transmitter.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to optical waveguide-to-fiber interconnects. In one aspect, an optical fiber-to-waveguide interconnect includes a grating coupler (102) located at the end of a waveguide, and a grating layer (110) disposed on the end of an optical fiber (112). The optical fiber includes a core (118) and the grating layer includes a planar, non-periodic, sub-wavelength grating (116). Light carried by the waveguide into the grating coupler is output and coupled into the core via the sub-wavelength grating, and light transmitted along the core to the grating layer is directed by the sub-wavelength grating into the grating coupler for transmission in the waveguide.