Tapered Coupler Patents (Class 385/43)
  • Patent number: 12222542
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a photonic device includes: forming a photonic device structure that includes a SOI substrate, which includes a bulk substrate layer, a buried oxide layer on the bulk substrate layer and an active semiconductor layer on the buried oxide layer; forming an electrically conducting layer in electrical contact of the buried oxide layer, and forming a BEOL structure on a surface of the active silicon layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yueh Ying Lee, Tzu-Chung Tsai, Chien-Ying Wu, Jhih-Ming Lin
  • Patent number: 12222563
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for a multi-tip laser coupler with improved alignment guidance. A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) includes an input interface, an output interface, and a waveguide array. The waveguide array includes a first waveguide, a second waveguide, and a third waveguide. The first waveguide and the third waveguide are coupled to the input interface and are not coupled to the output interface. The second waveguide is coupled to the input interface and the output interface. Further, the second waveguide is positioned parallel to and between the first waveguide and a third waveguide. The second waveguide includes a tapered body such that an output end of the second waveguide coupled to the output interface is wider than an input end of the second waveguide coupled to the input interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Sean P. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11994715
    Abstract: A tapered waveguide. In some embodiments, the waveguide has a narrow end and a wide end. A taper angle of the waveguide may be, at each point along the waveguide, less than an adiabatic taper angle by a margin. The margin may be greater at a first point than at a second point, where the adiabatic taper angle is less at the first point than at the second point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Rockley Photonics Limited
    Inventors: Jin-Hyoung Lee, Andrea Trita
  • Patent number: 11886024
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for a monolithic multi-optical-waveguide penetrator or connector. One example apparatus generally includes a plurality of large diameter optical waveguides, each having a core and a cladding, and a body having a plurality of bores with the optical waveguides disposed therein, wherein at least a portion of the cladding of each of the optical waveguides is fused with the body, such that the apparatus is a monolithic structure. Such an apparatus provides for a cost- and space-efficient technique for feedthrough of multiple optical waveguides. Also, the body may have a large outer diameter which can be shaped into features of interest, such as connection alignment or feedthrough sealing features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: WEATHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventor: Thomas W. F. Engel
  • Patent number: 11714243
    Abstract: A device is provided. The device may be an optical device, a light coupling device, or a device containing an optical structure. The device includes a waveguide, a cladding, and a light coupling material. The light coupling material is disposed adjacent to the waveguide and has a first surface and a second surface, where the second surface is disposed further away from the waveguide than the first surface and a thickness of the second surface is greater than that of the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: ADVANCED SEMICONDUCTOR ENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: Jr-Wei Lin, Sin-Yuan Mu, Mei-Ju Lu
  • Patent number: 11658166
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to optical systems and methods for their manufacture. An example optical system includes a first substrate having a mounting surface and a spacer structure having at least one cavity. The spacer structure is coupled to the mounting surface of the first substrate. The optical system also includes a light-emitter device that is coupled to the spacer structure and a detector device coupled to the first substrate such that the at least one detector device is disposed within the at least one cavity of the spacer structure. The optical system also includes a second substrate that mounts a lens and a waveguide and is coupled to the spacer structure. The optical system also includes a shim coupled between the second surface of the spacer structure and a mounting surface of the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Last, Ajaya Chilumula
  • Patent number: 11536898
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of an optical waveguide device that allows light to propagate through a core formed within a cladding formed on a substrate, the core having a higher refractive index than the cladding, includes: layering a first cladding-material layer for the cladding and a core-material layer for the core sequentially on the substrate; forming the layered core-material layer into the core having a waveguide shape, and removing a first part of the core, the first part being positioned at a portion where a slit is to be formed, to thereby form a gap in the core; layering a second cladding-material layer for the cladding to cover the first cladding-material layer and the core; and removing, by dry-etching, a second part of the first and second cladding-material layers, the second part being positioned at the portion where the slit is to be formed, to thereby form the slit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junichi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11513294
    Abstract: There is described an optical fiber coupler generally having: a first optical fiber having a longitudinally extending multimode guiding region and a first taper portion longitudinally extending between first and second locations of the first optical fiber, the first taper portion having a dimension progressively decreasing along a first taper direction from the first location to the second location; a second optical fiber having a longitudinally extending multimode guiding region and a second taper portion longitudinally extending between third and fourth locations of the second optical fiber, the second taper portion having a dimension progressively decreasing along a second taper direction from the third location to the fourth location; and a coupling region where at least a portion of the first taper portion is optically coupled to a portion of the second taper portion, with the first and second taper directions being opposite to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: CASTOR OPTICS INC.
