Abstract: A gas and vacuum system is disclosed, and, in particular, an area valve service unit configured to provide local isolation of individual parts of a gas and vacuum system that may be required for installation, maintenance, or in the event of an emergency. The area valve service unit can have one or more shutoff valves, each of which has an associated access panel with a movable access panel door.

Abstract: A gas cylinder holder may include a frame that defines a storage region for receiving multiple gas cylinders. The gas cylinders disposed within the storage region may be coupled to an outlet cabinet of the gas cylinder holder that contains components configured to output/deliver gas from the gas cylinders. The gas cylinder holder may further include a control panel configured to control the outlet cabinet components in order to dictate the gas cylinder from which the gas is delivered. The frame of the gas cylinder holder may further include at least one engagement member. A cart or other transportation mechanism may be configured to engage with the at least one engagement member of the frame of the gas cylinder holder to facilitate lifting and moving the gas cylinder cart regardless of whether or not gas cylinders are disposed within the storage region of the gas cylinder holder.

Abstract: An optical modulator may include a lower waveguide, an upper waveguide, and a dielectric layer disposed therebetween. When a voltage potential is created between the lower and upper waveguides, these layers form a silicon-insulator-silicon capacitor (also referred to as SISCAP) guide that provides efficient, high-speed optical modulation of an optical signal passing through the modulator. In one embodiment, at least one of the waveguides includes a respective ridge portion aligned at a charge modulation region which may aid in confining the optical mode laterally (e.g., in the width direction) in the optical modulator. In another embodiment, ridge portions may be formed on both the lower and the upper waveguides. These ridge portions may be aligned in a vertical direction (e.g., a thickness direction) so that ridges overlap which may further improve optical efficiency by centering an optical mode in the charge modulation region.

Abstract: A vertical reciprocating conveyor that can be transported in a storage condition and assembled at a work facility in an operating condition. The vertical reciprocating conveyor includes a carriage assembly that is movable along a pair of spaced vertical rails of a support frame. The carriage assembly includes a pair of spaced uprights and a carriage deck designed to support material moved along the pair of spaced vertical rails of the support frame. The carriage deck is movable between an operating condition and a storage condition, where the carriage deck is perpendicular to the pair of spaced uprights in the operating condition and parallel to the pair of spaced uprights in the storage condition. The movement of the carriage deck allows the overall size of the vertical reciprocating conveyor to be reduced for shipping.

Abstract: An optical modulator may include a lower waveguide, an upper waveguide, and a dielectric layer disposed therebetween. When a voltage potential is created between the lower and upper waveguides, these layers form a silicon-insulator-silicon capacitor (also referred to as SISCAP) guide that provides efficient, high-speed optical modulation of an optical signal passing through the modulator. In one embodiment, at least one of the waveguides includes a respective ridge portion aligned at a charge modulation region which may aid in confining the optical mode laterally (e.g., in the width direction) in the optical modulator. In another embodiment, ridge portions may be formed on both the lower and the upper waveguides. These ridge portions may be aligned in a vertical direction (e.g., a thickness direction) so that ridges overlap which may further improve optical efficiency by centering an optical mode in the charge modulation region.

Abstract: An optical modulator may include a lower waveguide, an upper waveguide, and a dielectric layer disposed therebetween. When a voltage potential is created between the lower and upper waveguides, these layers form a silicon-insulator-silicon capacitor (also referred to as SISCAP) guide that provides efficient, high-speed optical modulation of an optical signal passing through the modulator. In one embodiment, at least one of the waveguides includes a respective ridge portion aligned at a charge modulation region which may aid in confining the optical mode laterally (e.g., in the width direction) in the optical modulator. In another embodiment, ridge portions may be formed on both the lower and the upper waveguides. These ridge portions may be aligned in a vertical direction (e.g., a thickness direction) so that ridges overlap which may further improve optical efficiency by centering an optical mode in the charge modulation region.

