Abstract: The present invention is directed to an on-chip symmetric optical circuit having one or more integrally fabricated polarization rotators forming a monolithic, solid state polarization independent symmetric circuit. The symmetric optical circuit has at least one integrally fabricated rotator positioned in a plane of symmetry of at least one optical fiber, waveguide or circuit path of the symmetric optical circuit. The folded symmetric optical circuit may be for example a Mach-Zehnder type optical circuit or an arrayed waveguide grating optical circuit.

Abstract: A luminometer is provided comprising a flow through waveguide and one or more detectors. The flow through waveguide has at least two openings and the sample is free to enter from one opening and exit from the other. The flow through waveguide can be made of material that guides emission light to a bottom end of the flow through waveguide. One or more detectors may be provided which detect the emission light coming out of the bottom of the flow through waveguide. A fluorometer/photometer is also provided that comprises a flow through waveguide, one or more excitation light sources, and one or more optical detectors. The flow through waveguide has a hollow region to hold the sample. The excitation light is introduced at an angle or perpendicular to one surface of the flow through waveguide. The flow through waveguide is made of material that can guide absorption and/or emission light to the bottom end of the flow through waveguide.

Abstract: A thin film interleaver device is disclosed. The thin film interleaver includes thin film optics. The thin film(s) are formed such that they reflect one group of wavelengths while allowing a second group of wavelengths to pass through the thin film(s). The thin film(s) exhibit a flat top frequency response across the channel bandwidths of the multiplexed signal for which the thin film filter is designed such that the thin film interleaver is less sensitive to wavelength drift and temperature variations.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has printed wiring board (11) where electric wiring (18) connected to LSI chip (17) and to planar optical element (21) is formed, and where optical waveguide (25) which transfers light inputted into planar optical element (21) and/or light outputted from planar optical element (21) is fixed. Planar optical element (21) is mounted in one end of small substrate (13), and another end of small substrate (13) is connected to printed wiring board (11) by solder bump (26). One end of small substrate (13) where planar optical element (21) is mounted is fixed to printed wiring board (11) by a fixing mechanism. Small substrate (13) has flexible section (15), which is easily deformable compared with other portions of printed wiring board (11) and small substrate (13), in at least a partial region between one end where planar optical element (21) is mounted and another end electrically connected to printed wiring board (11).

Abstract: A light-amplifying fiber arrangement including a pump fiber including glass and a bridge element. At least a portion of a side of the bridge element has been fused to at least a portion of a side of the pump fiber. An active fiber includes a light-amplifying core and a first cladding. The first cladding includes glass. At least a portion of a side of the active element has been fused to at least a portion of a side of the bridge element. A second cladding surrounds the pump and active fibers in order to confine pump light to the fibers. The second cladding includes glass. The arrangement allows coupling of high power levels into the pump fiber, wherein splicing of pigtails to the arrangement is easier than e.g. in case of conventional doubly clad fibers.

Abstract: A shading member-equipped optical connector plug is compact while having the compatibility to engage existing connector receptacles. The connector plug includes a shading member having a shutter housing enclosing a plug frame slidably on an outside thereof. The shutter housing is inserted into an engagement opening of a connector receptacle to be engaged when the shading member-equipped optical connector is connected. The shading member also has a shutter one end of which is supported by the shutter housing at a front part of the housing and another end of which is urged by an elastic force and closes so as to shade the optical fibers at a position in front of the ferrule, and an elastic member disposed between the plug frame and the shutter housing that urges the shutter housing forward.

Abstract: A fiber optic alignment device on a crystalline substrate support is disclosed. An exemplary embodiment embodied in a resonator fiber optic gyro is fabricated by a process of forming a crystalline substrate support structure operable to support the first end portion of the optical fiber and the second end portion of the optical fiber; forming a first end V-groove portion and a second end V-groove portion in the support structure; physically coupling the first end portion of the optical fiber to the first end V-groove portion; and physically coupling the second end portion of the optical fiber to the second end V-groove portion.

