Abstract: Avalanche photodiodes (APDs) having at least one top stressor layer disposed on a germanium (Ge) absorption layer are described herein. The top stressor layer can increase the tensile strain of the Ge absorption layer, thus extending the absorption of APDs to longer wavelengths beyond 1550 nm. In one embodiment, the top stressor layer has a four-layer structure, including an amorphous silicon (Si) layer disposed on the Ge absorption layer; a first silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer disposed on the amorphous Si layer, a silicon nitride (SiN) layer disposed on the first SiO2 layer, and a second SiO2 layer disposed on the SiN layer. The Ge absorption layer can be further doped by p-type dopants. The doping concentration of p-type dopants is controlled such that a graded doping profile is formed within the Ge absorption layer to decrease the dark currents in APDs.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a compensated photonic device structure and fabrication method thereof are described herein. In one aspect, a photonic device may include a substrate and a functional layer disposed on the substrate. The substrate may be made of a first material and the functional layer may be made of a second material that is different from the first material. The photonic device may also include a compensation region formed at an interface region between the substrate and the functional layer. The compensation region may be doped with compensation dopants such that a first carrier concentration around the interface region of function layer is reduced and a second carrier concentration in a bulk region of functional layer is reduced.

Abstract: A method for synchronous powder-feeding space laser cladding and three-dimensional forming includes: dividing a three-dimensional solid into a plurality of forming units according to a form simplification and nozzle cladding scanning accessibility principle, and dividing each forming unit into a plurality of layers; employing a single-beam gas-carried power-feeding mode in a hollow annular laser; controlling a mechanical arm (7) to drive an in-laser powder-feeding nozzle (1) to move and scan along a predetermined trajectory in a filling area and a boundary area of the layer; and sequentially conducting cladding and stacking formation of the layer for the entire unit. A device includes an inside-laser powder-feeding nozzle (1), a laser generator (6), a mechanical arm (7), a control module (4), a transmission optical fiber (5), a gas-carried powder feeder (3) and a gas source (2).

Abstract: A compact and highly efficient coupling structure for coupling between DFB-LD and Si PIC edge coupler with suppressed return loss may include a DFB-LD, a Si PIC comprising at least one input edge coupler and at least one output edge coupler, a silica cover lid disposed on the Si PIC and aligned edge to edge with the Si PIC, a single-mode fiber aligned to the at least one output edge coupler of the Si PIC, a lens disposed between the DFB-LD and the at least one input edge coupler of the Si PIC, and an isolator bonded to a facet of the at least one input edge coupler with a first volume of an index matching fluid. The lens may be configured to minimize a mismatch between an output spot size of the DFB-LD and a spot size of the at least one input edge coupler of the Si PIC.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a compensated photonic device structure and fabrication method thereof are described herein. In one aspect, a photonic device may include a substrate and a functional layer disposed on the substrate. The substrate may be made of a first material and the functional layer may be made of a second material that is different from the first material. The photonic device may also include a compensation region formed at an interface region between the substrate and the functional layer. The compensation region may be doped with compensation dopants such that a first carrier concentration around the interface region of function layer is reduced and a second carrier concentration in a bulk region of functional layer is reduced.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a novel structure of a Ge/Si avalanche photodiode with an integrated heater, as well as a fabrication method thereof, are provided. In one aspect, a doped region is formed either on the top silicon layer or the silicon substrate layer to function as a resistor. When the environmental temperature decreases to a certain point, a temperature control loop will be automatically triggered and a proper bias is applied along the heater, thus the temperature of the junction region of a Ge/Si avalanche photodiode is kept within an optimized range to maintain high sensitivity of the avalanche photodiode and low bit-error rate level.

Abstract: An integrated optical coupling device may include a substrate, a coating layer disposed on the substrate, and a prism disposed on the coating layer. The prism may include a first surface and a second surface. The integrated optical coupling device may also include a first lens disposed on the first surface of the prism, a second lens disposed on the second surface of the prism, and an anti-reflection coating layer disposed on the first lens and the second lens.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention is directed to a genetically enhanced cyanobacterium for the production of a first chemical compound, comprising at least one first recombinant gene encoding a first biocatalyst for the production of the first chemical compound, wherein the gene is under the transcriptional control of a Co2+ or Zn2+-inducible promoter. Such a cyanobacterium can provide a tighter control of the production of the first chemical compound.

Abstract: An imprinting method for forming an integrated optical coupling device on wafer level may include: providing a substrate, with a reflection coating disposed thereon; providing an imprinting mold, with void regions shaped according to a designed lens profile; forming a molding material on the substrate; pressing the imprinting mold on the molding material on the substrate; curing the molding material into a cured molding material; removing the imprinting mold; depositing an anti-reflection film on the cured molding material; and dicing to form an integrated optical coupling device.

