Abstract: A communication system includes an optical “LAN” (50) interconnecting a plurality of information sources (16a) and sinks (22a) with a light-to-electrical converter (36a) associated with an electrical RF transmitters (32a) and an RF-to-light converter (38a) to a receiver (34a). The transmitter is coupled by way of electrical-to-light converter (46a), and the receiver is coupled by way of light-to-electrical converter (44a), and by way of a directional coupler (76a), to an end of an optical bus (74a), so that light signals representing signals to be transmitted flow in one direction, and light signals representing received signals flow in the other direction through the bus. A directional coupler (72a) at the other end of the optical bus routes the transmit light signals to a light-to-RF converter (47a) which feeds a sink or antenna (12a), and received signals from a source or antenna are routed by way of an RF-to-light converter (40a) and the directional coupler (72a) onto the optical bus (74a).

Abstract: A photonics sensor including first and second electro-optically active optical waveguides, being substantially parallel. The photonics sensor also includes third and fourth electro-optically active optical waveguides coplanar with the first and second waveguides, the third and fourth waveguides being substantially parallel and intersecting the first and second waveguides at a 90 degree angle. The photonics sensor further includes first, second, third and fourth co-planar and adjacent planar electrodes substantially parallel to the first and second waveguides, the planar electrodes arranged so that an incident electromagnetic signal will impinge upon the planar electrodes. The photonics sensor also includes first, second, third and fourth coupling strips substantially parallel to the planar electrodes, and disposed such that the waveguides lie between the coupling strips and the planar electrodes.