    Inventors: Nicolas Godbout, Lucas Majeau
  • Patent number: 11513286
    Abstract: Structures for an optical power splitter/combiner and methods of forming a structure for an optical power splitter/combiner. A first waveguide core is positioned adjacent to a second waveguide core. The first waveguide core includes a first end surface and a first tapered section that tapers toward the first end surface. The second waveguide core includes a second end surface and a second tapered section that tapers toward the second end surface. A third waveguide core is positioned in a different level than the first waveguide core and the second waveguide core. The third waveguide core includes a third end surface and a third tapered section that tapers toward the third end surface. The third tapered section includes a portion laterally positioned between the first tapered section of the first waveguide core and the second tapered section of the second waveguide core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: GlobalFoundries U.S. Inc.
    Inventor: Yusheng Bian
  • Patent number: 11467343
    Abstract: Optical coupler structures include a waveguide having waveguide metamaterial segments aligned along a first line. A second insulator is on the first insulator and the waveguide metamaterial segments. A coupler structure is in the second insulator and has coupler metamaterial segments aligned along a second line. The first line and the second line are parallel and within a plane. A portion of the waveguide overlaps a portion of the coupler structure. The waveguide metamaterial segments intersect the plane and have first widths perpendicular to the plane, and the first widths have a first taper along the first line. The coupler metamaterial segments intersect the plane and have second widths in the direction perpendicular to the plane. The second widths have a second taper along the second line that is different from the first taper of the first widths where the waveguide overlaps the coupler structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: GlobalFoundries U.S. Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Peng, Ajey Poovannummoottil Jacob, Yusheng Bian
  • Patent number: 11460635
    Abstract: An optical waveguide device that is implemented between a slot waveguide and a rectangular waveguide includes: a tapered portion and a separation portion. The tapered portion includes first and second cores that are respectively coupled to cores of the slot waveguide and formed in parallel each other. The separation portion includes third and fourth cores that are respectively coupled to the first and second cores. Cross-sectional areas of the first and second cores are substantially equal each other at an input end. The cross-sectional area of the first core is larger than that of the second core at an output end. A shape of a cross section of the first core changes continuously between the input end and the output end in the tapered portion. A spacing between the third core and the fourth core is continuously extended in the separation portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: FUJITSU OPTICAL COMPONENTS LIMITED
    Inventor: Akira Oka
  • Patent number: 11409040
    Abstract: Structures for an optical coupler and methods of fabricating a structure for an optical coupler. A first plurality of segments are positioned with a first spaced arrangement along a longitudinal axis, and a second plurality of segments are positioned with a second spaced arrangement along the longitudinal axis between the first plurality of segments and a waveguide core. A slab layer has a plurality of sections respectively connected to the second plurality of segments. The second plurality of segments have a first thickness, and the slab layer has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: GlobalFoundries U.S. Inc.
    Inventor: Yusheng Bian
  • Patent number: 11368226
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments for high performance wireless data transfers. In an example embodiment, laser chips are used to support the data transfers using laser signals that encode the data to be transferred. The laser chip can be configured to (1) receive a digital signal and (2) responsive to the received digital signal, generate and emit a variable laser signal, wherein the laser chip comprises a laser-emitting epitaxial structure, wherein the laser-emitting epitaxial structure comprises a plurality of laser-emitting regions within a single mesa structure that generate the variable laser signal. Also disclosed are a number of embodiments for a photonics receiver that can receive and digitize the laser signals produced by the laser chips. Such technology can be used to wireless transfer large data sets such as lidar point clouds at high data rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: OPTIPULSE INC.
