Abstract: An apparatus comprising a wafer substrate having a planar optical layer thereon and a plurality of adjacent pairs of sacrificial optical testing parts and optical circuit parts located on the optical layer. The sacrificial testing part includes a vertical optical coupler that is oriented to redirect a test light signal between a direction substantially non-parallel to the planar optical layer and a direction that is substantially parallel to the planar optical layer. The optical circuit part includes an optical edge coupling port oriented to permit transfer of the test light signal through the optical edge coupling port and between the sacrificial testing part and the optical circuit part. The apparatus also comprises a trench located in the planar optical layer, the trench separating the sacrificial testing part from the optical circuit part for each of the plurality of adjacent pairs such that the test light signal passes across the trench between the sacrificial testing part and the optical circuit part.

Abstract: A device includes a passive photonic layer located over a substrate and including at least one passive photonic element configured to propagate an optical signal therein. An electronic layer located between said substrate and said passive photonic layer includes at least one electronic device configured to propagate an electrical signal therein. An active photonic layer located over said passive photonic layer includes an active photonic device optically coupled to said passive photonic element and configured to convert between said electrical signal and said optical signal.

Abstract: We disclose an optical transport system configured to transport data using a PDM-modulation format, in which each of two orthogonal polarizations is independently amplitude-modulated, and the relative phase between the carrier waves of the two polarizations may also be modulated. This modulation format enables the optical receiver to perform direct optical detection using a Stokes-vector detector to fully recover the encoded data.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a dielectric slab having first and opposing second major surfaces. A planar antenna element is located on the first major surface. A via formed through the dielectric slab is conductively connected to the antenna element. A plurality of solder bump pads is located on the second major surface and is configured to attach the dielectric slab to an integrated circuit.

Abstract: The present application is directed an optical gyroscope. The optical gyroscope includes a substrate including a first and a second waveguide disposed thereon. One or both of the waveguides may be doped with a rare-earth material. A crossing element is disposed between the first and the second waveguides to form a substantially orthogonal connection therebetween. The application is also directed to a system including an optical gyroscope. The application is further directed to a method of observing characteristics of the optical gyroscope.

Abstract: A system, e.g. a reconfigurable electro-optical network, includes input and output waveguides. The input waveguide is configured to receive a first input optical signal including a first modulated input wavelength channel. The output waveguide is configured to receive a carrier signal including an unmodulated output wavelength channel. An input microcavity resonator is configured to derive a modulated electrical control signal from the modulated input wavelength channel. A first output microcavity resonator is configured to modulate the output wavelength channel in response to the control signal.

Abstract: At least one example embodiment discloses an antenna system. The antenna system includes a single printed circuit board (PCB) substrate and an antenna integrated with the single PCB substrate, the antenna being a broadside low-profile microstrip antenna.

Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments relate to an integrated optical device including: a semiconductor waveguide on a substrate; a dielectric waveguide on a substrate optically coupled to the semiconductor waveguide; and a germanium device on the semiconductor waveguide optically coupled to the semiconductor waveguide.

Abstract: An approach is provided that uses diversity to compensate fading of free-space optical (FSO) signals propagating through an environment characterized by atmospheric scintillation. One embodiment involves collecting at least one FSO beam, demultiplexing the beam by wavelength into at least two sub-beams, detecting each sub-beam to produce an electrical output therefrom, and recovering a signal using complementary information from at least two of the electrical outputs. Another embodiment involves collecting the FSO beam onto an array of spatially separated sub-apertures, detecting the light entering each sub-aperture to produce an electrical output therefrom, and recovering a signal using complementary information from at least two of the electrical outputs. This second embodiment enables both electronic adaptive processing to coherently integrate across the sub-apertures and in the case of multiple transmit apertures a free space optical Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system.

Abstract: An apparatus according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a substrate, at least one semiconductor light-detector on the substrate and an optical waveguide on the substrate. The optical waveguide is configured to guide light to the at least one light-detector, one or more vias in a surface of the substrate or one or more ridges on the surface of the substrate. The one or more vias or ridges are configured to at least partially interrupt light propagating along the surface toward the at least one semiconductor light-detector from outside the optical waveguide.

