Abstract: The invention relates to a device for introducing light into a waveguide, which device comprises: a light source, preferably an electro-optical converter, more preferably a VCSEL, for generating a light beam; a reflector for receiving at least a part of the light beam and for reflecting at least a part of the received part, wherein the waveguide and the material layer lie substantially mutually in line and both rest at least partially on a substantially flat substrate, wherein the light source and the reflector are positioned relative to the waveguide such that at least a part of the reflected part is introduced into the waveguide. The invention also relates to a device for emitting light from a waveguide. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing such devices.

Abstract: The illustrative embodiment of the invention is a surface waveguide having low modal birefringence. The surface waveguide has a composite guiding region that is sandwiched by a lower cladding layer and an upper cladding layer, wherein the cladding layers serve to confine propagating light to the composite guiding region. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the composite guiding region is structured so that it exhibits a balanced stress configuration, wherein the stress in the direction that aligns with the TE polarization mode is substantially equal to the stress in the direction that aligns with the TM polarization mode. The balanced stress configuration results in a surface waveguide that exhibits very low modal birefringence.

Abstract: A surface waveguide is disclosed. In the illustrative embodiment, the waveguide has a core and an upper and lower cladding. The core has a thickness that is greater than the critical thickness of the material that composes the core. This is achieved by depositing/growing the core as a conformal layer within a region that is recessed from the planar surface of the lower cladding, wherein the recessed region has a width that is no more than twice the critical thickness of the core material.

Abstract: In an integrated optical lightguide device including a light-transmitting core layer, an inclusion or buffer layer, and an active or cladding layer. The cladding layer is divided into segments. Groups of different segments exhibit different refractive indices, light intensity profiles or different degrees of sensitivity which have been effected by different methods. Thus, repeated adjustable or controllable transmission has resulted in an extremely sensitive waveguide system for a sensor, a modulator, or a spectrophotometer.

Abstract: In at least part of the layers of the integrated optical channel waveguide system, such as cladding layers, a passive light guiding layer and an active light guiding layer, an adiabatic layer thickness transition positioned next to a working zone is used to adapt the waveguide structure in the working zones to individually optimized functionality. In this way, the relative layer thickness values as located in the working area, for example a sensor window, a modulation region and a fiber-chip region, can be individually optimized, for example, for maximal evanescent field sensitivity, for minimal modulation voltage and for efficient coupling of light power without the necessity of the optical layer-thickness values elsewhere in the system having to be adjusted. Incorporated in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer this results in an exceptionally sensitive and reliable sensor. Preferably the channel waveguide system is incorporated in an electronic circuitry in which e.g.