    Inventors: John Richard Joseph, Feng Hou, William K. Szaroletta
  • Patent number: 11340400
    Abstract: Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) enable manipulation of light on a chip for telecommunications and information processing. They can be made with silicon and silicon-compatible materials using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication techniques developed for making electronics. Unfortunately, most light sources are made with III-V and II-VI materials, which are not compatible with silicon CMOS fabrication techniques. As a result, the light source for a PIC is either off-chip or integrated onto the PIC after CMOS fabrication is over. Hybrid integration can be improved by forming a recess in the PIC to receive a III-V or II-VI photonic chip. Mechanical stops formed in or next to the recess during fabrication align the photonic chip vertically to the PIC. Fiducials on the PIC and the photonic chip enable sub-micron lateral alignment. As a result, the photonic chip can be flip-chip bonded to the PIC with sub-micron vertical and lateral alignment precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Boris Kharas, Reuel B. Swint, Cheryl Marie Sorace-Agaskar, Paul William Juodawlkis, Suraj Deepak Bramhavar, Jason Plant
  • Patent number: 11333828
    Abstract: An optical connection component includes: a plurality of types of optical fibers; a plurality of high relative refractive-index difference optical fibers in each of which a relative refractive-index difference between a core and a cladding is larger than a relative refractive-index difference in each of the plurality of types of optical fibers and which are fusion spliced to the plurality of types of optical fibers; and a fixing member having a plurality of V-shaped grooves that receive the high relative refractive-index difference optical fibers with coating removed, the fixing member being configured to fix relative positions of the high relative refractive-index difference optical fibers and an optical element when optically coupling the high relative refractive-index difference optical fibers, which have been fusion spliced to the plurality of types of optical fibers, to the optical element. The high relative refractive-index difference optical fibers are of the same type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori Takahashi, Mitsuhiro Iwaya, Tsunetoshi Saito
  • Patent number: 11300730
    Abstract: An optical network architecture can include a first pair of tapered mixing rods and a second pair of tapered mixing rods. A first plurality of plastic optical fibers is communicatively coupled from the first pair of tapered mixing rods to a first plurality of line replaceable components, and a second plurality of plastic optical fibers is communicatively coupled from the second pair of tapered mixing rods to a second plurality of line replaceable components. At least one optical fiber communicatively coupled from the first pair of tapered mixing rods to the second pair of tapered mixing rods, the at least one optical transmission line comprising a hard clad silica optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Eric Y. Chan, Dennis G. Koshinz, Tuong Kien Truong, Henry B. Pang, William E. Lawrence, Clete Mark Boldrin, Angela W. Li
  • Patent number: 11280962
    Abstract: A waveguide includes a segment with a substantially uniform cure profile and related methods and systems for making and using the same. The waveguide is formed by modifying a laser beam used to write the waveguide to provide a substantially uniform cure profile in the waveguide. A marker characteristic of laser writing may be present in the waveguide. A method or system modifies an intensity profile or a shape profile of a laser beam to proactively compensate for exposure convolution based on the characteristics of the laser beam spot profile. A convolution compensator is positioned in the path of the laser beam to modify the beam spot profile during writing to form the one or more segments of the waveguide in a photo-curable layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Richard C. A. Pitwon
  • Patent number: 11280965
    Abstract: There is described a multi-clad optical fiber for propagating an optical signal having at least a single mode. The multi-clad optical fiber generally has a fiber core, an inner cladding surrounding the fiber core, and at least an outer cladding surrounding the inner cladding, the multi-clad optical fiber having at least a taper portion extending along a longitudinal dimension z, the taper portion having a radial dimension progressively decreasing at a normalized slope exceeding an adiabaticity criterion of a conventional single-clad optical fiber propagating at least the single-mode across its single-mode core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: POLYVALOR, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
    Inventors: Simon Bolduc Beaudoin, Nicolas Godbout
  • Patent number: 11275216
