Abstract: A filtering method and optical filter structure are presented. The structure comprises an input waveguide, an output waveguide, and a filter stage formed by at least one closed loop resonator optically coupled to the input and output waveguides. A level of the coupling from each of the waveguides to the resonator is at least 5 times greater than a loss-per-revolution of the resonator. The filter structure thus provides for reducing a bandwidth and insertion loss while filtering at least one optical channel from a multi-channel light signal.

Abstract: A method of producing a PLC based optical component comprising: defining a waveguide; etching a notch thereby defining a facet of the waveguide; and cutting a trench in front of the notch, the cutting being accomplished subsequent to the etching, whereby at least a portion of the trench is displaced from the facet by the notch. The invention also provides for a PLC based optical component comprising: a substrate; a waveguide deposited above the substrate, the waveguide exhibiting a facet; a notch etched in front of the facet of the waveguide; and a trench cut in front of the notch.

Abstract: A wavelength selective filter device is presented suitable for use as a part of a laser cavity for processing light output of a gain section of the laser cavity. The filter structure comprises a resonator structure including at least one closed-loop resonator; and defines an optical coupler structure for coupling light from an input/output of the gain section to propagate through said resonator structure, and a light reflector structure for reflecting light filtered by said resonator structure to propagate through said resonator structure to said input/output of the gain section. The filter structure is configured so as to define two optical paths of substantially the same lengths for light propagation in the resonator structure from and to the coupler structure.

Abstract: A planar lightwave circuit and a method of producing such a planar lightwave circuit, the planar lightwave circuit having an element secured thereon. The planar lightwave circuit comprises: a substrate; a trench cut in the substrate; at least one solder pad deposited on a top surface deposited above the substrate; at least one of a waveguide defined in a layer deposited above the substrate and an optical fiber; and an optical element placed within the trench and in optical communication with the at least one of a waveguide and an optical fiber; at least one metal contact configured on the optical element to be adjacent to the metal pad, the solder pad being connected to the metal contact providing physical support to the optical element and an electrical connection between the metal pad and the metal contact.

Abstract: An optical sensor system for providing an output signal in response to a sensed parameter is disclosed. The sensor system comprises an optical signal source generating an input signal, a sensing element in optical communication with the optical signal source and a detector in optical communication with the sensing element. The sensing element comprises at least two resonant cavity loops exhibiting a common resonant frequency near at least one frequency of the input signal, at least one of the resonant cavity loops being exposed to an external parameter. The external parameter modifies the resonant frequency of the at least one exposed resonant cavity loop thereby modifying an optical output signal. The detector detects any modification in the output optical signal in response to the sensed parameter.

Abstract: A filter device and method are presented for filtering a multi-channel randomly polarized light signal to separate therefrom at least one specific channel. The device comprises a polarizer assembly, and a filter structure. The polarizer assembly is operable for processing the multi-channel randomly polarized light signal to split it into two multi-channel light components of a predetermined polarization identical for both of said two multi-channel light components; and for processing two identically polarized light components to produce a randomly polarized light signal. The filter structure is operable to process said two multi-channel light components of said predetermined polarization to select from each of said two light components the specific channel, and thereby produce two first output light components of the specific channel propagating through spatially separated first light paths.

Abstract: A filtering method and optical filter structure are presented. The structure comprises an input waveguide, an output waveguide, and a filter stage formed by at least one closed loop resonator optically coupled to the input and output waveguides. A level of the coupling from each of the waveguides to the resonator is at least 5 times greater than a loss-per-revolution of the resonator. The filter structure thus provides for reducing a bandwidth and insertion loss while filtering at least one optical channel from a multi-channel light signal.

Abstract: A wavelength selective filter device is presented suitable for use as a part of a laser cavity for processing light output of a gain section of the laser cavity. The filter structure comprises a resonator structure including at least one closed-loop resonator; and defines an optical coupler structure for coupling light from an input/output of the gain section to propagate through said resonator structure, and a light reflector structure for reflecting light filtered by said resonator structure to propagate through said resonator structure to said input/output of the gain section. The filter structure is configured so as to define two optical paths of substantially the same lengths for light propagation in the resonator structure from and to the coupler structure.

Abstract: A planar lightwave circuit and a method of producing such a planar lightwave circuit, the planar lightwave circuit having an element secured thereon. The planar lightwave circuit comprises: a substrate; a trench cut in the substrate; at least one solder pad deposited on a top surface deposited above the substrate; at least one of a waveguide defined in a layer deposited above the substrate and an optical fiber; and an optical element placed within the trench and in optical communication with the at least one of a waveguide and an optical fiber; at least one metal contact configured on the optical element to be adjacent to the metal pad, the solder pad being connected to the metal contact providing physical support to the optical element and an electrical connection between the metal pad and the metal contact.

Abstract: A method of producing a PLC based optical component comprising: defining a waveguide; etching a notch thereby defining a facet of the waveguide; and cutting a trench in front of the notch, the cutting being accomplished subsequent to the etching, whereby at least a portion of the trench is displaced from the facet by the notch. The invention also provides for a PLC based optical component comprising: a substrate; a waveguide deposited above the substrate, the waveguide exhibiting a facet; a notch etched in front of the facet of the waveguide; and a trench cut in front of the notch.

