Abstract: An apparatus comprises a support structure and one or more first optical components on the support structure that communicatively couple with a first endpoint. The one or more first optical components are configured to output and receive optical signals that travel over a free space medium to establish a secure link between the first endpoint and a second endpoint.

Abstract: A light emitting device, a transmitter, and a silicon photonics chip, among other things, are disclosed. An illustrative light emitting device is disclosed to include a silicon substrate, a waveguide disposed on or integrated in the silicon substrate, where the waveguide includes a wide waveguide section at a first end and a narrow waveguide section at a second end, a first metal pad disposed over the wide waveguide section and at least partially across the first end of the waveguide, and a second metal pad disposed over the wide waveguide section, distanced away from the first metal pad. Electrical current passing between the first metal pad and the second metal pad may cause light to be produced in the wide waveguide section and the light produced in the wide waveguide section is at least partially reflected by the first metal pad and directed to the narrow waveguide section for transmission.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for a quantum key distribution enabled intra-datacenter network. An example system includes a first vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), a second VCSEL and a network interface controller. The first VCSEL is configured to emit a first optical signal associated with data. The second VCSEL is configured to emit a second optical signal associated with quantum key distribution (QKD). Furthermore, the network interface controller is configured to manage transmission of the first optical signal associated with the first VCSEL and the second optical signal associated with the second VCSEL via an optical communication channel coupled to a network interface module.

Abstract: Devices, networking devices, and switches, among other things, are disclosed. An illustrative switch is disclosed to include a plurality of optical Input/Output (I/O) ports; a multi-chip module (MCM) assembly including switching circuitry and at least one chiplet that is optically coupled with one of the plurality of optical I/O ports; and a controller coupled with the at least one chiplet and configured to couple the at least one chiplet with a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) device.

Abstract: The disclosure addresses the problem of increased optical insertion losses in integrated optical switches. It enables the implementation of an array of optical amplifiers, typically with low/moderate gain, to compensate for optical insertion losses in the integrated switches. The amplifier is based on a doped optical fiber which is optically pumped by a pump laser. The integrated optical switch includes a transposer that facilitates connectivity between a set of fibers and a photonic chip through an optical mode conversion. An all passive circuitry is built in a doped fiber amplifier, WDM couplers combine/separate the signals from the pump, and splitters allow sharing of a single pump by multiple amplifiers. In addition, switch pigtails are implemented with the doped fiber.

Abstract: An optical switching device (20) includes a substrate (39) and first and second optical waveguides (23, 25) having respective first and second tapered ends (62, 64), which are fixed on the substrate in mutual proximity one to another. A pair of electrodes (36, 38) is disposed on the substrate with a gap therebetween. A cantilever beam (32) is disposed on the substrate within the gap and configured to deflect transversely between first and second positions within the gap in response to a potential applied between the electrodes. A third optical waveguide (21) is mounted on the cantilever beam and has a third tapered end (60) disposed between the first and second tapered ends of the first and second waveguides, so that the third tapered end is in proximity with the first tapered end when the cantilever beam is in the first position and is in proximity with the second tapered end when the cantilever beam is in the second position.

Abstract: A network device includes an enclosure, a multi-chip module (MCM), an optical-to-optical connector, and a multi-core fiber (MCF) interconnect. The enclosure has a panel. The MCM is inside the enclosure. The optical-to-optical connector, which is mounted on the panel of the enclosure, is configured to transfer a plurality of optical communication signals. The MCF interconnect includes multiple fiber cores for routing the plurality of optical communication signals between the MCM and the panel. The MCF has a first end at which the multiple fiber cores are coupled to the MCM, and a second end at which the multiple fiber cores are connected to the optical-to-optical connector on the panel.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for generating an optical Pulse Amplitude Modulation 4-level (PAM-4) signal from bandwidth-limited duobinary electrical signals in a Mach-Zehnder modulator. An example system includes an MZM structure that comprises a first waveguide interferometer arm structure associated with a first semiconductor device and a second waveguide interferometer arm structure associated with a second semiconductor device. A polybinary electrical signal is applied to or between the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device to convert an input optical signal provided to the MZM structure into an optical PAM-4 signal.

Abstract: A beamforming element comprises an imprinting-shifting component configured to imprint an input signal onto a second beam to form an imprinted beam and adjust the optical phase of the imprinted beam; one or more multi-beam optical couplers configured to receive a phase-shifted imprinted beam and a first beam and form an interference beam from the combination thereof; and one or more optical-to-electrical converter components configured to receive an interference beam and generate an electrical signal based thereon that includes the beamforming time delay(s) and is frequency up/down-converted with respect to the input signal.

Abstract: A fast optical switch and networks comprising fast optical switches are disclosed herein. In an example embodiment, a fast optical switch includes two or more fabric switches; a first selector switch; and a second selector switch. The first selector switch may selectively pass a signal to one of the two or more fabric switches. The one of the two or more fabric switches may act on the received signal to provide a switched signal and the second selector switch may selectively receive the switched signal provided by the one of the two or more fabric switches. A slot of the fast optical switch comprises a transmission window of one of the two or more fabric switches that occurs in parallel with at least a portion of a reconfiguration window of the other of the two or more fabric switches.