Abstract: An optical waveguide device includes a lower cladding layer, a high refractive index region provided on the lower cladding layer, a pair of cores provided on the lower cladding layer on both sides of the high refractive index region, and an upper cladding layer provided on the high refractive index region and the pair of cores. One of the upper and lower cladding layers has a pair of band-shaped parts disposed between the high refractive index region and the pair of cores.

Abstract: An optical branching component particularly suitable for use as a tap device is described. The component has two optical waveguides coupled between two optical couplers which each include at least one MMI supporting at least two guided modes. There is an effective optical path length difference between the two waveguides and the coupling strength of at least one of the couplers monotonically decreases with increasing wavelength in the operational wavelength region of the component. This means a coupler with relatively large coupling strength and relatively low polarization dependency can be used in the component, giving low polarization dependent variation in the tap ratio, particularly for small tap ratios. Moreover, the use of MMIs in the couplers avoids the need to fabricate to a high process tolerance very small gaps between two waveguides, as can be the case with directional couplers used in prior art branching component designs.

Abstract: An optical microresonator is formed as a microcylinder and a resonant waveguide on the microcylinder and having a plurality of spaced resonant elements such as circumferential ridges for optically coupling light from an optical source waveguide onto the microcylinder. The resonant elements have a spacing, height and angle to impart a desire polarization and bring in the polarization states into degenerancy. A coating could also be formed over the resonant waveguide and operative with the resonant waveguide and of a refractive index to bring any polarization states into degenerancy.

Abstract: A plasma-based etching process is used to specifically shape the endface of an optical substrate supporting an optical waveguide into a contoured facet which will improve coupling efficiency between the waveguide and a free space optical signal. The ability to use standard photolithographic techniques to pattern and etch the optical endface facet allows for virtually any desired facet geometry to be formed—and replicated across the surface of a wafer for the entire group of assemblies being fabricated. A lens may be etched into the endface using a properly-defined photolithographic mask, with the focal point of the lens selected with respect to the parameters of the optical waveguide and the propagating free space signal. Alternatively, an angled facet may be formed along the endface, with the angle sufficient to re-direct reflected/scattered signals away from the optical axis.

Abstract: An optical coupler includes a first optical port, a second optical port, a third optical port, and a fourth optical port. The optical coupler further includes a photonic-bandgap fiber having a cladding, a first core, and a second core. The cladding includes a material with a first refractive index and regions within the cladding. The regions have a second refractive index lower than the first refractive index. The first core is substantially surrounded by the cladding. The first core is optically coupled to the first optical port and to the second optical port. The second core is substantially surrounded by the cladding. The second core is optically coupled to the third optical port and to the fourth optical port. At least a portion of the first core is generally parallel to and spaced from at least a portion of the second core such that the first core is optically coupled to the second core. The first core, the second core, or both the first core and the second core is hollow.

Abstract: A fiber optic sensor for sensing the presence of an analyte has a plurality of optical fibers each of which has at least one analyte sensing segment and one or more low loss lead portion, where the optical fibers are disposed on the periphery of a fiber carrier. The analyte sensing segments may be disposed in an offset relationship to provide continuous detection over a desired distance or they may be spaced apart to provide detection at selected locations. More than one set of optical fibers with sensing segments may be combined to provide detection of multiple analytes. Multiple fiber carriers allow each segment or the grouped sets of segments to be coupled together over a distance either in offset relationship or in spaced apart relationship.

Abstract: An optically coupled device and an optical module including the optically coupled device are provided that can appropriately and efficiently perform position measurement of an optical surface, and allow a product having superior overall efficiency to be stably manufactured at a low cost. An optically coupled device main body 15 is formed having a shape that allows both first lens surface 5 and second lens surface 8 to be viewed simultaneously from a surface normal direction of at least one of a first surface portion 2a and a second surface portion 3a.

Abstract: An optically coupled device and an optical module including the optically coupled device are provided in which a photoelectric conversion device can be easily and appropriately positioned, and reduction in manufacturing costs and improvement in productivity can be achieved. A configuration is made in which, when a photoelectric conversion device 7 is attached to an optically coupled device 1, sufficient optical coupling efficiency can be achieved simply by a mechanical operation in which a photoelectric conversion device 7-side positioning mechanism 12 is engaged with an optically coupled device 1-side positioning mechanism 11, without requiring alignment in any of an emission or irradiation direction of light in a photoelectric conversion element 5 and a direction perpendicular thereto.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of aligning circular multi-core fibers, wherein the method utilized independent and individually selected cores to receive, transmit, and emit light from input devices. The present invention further relates to positioning the ends of a multi-core fiber in order to detect and determine the precise locations of individually selected core fibers.