    Abstract: Provided is an optical fiber coupler capable of suppressing variation of polarization state of light passing through a coupler portion. The optical fiber coupler includes: a substrate having a groove; a coupler portion which is inserted into the groove and to which a middle portion of each of optical fibers is joined; and an adhesive for bonding the coupler portion to the substrate. Shore D hardness of the adhesive is 10 to 35. By setting the Shore D hardness of the adhesive to 10 to 35, it is possible to suppress the variation of the polarization state of the light passing through the coupler portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: TATSUTA ELECTRIC WIRE & CABLE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masato Takaya
  • Patent number: 11249262
    Abstract: A passive optical network includes a central office providing subscriber signals; a fiber distribution hub including an optical power splitter and a termination field; and a drop terminal. Distribution fibers have first ends coupled to output ports of a drop terminal and second ends coupled to the termination field. A remote unit of a DAS is retrofitted to the network by routing a second feeder cable from a base station to the hub and coupling one the distribution fibers to the second feeder cable. The remote unit is plugged into the corresponding drop terminal port, for example, with a cable arrangement having a sealed wave division multiplexer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: CommScope Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Erik J. Gronvall, Trevor D. Smith, Timothy G. Badar, Anthony L. Lefebvre
  • Patent number: 11204469
    Abstract: In an example, an optical coupler includes a waveguide structure. The waveguide structure includes a waveguide layer having a proximal end and a distal end. The waveguide layer includes a first waveguide that extends from the proximal end along a first portion of the waveguide layer and widens along a second portion of the first waveguide layer toward the distal end. The waveguide layer further includes one or more additional waveguides that extend from the proximal end along the first portion of the waveguide layer. Each of the one or more additional waveguides narrow along the second portion of the waveguide layer to separate distal tips at the distal end. The waveguide structure is configured to match an integrated photonics mode to a fiber mode supported by an optical fiber at the proximal end and transition the mode to only the first waveguide toward the distal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Neil A. Krueger, Matthew Wade Puckett
  • Patent number: 11150141
    Abstract: The invention offers high resolution and accuracy for nanoscale temperature mapping. Instead of collecting light after emission in near-field that decays to far-field, the present invention directly couples the near-field waves to a polaritonic-coated infrared probe. The polaritonic coating can be formed on an IR-tuned optical fiber to receive the coupled IR radiation and form polaritons, including plasmons or phonons, using the IR polaritonic material. The IR polaritons propagate along the probe decay back into the fiber core without substantial losses to far-field and are transmitted to a detector, such as a spectroscope. The coupling of the near-field energy to emission detected through the tip apex of fiber can be expressed as emission spectra. Through mapping with other spatial points, multi-dimensional displays and other information can be provided. The resolution can be less than 100 nanometers, such as at least an order of magnitude less than 100 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Baylor University
    Inventors: Zhenrong Zhang, Blake Birmingham, Khant Minn
  • Patent number: 11092748
    Abstract: An optical device comprises a fiber having a cladding and a core, and a target PIC waveguide having a cladding and a core. The cladding on one side of the input fiber is removed at the end of the fiber and a flat surface is created along the fiber core, close to the core, exposing the fiber core. A flat-bottomed channel having an in-plane angle with respect to the symmetric axis of the PIC waveguide is fabricated on the top layer of the PIC waveguide in the coupling area, exposing the upper surface of the tapered planar waveguide. The flat surface of the fiber and the top surface of the waveguide is contacting, so the core of the fiber is intersected at an angle with respect to the symmetric axis of the target waveguide and close together at the intersection as an interacting region to define a hybrid waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: KVH INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Liming Wang, Martin A. Kits van Heyningen
  • Patent number: 11092747