Abstract: A ring optical modulator includes a SOI substrate, including at least first and second top silicon layers, and a silicon-based ring resonator formed on the SOI substrate. The silicon-based ring resonator includes first and second top silicon layers, a thin dielectric gate layer disposed between the top silicon layers, first and second electric contacts, and first rib-type waveguide and ring-shape rib-type waveguide formed on the second top silicon layer. The thin dielectric layer includes a first side in contact with the first top silicon layer and a second side in contact with the second top silicon layer. With electric signals applied on the electric contacts, free carriers accumulate, deplete or invert within the top silicon layers on the first and second sides of the thin dielectric gate layer beneath the ring-shape rib-type waveguide, simultaneously, and a refractive index of the ring-shape rib-type waveguide confining optical fields is modulated.

Abstract: An optical package for providing efficient coupling between a distributed feedback laser diode (DFB-LD) and a silicon photonic integrated-circuit chip (Si PIC) edge couplers with low return loss, as well as variations thereof, is described. The optical package may include a DFB-LD, a Si PIC, a single mode fiber or fiber array assembly, a lens and a spacer. The Si PIC may include an input edge coupler and an output edge coupler. The single mode fiber or fiber array assembly may be aligned to the output edge coupler. The lens may be disposed between the DFB-LD and the input edge coupler, and may be configured to minimize a mismatch between an output spot size of the DFB-LD and a spot size of the input edge coupler of the Si PIC. The spacer may be bonded to a facet of the input edge coupler with an index matching fluid.

Abstract: A plasmid vector for the production of compounds in cyanobacteria is described which is capable of being efficiently transformed to and replicating in a broad range of cyanobacterial species.

Abstract: An integrated optical coupling device may include a substrate, a coating layer disposed on the substrate, and a prism disposed on the coating layer. The prism may include a first surface and a second surface. The integrated optical coupling device may also include a first lens disposed on the first surface of the prism, a second lens disposed on the second surface of the prism, and an anti-reflection coating layer disposed on the first lens and the second lens.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a detailed description of techniques used in systems, methods, and in computer program products for bi-directional social media broker services that connect multiple social media sites using a common management framework. The claimed embodiments address the problem of efficiently scaling and managing bidirectional interaction with multiple social media publishing channels. More specifically, the claimed embodiments are directed to approaches for a computing platform having multiple message broker modules that enable bi-directional communication of messages between a common resource manager and a plurality of social media sites. The message broker modules can receive messages in a unified message format from the common resource manager, queue the messages for asynchronous processing, translate the messages from the unified message format to a site-specific format, and deliver the translated messages to multiple social media sites.

Abstract: Various structures of an electro-optic device and fabrication methods thereof are described. A fabrication method is provided to fabricate an electro-optic device which may include a silicon-based rib-waveguide modulator which includes a first top silicon layer, having a first doped region that is at least partially doped with dopants of a first conducting type, a second top silicon layer, having a second doped region that is at least partially doped with dopants of a second conducting type, and a thin dielectric gate layer disposed between the first top silicon layer and the second top silicon layer. The second doped region may be at least in part directly over the first doped region. The modulator may also include a rib waveguide formed on the second top silicon layer, a first electric contact formed on the first top silicon layer, and a second electric contact formed on the second top silicon layer.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a germanium-on-silicon (Ge—Si) avalanche photodiode are provided. In one aspect, the Ge—Si avalanche photodiode utilizes a silicon carrier-energy-relaxation layer to reduce the energy of holes drifting into absorption layer where the absorption material has lower ionization threshold, thereby suppressing multiplication noise and increasing the gain-bandwidth product of the avalanche photodiode.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a novel structure of a Ge/Si avalanche photodiode with an integrated heater, as well as a fabrication method thereof, are provided. In one aspect, a doped region is formed either on the top silicon layer or the silicon substrate layer to function as a resistor. When the environmental temperature decreases to a certain point, a temperature control loop will be automatically triggered and a proper bias is applied along the heater, thus the temperature of the junction region of a Ge/Si avalanche photodiode is kept within an optimized range to maintain high sensitivity of the avalanche photodiode and low bit-error rate level.

Abstract: A cyanobacterial host cell, Cyanobacterium sp., that harbors at least one recombinant gene for the production of a chemical compounds is provided, as well as vectors derived from an endogenous plasmid isolated from the cell.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a novel structure of a Ge/Si avalanche photodiode with an integrated heater, as well as a fabrication method thereof, are provided. In one aspect, a doped region is formed either on the top silicon layer or the silicon substrate layer to function as a resistor. When the environmental temperature decreases to a certain point, a temperature control loop will be automatically triggered and a proper bias is applied along the heater, thus the temperature of the junction region of a Ge/Si avalanche photodiode is kept within an optimized range to maintain high sensitivity of the avalanche photodiode and low bit-error rate level.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a germanium-on-silicon (Ge—Si) photodiode are provided along with the fabrication method thereof. In one aspect, a Ge—Si photodiode includes a doped bottom region at the bottom of a germanium layer, formed by thermal diffusion of donors implanted into a silicon layer. The Ge—Si photodiode further includes a doped sidewall region of Ge mesa formed by ion implantation. Thus, the electric field is distributed in the intrinsic region of the Ge—Si photodiode where there is low dislocation density. The doped bottom region and sidewall region of the Ge layer prevent electric field from penetrating into the Ge—Si interface and Ge mesa sidewall region, where a large amount of dislocations are distributed. This design significantly suppresses dark current.