Abstract: A network device includes an enclosure, a multi-chip module (MCM), an optical-to-optical connector, and a multi-core fiber (MCF) interconnect. The enclosure has a panel. The MCM is inside the enclosure. The optical-to-optical connector, which is mounted on the panel of the enclosure, is configured to transfer a plurality of optical communication signals. The MCF interconnect has a first end coupled to the MCM and a second end connected to the optical-to-optical connector on the panel, for routing the plurality of optical communication signals between the MCM and the panel.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for generating an optical Pulse Amplitude Modulation 4-level (PAM-4) signal from bandwidth-limited duobinary electrical signals in a Mach-Zehnder modulator. An example system includes an MZM structure that comprises a first waveguide interferometer arm structure associated with a first semiconductor device and a second waveguide interferometer arm structure associated with a second semiconductor device. A polybinary electrical signal is applied to or between the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device to convert an input optical signal provided to the MZM structure into an optical PAM-4 signal.

Abstract: A network interface controller includes processing circuitry configured to pair with a local root of trust of a host device connected to the network interface controller and provide a key to an encryption device of the host device that enables the encryption device to encrypt data of one or more host device applications using the key. The encrypted data are stored in host device memory. The processing circuitry is configured to share the key with a remote endpoint and forward the encrypted data from the host device memory to the remote endpoint.

Abstract: A routing controller (30) includes an interface (68) and multiple processors (60) The interface is configured to receive a permutation (76) defining requested interconnections between N input ports and N output ports of a Benes network (24). The Benes network includes multiple 2-by-2 switches (42), and is reducible in a plurality of nested subnetworks associated with respective nesting levels, down to irreducible subnetworks including a single 2-by-2 switch. The multiple processors are configured to collectively determine a setting of the 2-by-2 switches that implements the received permutation, including determining sub-settings for two or more subnetworks of a given nesting level in parallel, and to configure the multiple 2-by-2 switches of the Benes network in accordance with the determined setting.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for a coupling element with embedded modal filtering for a laser and/or a photodiode. An example system includes a laser and an optical coupling element. The laser is configured to emit an optical signal. The optical coupling element is configured to receive the optical signal emitted by the laser. The optical coupling element is also configured to be connected to an optical fiber such that, in operation, the optical signal is transmitted from the laser to the optical fiber via the optical coupling element. Furthermore, the coupling element comprises a tapered section that provides modal filtering of the optical signal.

Abstract: A device for a network switch comprises N input ports, and an electrical block including a plurality of electrical switches configured to route signals in an electrical domain. Each electrical switch includes M input ports, and the device further comprises an optical block coupled to the electrical block. The optical block is configured to route signals in an optical domain. A configuration of the optical block and a configuration of the electrical block are based on at least a number of the N input ports.

Abstract: A network element one or more network ports, network time circuitry and packet processing circuitry. The network ports are configured to communicate with a communication network. The network time circuitry is configured to track a network time defined in the communication network. In some embodiments the packet processing circuitry is configured to receive a definition of one or more timeslots that are synchronized to the network time, and to send outbound packets to the communication network depending on the timeslots. In some embodiments the packet processing circuitry is configured to process inbound packets, which are received from the communication network, depending on the timeslots.

Abstract: A transceiver comprises a transmitter including a light source, a modulator coupled to the light source, a driver that drives the modulator according to a set of driving conditions to cause the modulator to output optical signals based on light from the light source, and an output that passes first portions of the optical signals output by the modulator. The transceiver further comprises a first detector that detects second portions of the optical signals output from the modulator, and a receiver including a second detector that detects optical signals from an external transmitter.

Abstract: A passive dual polarization unit and coherent transceiver and/or receiver including one or more passive dual polarization units are provided. An example passive dual polarization unit includes a polarization splitter configured to split an input signal into a TE mode and TM mode signals; TE/TM splitters each designed to split the TE/TM mode signals into first TE/TM signals and second TE/TM signals; a first TE signal polarization rotation component for receiving the first TE signal and providing a third TM signal having the same magnitude and time dependence as the first TE signal; a first TM signal polarization rotation component for receiving the first TM signal and providing a third TE signal having the same magnitude and time dependence as the first TM signal; and TE/TM couplers that couple the second TE/TM signals and the third TE/TM signals to generate output TE/TM signals.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and associated methods of manufacturing are described that provide a dynamic data interconnect and networking cable configuration. The dynamic data interconnect includes a substrate, transmitters supported on the substrate configured to generate signals, and receivers supported on the substrate configured to receive signals. The dynamic data interconnect further includes a number of connection pads that receive data cables attached thereto and a number of transmission lanes that operably couple the transmitters and receivers to the connection pads. The dynamic data interconnect further includes transmission circuitry in communication with each of the transmitters and receivers such that, in an operational configuration, the transmission circuitry determines a transmission state of the dynamic data interconnect and selectively disables operation of at least a portion of the transmitters or at least a portion of the receivers.