Abstract: A tunable semiconductor laser device is presented. The device comprises a laser structure formed by at least two waveguides and an active region located within at least a segment of one of the waveguides; and comprises a tunable spectral filter optically coupled to the laser structure. The tunable spectral filter includes at least two filtering elements, at least one of them being a microring cavity.

Abstract: A polarization independent, frequency selective coupler for coupling an optical signal having at least one wavelength and an arbitrary polarization state, the polarization independent, frequency selective optical coupler comprising: a first waveguide; and at least one second waveguide, a first portion of the at least one second waveguide being in close proximity to the first waveguide thus forming at least one evanescent coupling region, the at least one evanescent coupling region exhibiting a first phase match condition coupling the TM mode of an optical signal propagating in the first waveguide to the at least one second waveguide and a second phase match condition coupling the TE mode of the optical signal propagating in the first waveguide to the at least one second waveguide, the first phase match condition being different than the second phase match condition.

Abstract: An optical monitor device and method are presented aimed at providing low-loss monitoring of an optical signal confined in an optical guiding structure. An optical resonator structure is placed spatially adjacent to the guiding structure and is optically coupled to the guiding structure, and an optical detector is optically coupled to the resonator structure. The coupling between these elements is such that the coupling of light from the guiding structure to the optical resonator is smaller then the coupling of light from the resonator to the optical detector.

Abstract: A resonator structure is presented comprising a closed loop resonator waveguide having a width varying over the circumferential region of the resonator waveguide. The resonator structure can be used in various applications, such as optical filters, lasers, modulators, spectrum analyzers, wavelockers, interleave filters, and optical add drop multiplexers.

Abstract: A multisegment laser diode structure is presented in the form of two spaced-apart linear waveguide segments and two spaced-apart ring-like waveguide segments, arranged such that each of the ring-like segments is optically coupled to each of the linear waveguide segments. At least one of the waveguide segments includes an active lasing material. The waveguide segments are thus arranged such that four separate electrical contacts can be provided to four waveguide segments, respectively, thereby enabling separate driving of each of the waveguide segments.

Abstract: An optical sensor system for providing an output signal in response to a sensed parameter comprising: an optical signal source for generating an input optical signal; a sensing element in optical communication with the optical signal source, the sensing element comprising at least two resonant cavity loops exhibiting a common resonant frequency near at least one frequency of the input optical signal, at least one of the resonant cavity loops being exposed to an external parameter, the external parameter modifying the resonant frequency of the at least one exposed resonant cavity loop thereby modifying an optical output signal; and a detector in optical communication with the sensing element, the detector detecting any modification in the output optical signal in response to the sensed parameter.

Abstract: A tunable filter structure, and an optical method and device utilizing the same are presented for processing a multi-frequency light signal to separate therefrom a desired frequency range. The filter structure has an input for receiving the multi-frequency input light signal, a first output for outputting a first light component of the input light signal including light of said predetermined frequency range, a second output for outputting a second light component including a remaining portion of the input light signal, and an intermediate input. The first output and the intermediate input of the filter structure may be connected to, respectively, input and output of a tunable frequency-selective optical unit, which may be a second filter structure, amplifier, attenuator. By using the second filter structure with a different tuning range as compared to that of the first filter structure such that these tuning ranges define overlapping spectra of the filter structures, a two-stage filter device is provided.

Abstract: A filter device and method are presented for filtering a multi-channel randomly polarized light signal to separate therefrom at least one specific channel. The device comprises a polarizer assembly, and a filter structure. The polarizer assembly is operable for processing the multi-channel randomly polarized light signal to split it into two multi-channel light components of a predetermined polarization identical for both of said two multi-channel light components; and for processing two identically polarized light components to produce a randomly polarized light signal. The filter structure is operable to process said two multi-channel light components of said predetermined polarization to select from each of said two light components the specific channel, and thereby produce two first output light components of the specific channel propagating through spatially separated first light paths.

Abstract: A planar optical component is presented that defines an optical path for light propagation in between a first waveguide and an optical fiber. The optical component comprises a waveguide structure defining a transition region between the first waveguide and the optical fiber, the transition region is formed by first and second cladding layers and first and second core segments. The first core segment is formed by a core of said first waveguide having a refractive index n1, and the second core segment is formed by a core of a second connecting waveguide having a refractive index n2<n1. The first and second core segments are physically adjacent to one another all along the transition region such that the first core segment is spaced from at least one of the cladding layers by said second core segment. A cross-sectional size of the first core segment is reduced along the transition region in a direction towards the optical fiber, thereby forming a sloped interface shorted than 1 mm.

Abstract: A filtering method and optical filter structure are presented. The structure comprises an input waveguide, an output waveguide, and a filter stage formed by at least one closed loop resonator optically coupled to the input and output waveguides. A level of the coupling from each of the waveguides to the resonator is at least 5 times greater than a loss-per-revolution of the resonator. The filter structure thus provides for reducing a bandwidth and insertion loss while filtering at least one optical channel from a multi-channel light signal.