Abstract: A nanoparticle is able to emit single photons. A waveguide is coupled to the nanoparticle and able to receive the single photons. A backreflector is optically coupled to the waveguide and configured to reflect the single photons toward the waveguide.

Abstract: An optical directional coupler (1) comprises first and second straight optical waveguides (2, 3) having respective cores (2a, 3a) extending longitudinally close to each other to form an optical coupler portion, and a tapered optical waveguide (4) having a core (4a) connected to the core (2a) of the first straight waveguide (2). The core (2a) of the first straight waveguide (2) has a centerline (2d). A width of the core (4a) of the tapered waveguide (4) becomes narrow toward the first straight waveguide (2) and a profile of the tapered waveguide (4) is asymmetric relative to the centerline (2d) of the core (2a) of the first straight waveguides (2).

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to modulators that can be operated electronically and used to modulate electromagnetic radiation. In one embodiment of the present invention, a modulator comprises a slot waveguide having a top semiconductor layer, a bottom semiconductor layer, and a transmission layer sandwiched between the top semiconductor layer and the bottom semiconductor layer. The slot waveguide also includes a plurality of holes forming a Bragg grating along the length of the slot waveguide.

Abstract: An optical module comprising an opto-electronic component, a lens and a mirror that is hermetically sealed by a micro housing containing a lid and a base is disclosed. The optical module may be assembled onto a moveable holder for aligning an optical beam into an optical assembly having an optical waveguide.

Abstract: The application of optical micro structures improve the quality of light available to the viewer of an optical display system, or any display which works on the concept of moving one surface into direct contact or close proximity of a light guide to extract light through frustrated total internal reflection. Certain ones of the microstructures can act to assist in overcoming suction between the surface and the light guide.

Abstract: The multi-channel optical device includes a demultiplexer in a laser cavity. The demultiplexer is configured to demultiplex a multi-channel light beam into a plurality of channels. The device also includes a plurality of ports. Each channel exits the laser cavity through a different one of the ports.

Abstract: The present invention provides a light guide element, a light guide unit, a backlight apparatus and a light source apparatus. The light guide element is provided for guiding a light flux from a light source into a light guide plate, and the light guide element includes: an incident surface; an emitting surface; a top surface and a base surface, in which one of the top surface and the base surface inclines to the other. The light guide element further includes a structure in a light leakage reducing shape arranged on at least one of the top surface and the base surface, which reduces an amount of light to be emitted from the surfaces of the light guide element excluding the emitting surface.

Abstract: An optical assembly includes a waveguide assembly and an optical coupling element. The waveguide assembly includes a core, a cladding portion, and, preferably, at least two waveguide core fiducials, the at least two waveguide core fiducials and the core being lithographically formed substantially simultaneously in a substantially coplanar layer. The core and the at least two waveguide core fiducials are formed in a predetermined relationship with the cladding portion. The optical coupling element (for example, a lens array or mechanical transfer (MT) ferrule), includes an optical element and, preferably, at least two alignment features associated with the optical element, the at least two alignment features being mated with the at least two waveguide core fiducials to accurately position the optical element with respect to the core in an X-Y plane A method of alignment is also provided.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises segments of a GRIN optical medium mounted on a substrate in at least one groove thereon. The GRIN segments are longitudinally spaced apart from one another on the substrate, and are arranged so that a free-space optical beam received through the distal end face of the first GRIN segment is transmitted through the proximal end face of the first GRIN segment, propagates to the proximal end face of the second GRIN segment, is received through the proximal end face of the second GRIN segment, and is transmitted as a free-space optical beam through the distal end face of the second GRIN segment. The GRIN segments can be derived from a single GRIN optical medium mounted on the substrate.