    Abstract: A whispering gallery mode resonator and a manufacturing method includes a hollow core fiber, a waveguide, a waveguide resonant cavity, a first single-mode fiber and a second single-mode fiber. The waveguide and the waveguide resonant cavity are located in the hollow core fiber. End surface of the first and second single-mode fibers are fused to end surfaces of the hollow core fiber. The waveguide includes an input optical waveguide, an inner surface waveguide having an evanescent field and an output optical waveguide. The two end surfaces of the input optical waveguide are connected with an end surface of the core of the first single-mode fiber and an end surface of the inner surface waveguide respectively. The two end surfaces of the output optical waveguide are connected with an end surface of the core of the second single-mode fiber and the other end surface of the inner surface waveguide respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: SHENZHEN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Changrui Liao, Yiping Wang, Chupao Lin, Ying Wang, Jun He
  • Patent number: 10996401
    Abstract: An optical coupler and method of assembly are described that provide efficient coupling from the photonic integrated circuit (PIC) waveguide layer to external components, such as optical fibers, VCSELs, photodetectors, and gain blocks, among others. The optical coupler includes a PIC that can be supported by a printed circuit board, an optoelectronic transducer supported by the PIC that can convert between optical signals and corresponding electrical signals, and a coupled waveguide assembly. The coupled waveguide assembly includes a low-index waveguide, a high-index waveguide, and a reflective surface that changes a pathway of the optical signals to direct the optical signals from the optoelectronic transducer into the low-index waveguide or from the low-index waveguide into the optoelectronic transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Mellanox Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Elad Mentovich, Itshak Kalifa, Sylvie Rockman, Anna Sandomirsky, Giannis Poulopoulos, Dimitrios Kalavrouziotis, Paraskevas Bakopoulos, Hercules Avramopoulos, Xin Yin, Geert Van Steenberge
  • Patent number: 10950739
    Abstract: A photodiode which includes a core of a first waveguide that terminates in a tapered termination that extends above a core, made of germanium or of SiGe, of a second waveguide, a matching strip that extends opposite the tapered termination on one side and opposite the core of the second waveguide on the opposite side, this matching strip being coupled optically to the core of the second waveguide by an evanescent coupling and including a first zone inside which its effective propagation index is equal to the effective propagation index of a second zone of the tapered termination, these first and second zones optically coupling the tapered termination to the matching strip through a modal coupling, and a low-index layer that extends between the matching strip and the tapered termination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives
    Inventors: Karim Hassan, Salim Boutami, Christophe Kopp
  • Patent number: 10942311
    Abstract: Provided is an optical device which can control a beam quality of outgoing light. An optical device (10) includes an entrance fiber bundle (12), an exit fiber (13), and a reduced diameter part (11). The reduced diameter part (11) has (i) an entrance end surface (11a) and (ii) an exit end surface (11b) which is narrower in area than the entrance end surface (11a). In a case where the entrance end surface (11a) is viewed from a normal direction of the entrance end surface (11a), a center (C2) of the exit end surface (11b) deviates from a center (C1) of the entrance end surface (11a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Fujita
  • Patent number: 10912461
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for surface scanning in medical imaging is provided. The surface scanning apparatus comprises an image source, a first optical fiber bundle comprising first optical fibers having proximal ends and distal ends, and a first optical coupler for coupling an image from the image source into the proximal ends of the first optical fibers, wherein the first optical coupler comprises a plurality of lens elements including a first lens element and a second lens element, each of the plurality of lens elements comprising a primary surface facing a distal end of the first optical coupler, and a secondary surface facing a proximal end of the first optical coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET
    Inventors: Oline Olesen, Rasmus Larsen, Jakob Wilm, Rasmus Ramsbøl Jensen
  • Patent number: 10901151
    Abstract: Optical integrated circuits are provided. An optical integrated circuit includes a substrate including a single crystalline semiconductor material. The optical integrated circuit includes an insulation region in a trench in the substrate. The optical integrated circuit includes a first core on the insulation region. The first core includes the single crystalline semiconductor material. Moreover, the optical integrated circuit includes a second core that is spaced apart from the first core. The second core includes a material having a refractive index that is lower than that of the first core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Inventors: Keun-Yeong Cho, Ho-Chul Ji
  • Patent number: 10879665