Abstract: A SOI device may include a waveguide adapter that couples light between an external light source—e.g., a fiber optic cable or laser—and a silicon waveguide on the silicon surface layer of the SOI device. In one embodiment, the waveguide adapter is embedded into the insulator layer. Doing so may enable the waveguide adapter to be formed before the surface layer components are added onto the SOI device. Accordingly, fabrication techniques that use high-temperatures may be used without harming other components in the SOI device—e.g., the waveguide adapter is formed before heat-sensitive components are added to the silicon surface layer.

Abstract: A barrel elevator system for vertically moving barrels of liquid between a ground floor and any one of a number of floors at a warehouse for storage of the barrels. The barrel elevator system includes a support frame located in an elevator shaft and a series of cradle assemblies supported between a pair of lifting chains. A loading station is located on the ground floor for receiving barrels to be stored or for removing barrels after storage. Each floor includes a unloading station that allows barrels to be removed from the cradle for storage and returned to the cradles after storage. Each of the loading and unloading stations includes a shield assembly to restrict access to the elevator shaft. A rail section and handle are used to load and unload barrels from the cradles. The handle extends through the shield assembly for access by an operator.

Abstract: A vertical reciprocating conveyor that can be transported in a storage condition and assembled at a work facility in an operating condition. The vertical reciprocating conveyor includes a carriage assembly that is movable along a pair of spaced vertical rails of a support frame. The carriage assembly includes a pair of spaced uprights and a carriage deck designed to support material moved along the pair of spaced vertical rails of the support frame. The carriage deck is movable between an operating condition and a storage condition, where the carriage deck is perpendicular to the pair of spaced uprights in the operating condition and parallel to the pair of spaced uprights in the storage condition. The movement of the carriage deck allows the overall size of the vertical reciprocating conveyor to be reduced for shipping.

Abstract: An optical modulator may include a lower waveguide, an upper waveguide, and a dielectric layer disposed therebetween. When a voltage potential is created between the lower and upper waveguides, these layers form a silicon-insulator-silicon capacitor (also referred to as SISCAP) guide that provides efficient, high-speed optical modulation of an optical signal passing through the modulator. In one embodiment, at least one of the waveguides includes a respective ridge portion aligned at a charge modulation region which may aid in confining the optical mode laterally (e.g., in the width direction) in the optical modulator. In another embodiment, ridge portions may be formed on both the lower and the upper waveguides. These ridge portions may be aligned in a vertical direction (e.g., a thickness direction) so that ridges overlap which may further improve optical efficiency by centering an optical mode in the charge modulation region.

Abstract: The embodiments herein describe a single-frequency laser source (e.g., a distributed feedback (DFB) laser or distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser) that includes a feedback grating or mirror that extends along a waveguide. The grating may be disposed over a portion of the waveguide in an optical gain region in the laser source. Instead of the waveguide or cavity being linear, the laser includes a U-turn region so that two ends of the waveguide terminate at the same facet. That facet is coated with an anti-reflective (AR) coating.

Abstract: An optical modulator may include a lower waveguide, an upper waveguide, and a dielectric layer disposed therebetween. When a voltage potential is created between the lower and upper waveguides, these layers form a silicon-insulator-silicon capacitor (also referred to as SISCAP) guide that provides efficient, high-speed optical modulation of an optical signal passing through the modulator. In one embodiment, at least one of the waveguides includes a respective ridge portion aligned at a charge modulation region which may aid in confining the optical mode laterally (e.g., in the width direction) in the optical modulator. In another embodiment, ridge portions may be formed on both the lower and the upper waveguides. These ridge portions may be aligned in a vertical direction (e.g., a thickness direction) so that ridges overlap which may further improve optical efficiency by centering an optical mode in the charge modulation region.