Abstract: A coupling structure for coupling optical radiation, i.e., light, between an optical fibre and an optical device, e.g., a laser diode or a photodiode. The coupling structure has an optical through-via which guides the optical radiation to or from the optical fibre. Light exiting the fibre travels through a guidance channel so it remains substantially confined to a narrow optical path that mimics the fibre core. Conversely, light enters the fibre after having traveled through the guidance channel. The guidance channel has a first core region, the “channel core”, having first refractive index surrounded by a second region, the “channel cladding” having a second refractive index smaller than the first refractive index. The coupling structure, including the guidance channel, is preferably made of semiconductor-based material, more preferably of silicon-based material. The guidance channel is preferably silicon oxide.

Abstract: A microstructure optical adapter or tip according to the present disclosure may incorporate precision micro structure optical components engaging the input or output end of light energy delivery devices for customized light delivery of the light energy. The incorporation of precision micro structure optical components in injection molded plastic or glass parts will allow for inexpensive modification of the output light while also serving to protect the end of the illumination device. The micro structure optical components may also be incorporated in an adapter to tailor the light energy to the subsequent device.

Abstract: An optical coupler, the optical coupler being usable with a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber. The second optical fiber defines a second fiber coupling section and a second fiber transmitting section extending from the second fiber coupling section. The second fiber coupling section defines a radially outwardmost peripheral surface, the radially outwardmost peripheral surface defining a peripheral surface coupling portion. The optical coupler includes a coupler first end section and a substantially opposed coupler second end section, the coupler first end section defining a first coupling surface. The optical coupler defines a second coupling surface extending along the coupler first and second end sections. The first coupling surface is optically couplable with the first optical fiber and the second coupling surface is positionable so as to extend substantially parallel to the peripheral surface coupling portion and to be optically coupled with the peripheral surface coupling portion.

Abstract: In order to make it possible to suppress the influence of reflected light on a connection interface easily and with certainty, an optical waveguide device includes a first optical waveguide (1), a second optical waveguide (2) formed from a material or in a structure different from that of the first optical waveguide (1) and connected to the first optical waveguide (1), and a 1×1 multimode interference waveguide (3) formed by increasing the widths of the first optical waveguide (1) and the second optical waveguide (2) in the proximity of a connection interface between the first optical waveguide (1) and the second optical waveguide (2).

Abstract: An optical device includes: a substrate side waveguide formed on a substrate; and a plurality of optical elements fixed on the substrate. The substrate side waveguide and an optical element side waveguide formed in each of the plurality of optical elements forms a continuous optical waveguide path.

Abstract: A resonator structure includes an input waveguide and an output waveguide. In one embodiment, the resonator structure also includes at least one resonator that couples the input waveguide to the output waveguide and a directional coupler that optically couples the input waveguide to the output waveguide. In another embodiment, the resonator structure includes a plurality of ring resonators that couple the input waveguide to the output waveguide. The plurality of ring resonators include a sequence of ring resonators that form a coupling loop. Each ring resonator in the sequence is coupled to at least two other ring resonators in the sequence and the first ring resonator in the sequence is coupled to the last ring resonator in the sequence so as to form the coupling loop.

Abstract: Ring or disc optical resonators are provided with random or coherent corrugation on a top surface to cause optical power to be radiated in a desired direction by light scattering. The resonators may be positioned proximate a waveguide, either in-plane or inter-plane with the waveguide. The resonators are used in a polymeric photonic display. Light at each fundamental color is generated by light emitting diodes, such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). The light is coupled into waveguides that cross an array of diffractive elements, such as the resonators, each combined with an optical modulator, such as a polymer electro-optic (EO) modulator. The modulator allows light from the waveguides to reach the diffractive elements. Control lines run across the waveguides, and provide control signals to the modulators, allowing one row of diffractive elements at a time to receive light from the waveguides. The rows are scanned and synchronized with light generated by the OLEDs.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and an apparatus for resonant coupling in photonic crystal circuits. In one embodiment, a photonic crystal device comprises a substrate having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough, a photonic crystal circuit (e.g., formed by “removing” a series of apertures), and a strip waveguide extending through the apertures and coupled to the photonic crystal circuit via a surface localized photonic state formed at a surface of the photonic crystal (e.g., in the apertures). The surface localized photonic state facilitates the efficient resonant tunneling of photons from the wavelength-independent strip waveguide to the wavelength-selective photonic crystal circuit, thereby improving the filtering capabilities of the photonic crystal device.