Abstract: A system, e.g. for optical communication, includes an I-Q modulator and a transmission signal processor. The I-Q modulator is configured to modulate a first light source in response to first I and Q modulation signals. The transmission signal processor is configured to receive a data stream including data corresponding to a first data subchannel. The processor maps the data subchannel to an optical transmission subchannel and outputs the first I and Q modulation signals. The I and Q modulation signals modulate the light source to produce an optical transmission signal that includes wavelength components corresponding to the optical transmission subchannel.

Abstract: At least one example embodiment discloses an antenna system. The antenna system includes a single printed circuit board (PCB) substrate and an antenna integrated with the single PCB substrate, the antenna being a broadside low-profile microstrip antenna.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a dielectric slab having first and opposing second major surfaces. A planar antenna element is located on the first major surface. A via formed through the dielectric slab is conductively connected to the antenna element. A plurality of solder bump pads is located on the second major surface and is configured to attach the dielectric slab to an integrated circuit.

Abstract: A system, e.g. for optical communication, includes an I-Q modulator and a transmission signal processor. The I-Q modulator is configured to modulate a first light source in response to first I and Q modulation signals. The transmission signal processor is configured to receive a data stream including data corresponding to a first data subchannel. The processor maps the data subchannel to an optical transmission subchannel and outputs the first I and Q modulation signals. The I and Q modulation signals modulate the light source to produce an optical transmission signal that includes wavelength components corresponding to the optical transmission subchannel.

Abstract: A system, e.g. a reconfigurable optical channel router, includes an input waveguide optically connected to a wavelength demultiplexer. A first input microcavity resonator set including a plurality of microcavity resonators is located adjacent the input waveguide. The microcavity resonators are configured to controllably couple to a corresponding one of a plurality of frequency channels of an optical signal propagating within said input waveguide.

Abstract: A system, e.g. a reconfigurable electro-optical network, includes input and output waveguides. The input waveguide is configured to receive a first input optical signal including a first modulated input wavelength channel. The output waveguide is configured to receive a carrier signal including an unmodulated output wavelength channel. An input microcavity resonator is configured to derive a modulated electrical control signal from the modulated input wavelength channel. A first output microcavity resonator is configured to modulate the output wavelength channel in response to the control signal.

Abstract: An optical photonic device comprising a planar semiconductor substrate having a light-guiding layer thereon, a primary laser light source in said light-guiding layer and a vertical coupler optically coupled to the primary laser light source by waveguide portions of the light-guiding layer. The vertical coupler is configured to receive a light beam from the primary laser light source and redirect the light beam in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the planar substrate.

Abstract: A device includes a passive photonic layer located over a substrate and including at least one passive photonic element configured to propagate an optical signal therein. An electronic layer located between said substrate and said passive photonic layer includes at least one electronic device configured to propagate an electrical signal therein. An active photonic layer located over said passive photonic layer includes an active photonic device optically coupled to said passive photonic element and configured to convert between said electrical signal and said optical signal.

Abstract: An apparatus that comprises an optical-mode-converter. The optical-mode-converter includes a optical waveguide including a segment directly located on a substrate and a cantilevered segment located over said substrate and separated from said substrate by a cavity, and, said cantilevered segment includes a core surrounded by a cladding. The optical-mode-converter also includes a dielectric material filling said cavity and contacting said cantilevered segment over said cavity, wherein said dielectric material has a refractive index that is less than a refractive index of said cladding and that is no more than about 20 percent less than said refractive index of said cladding.

Abstract: An optical device comprising an optical device comprising a Mach-Zehnder interferometer having a first 2×2 optical coupler, a second 2×2 optical coupler, a first optical arm, and a second optical arm. The first and second arms connecting corresponding pairs of optical ports of the first and second 2×2 optical couplers. The second optical arm has a longer optical path than the first arm. The device also comprises one or more optical resonators optically coupled to the first optical arm and an optical splitter. The optical splitter is coupled to deliver a portion of an input optical signal to one port of the first 2×2 optical coupler and to deliver a remaining portion of the input optical signal to one port of the second optical coupler.