Abstract: A SOI device may include a waveguide adapter that couples light between an external light source—e.g., a fiber optic cable or laser—and a silicon waveguide on the silicon surface layer of the SOI device. In one embodiment, the waveguide adapter is embedded into the insulator layer. Doing so may enable the waveguide adapter to be formed before the surface layer components are added onto the SOI device. Accordingly, fabrication techniques that use high-temperatures may be used without harming other components in the SOI device—e.g., the waveguide adapter is formed before heat-sensitive components are added to the silicon surface layer.

Abstract: A SOI device may include a waveguide adapter that couples light between an external light source—e.g., a fiber optic cable or laser—and a silicon waveguide on the silicon surface layer of the SOI device. In one embodiment, the waveguide adapter is embedded into the insulator layer. Doing so may enable the waveguide adapter to be formed before the surface layer components are added onto the SOI device. Accordingly, fabrication techniques that use high-temperatures may be used without harming other components in the SOI device—e.g., the waveguide adapter is formed before heat-sensitive components are added to the silicon surface layer.

Abstract: Embodiments herein describe a photonic chip which includes a coupling interface for evanescently coupling the chip to a waveguide on an external substrate. In one embodiment, the photonic chip includes a tapered waveguide that aligns with a tapered waveguide on the external substrate. The respective tapers of the two waveguides are inverted such that as the width of the waveguide in the photonic chip decreases, the width of the waveguide on the external substrate increases. In one embodiment, these two waveguides form an adiabatic structure where the optical signal transfers between the waveguides with minimal or no coupling of the optical signal to other non-intended modes. Using the two waveguides, optical signals can be transmitted between the photonic chip and the external substrate.

Abstract: C Sharp (C#) system including one or more C Sharp (C#) computing devices for dynamically serializing C Sharp (C#) during runtime is provided. The C# system is configured to receive a serialized JSON class including at least one data object associated with at least one attribute name and deserialize the serialized JSON class. The C# system is also configured to serialize a C# class using the deserialized JSON class, and dynamically identify, from the C# class, the at least one data object during the runtime of the data objects. The C# system is further configured to generate a dynamic C# class, wherein the dynamic C# class includes a target class and a method for returning the at least one data object, and return the at least one data object.

Abstract: The embodiments herein describe a single-frequency laser source (e.g., a distributed feedback (DFB) laser or distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser) that includes a feedback grating or mirror that extends along a waveguide. The grating may be disposed over a portion of the waveguide in an optical gain region in the laser source. Instead of the waveguide or cavity being linear, the laser includes a U-turn region so that two ends of the waveguide terminate at the same facet. That facet is coated with an anti-reflective (AR) coating.

Abstract: An optical demultiplexer that includes at least one a hybrid phase shifter configured to receive a light signal over a fiber element, the light signal including polarized optical signals. Each phase shifter includes a thermo-optic phase shifter configured to phase shift the light signal, an electro-optic phase shifter configured to phase shift the light signal, and a coupler configured to maintain polarization of the polarized signal components. The optical demultiplexer also includes control circuitry configured to regulate the thermo-optic and electro-optic phase shifters.

Abstract: The embodiments herein describe a single-frequency laser source (e.g., a distributed feedback (DFB) laser or distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser) that includes a feedback grating or mirror that extends along a waveguide. The grating may be disposed over a portion of the waveguide in an optical gain region in the laser source. Instead of the waveguide or cavity being linear, the laser includes a U-turn region so that two ends of the waveguide terminate at the same facet. That facet is coated with an anti-reflective (AR) coating.

Abstract: C Sharp (C#) system including one or more C Sharp (C#) computing devices for dynamically serializing C Sharp (C#) during runtime is provided. The C# system is configured to receive a serialized JSON class including at least one data object associated with at least one attribute name and deserialize the serialized JSON class. The C# system is also configured to serialize a C# class using the deserialized JSON class, and dynamically identify, from the C# class, the at least one data object during the runtime of the data objects. The C# system is further configured to generate a dynamic C# class, wherein the dynamic C# class includes a target class and a method for returning the at least one data object, and return the at least one data object.