Abstract: An optical coupler for coupling light from at least two input fibers into one output fiber and a method of fabricating and use of an optical coupler. The coupler comprises a) an input section comprising an output end face at one end of the bundling-length of input fibers; and b) an output section comprising an output fiber comprising a confining region for confining light propagated in the input fibers and a surrounding cladding region and having an input end face; wherein the output end face of said input section is optically coupled to the input end face of the output section and at least the confining region of the output fiber is tapered down from a first cross sectional area at the input end face to a second, smaller cross sectional area over a tapering-length of the output fiber.

Abstract: A flexible optical circuit comprising passive or active components is provided. The flexible optical circuit includes a first optical fiber having both first and second ends, a second optical fiber having both first and second ends, a flexible substrate attached to both the first and second optical fibers where the first and second pins of the first and second optical fibers extend to at least the edge of the flexible substrate and a component coupled to the first optical fiber between the first and second ends. The component can be used passive or active. A passive component requires no electrical trace lines to activate the component and the passive component will react upon the reception of a light-wave signal. The active component will require power from the back plane before the active component can modify or affect the light-wave signal. The first and second ends of the optical fibers extend at least to the edge of the flexible optical circuit or can extend beyond the edge of the flexible substrate.

Abstract: An optical reader system is described herein which has a single mode (SM) optical fiber launch/receive system that uses one or more SM optical fibers to interrogate a biosensor and does not use multimode (MM) optical fibers to interrogate the biosensor. The use of the SM optical fiber launch/receive system effectively reduces angular sensitivity, reduces unwanted system reflections, improves overall angular tolerance, and improves resonant peak reflectivity and resonant peak width. Two specific embodiments of the SM optical fiber launch/receive system are described herein which include: (1) a dual fiber collimator launch/receive system; and (2) a single fiber launch/receive system that interrogates the biosensor at a normal incidence.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, an apparatus includes an optical bus arm and a ring resonator arm. The apparatus also includes first, second and third directional couplers between the optical bus arm and the ring resonator arm. A first tuner is included on one of the optical bus arm and the ring resonator arm between the first directional coupler and the second directional coupler. A second tuner is included on other of the optical bus arm and the ring resonator arm between the second directional coupler and the third directional coupler. A tuning mechanism is also included.

Abstract: A process for locating and measuring deformation in a civil engineering structure wherein at least one geosynthetic fabric (1) containing a plurality of optical fibers (2a to 2e) in parallel and capable of transmitting signals is applied in the structure or under the structure. The optical fibers contain Bragg gratings (3), evenly spaced in series (4) of N1 consecutive gratings that correspond to the same wavelength. The series is distributed in identical sets, each of which contains N2 consecutive series that correspond to the different wavelengths, and, in at least two optical fibers, the numbers N1 of gratings of a series and the numbers N2 of series (4) of a set (5) are determined to locate the deformations to which the structure is subjected on the one hand and, on the other, to measure the elongation of the said optical fibers where the deformation occurs.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a passive element including one or more first waveguides and one or more second waveguides. The apparatus also includes an active element integrated into the passive element. The active element includes one or more third waveguides that actively guide light from the first waveguides to the second waveguides. The third waveguides include polarization-independent electro-optical (EO) thin film.

Abstract: An intermediate structure used to form an integrated optics device comprising a substrate, a cladding on the substrate, at least one real waveguide on the cladding, and at least one dummy waveguide optically coupled with the real waveguide. The real waveguide forms a part of a predetermined planar lightwave circuit. The dummy waveguide does not form a part of the predetermined planar lightwave circuit.

Abstract: An optical FSK modulator which can be used for an optical information communication is provided.

Abstract: An optical assembly includes a first transparent substrate having first and second surfaces, a second transparent substrate having substantially parallel third and fourth surfaces, a reflective portion on the second transparent substrate, a plurality of filters between the first substrate and the reflective portion, the plurality of filters filtering light beams incident thereon, the plurality of filters and the reflective portion forming a bounce cavity within the second transparent substrate, a collimating lens for collimating light beams to be input to the bounce cavity, a tilt mechanism for introducing tilt to light beams input to the bounce cavity; an input port receiving light beams and an output port transmitting light beams. The tilt mechanism may be between the first and second substrate.

Abstract: An optical switch comprises one or more input ports for directing an optical beam into the switch; dispersive means configured to receive said optical beam and which spatially separate the optical beam into individual wavelength components which are routed to an actuator; wherein the actuator is in the form of an array of elongate movable fingers for selectively interfering with individual wavelength components and means are provided to direct optical beams to selected one or more output ports.

Abstract: An all-optical logic gates comprises a nonlinear element such as an optical resonator configured to receive optical input signals, at least one of which is amplitude-modulated to include data. The nonlinear element is configured in relation to the carrier frequency of the optical input signals to perform a logic operation based on the resonant frequency of the nonlinear element in relation to the carrier frequency. Based on the optical input signals, the nonlinear element generates an optical output signal having a binary logic level. A combining medium can be used to combine the optical input signals for discrimination by the nonlinear element to generate the optical output signal. Various embodiments include all-optical AND, NOT, NAND, NOR, OR, XOR, and XNOR gates and memory latch.

Abstract: An optical element (10) according to the present invention is provided with a plurality of waveguides (11)˜(13) and a plurality of light path coupling parts (21), (22) coupling adjacent waveguides so as to optically couple said plural waveguides serially, wherein the paths for transmitting lights through the plural waveguides are curved at the optical path coupling parts, thereby the optical elements which is converted the incident laser light into the emitted light having uniform cross-sectional light intensity distribution can give a compact structure, further a laser light source that employs the optical element, and a two-dimensional image forming apparatus that employs the laser light source can also give a compact structure.

Abstract: Semiconductor optical modulator devices exhibiting improved chirp characteristics are constructed from a Mach-Zehnder structure having resonators positioned within each arm and a number of phases shifters positioned within the arms, and/or resonators.

Abstract: An optical semiconductor device has a heater, an optical waveguide layer, a first electrode and a second electrode. The heater is provided on a first semiconductor region and has more than one heater segment coupled or separated to each other. The optical waveguide layer is provided in the first semiconductor region and receives heat from the heater. The first electrode is coupled to a connecting point of the heater segments adjacent to each other. The second electrodes are electrically common and are coupled to other ends of the heater segments in opposite side of the connecting point respectively.

Abstract: The invention relates to phase matched optical gratings for performing signal multiplexing and demultiplexing in optical communications networks. In prior art gratings there is a phase linearity error between the grating line and the outputs on the focal line, comparing the center output to the surrounding outputs. This corresponds to a relative phase difference between each output which limits the passband. In the case of the AWG this degradation comes primarily from field aberrations in the output star coupler. The present invention has found that if the grating line of the optical grating is disposed on a ellipse instead of a circular arc, while the focal line of outputs defines a substantially circular arc, an optimum can be found where the phase linearity error is substantially eliminated, and all outputs have substantially the same phase. As a result, this creates substantially uniform passbands across the WDM spectrum.

Abstract: An optical sensing system and method is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of detecting a scattering center includes the step of providing an optical sensing system including a light source, one or more bus waveguides where a first bus waveguide has an input port that is in optical communication with the light source, a microresonator optically coupled to the one or more bus waveguides, and a scattering center which is capable of optically coupling to the microresonator. The method further includes the steps of exciting at least a first resonant guided optical mode of the microresonator with the light source, altering a strength of optical coupling between the scattering center and the microresonator to induce a change in optical scattering between the first mode and at least a second guided optical mode of the microresonator, and detecting a change in transfer of energy from the first mode to the second mode.

Abstract: An optical device wherein an optical waveguide is formed on a dielectric substrate, the optical device includes an input part and an output part where the optical waveguide and corresponding optical fibers are connected. A stress layer is provided for at least one of the input part and the output part. The stress layer applies a stress to the optical waveguide so that an index of refraction of the optical waveguide is reduced.