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for reducing thermal effects in double-clad clad optical fiber amplifying systems via control of the pump absorption. One optical fiber amplifying system for reducing thermal effects includes one or more first optical pump sources, each configured to output radiation of a pump wavelength, a bridge optical fiber, having an input configured to receive the radiation of the pump wavelength output by the one or more first optical pump sources and an output, and an active optical fiber that has a first end substantially directly coupled to the output of the bridge optical fiber and a second end. The active optical fiber is configured to amplify radiation of the first active wavelength when pumped with radiation of the pump wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Nufern
    Inventors: Clemence Jollivet, Kevin Farley, Kanishka Tankala, John Edgecumbe
  • Patent number: 10788582
    Abstract: The LIDAR chip includes a utility waveguide that guides an outgoing LIDAR signal to a facet through which the outgoing LIDAR signal exits from the chip. The chip also includes a control branch that removes a portion of the outgoing LIDAR signal from the utility waveguide. The control branch includes a control light sensor that receives a light signal that includes light from the removed portion of the outgoing LIDAR signal. The chip also includes a data branch that removes a second portion of the outgoing LIDAR signal from the utility waveguide. The data branch includes a light-combining component that combines a reference light signal that includes light from the second portion of the outgoing LIDAR signal with a comparative light signal that includes light that was reflected off an object located off of the chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: SiLC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dazeng Feng, Bradley Jonathan Luff, Mehdi Asghari
  • Patent number: 10782477
    Abstract: An optical fiber that includes an up taper section such that a predetermined length of the distal end of the optical fiber has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the optical fiber at a proximal end. A portion of the optical fiber is heated to include an up taper section between the distal and proximal ends of the topical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: ACCUTECH MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Van Zuylen
  • Patent number: 10690872
    Abstract: An optical fiber protection structure has a fiber accommodation portion having a fiber accommodation groove formed therein for accommodating at least a portion of optical fibers and first resins filled in the fiber accommodation groove. The first resins are to fix a portion of the optical fibers within the fiber accommodation groove. The optical fiber protection structure has a cover member disposed above the fiber accommodation portion so as to cover the fiber accommodation groove, second resins for allowing the first resins to expand toward the cover member to reduce a stress applied to the optical fibers, and a third resin for fixing the cover member onto the fiber accommodation portion. The second resins have a Young's modulus lower than those of the first resins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Fujita, Hiroto Nakazato, Takanori Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 10591666
    Abstract: According to one embodiment two-core optical fiber is provided for use in Brillouin distributed fiber sensor applications and systems. The two-core fiber includes a first and second core. Each core is configured to exhibit a Brillouin frequency shift greater than 30 Mhz relative to the other core. Further, each core possesses temperature and strain coefficients that differ from the other core. The cores can be configured to produce Brillouin frequency shift levels of at least 30 Mhz relative to one another. These differences in shift levels may be affected by adjustment of the material compositions, doping concentrations and/or refractive index profiles of each of the cores. These optical fibers may also be used in BOTDR- and BOTDA-based sensor systems and arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Brett Jason Hoover, Ming-Jun Li, Shenping Li
  • Patent number: 10564357
    Abstract: An optical network architecture can include a first pair of tapered mixing rods and a second pair of tapered mixing rods. The optical network architecture can also include a first plurality of plastic optical fibers communicatively coupled from the first pair of tapered mixing rods to a first plurality of line replaceable units and a second plurality of plastic optical fibers communicatively coupled from the second pair of tapered mixing rods to a second plurality of line replaceable units. The optical network architecture can also include at least one plastic optical fiber communicatively coupled from the first pair of tapered mixing rods to the second pair of tapered mixing rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Eric Y. Chan, Dennis G. Koshinz, Tuong Kien Truong, Henry B. Pang
  • Patent number: 10566210
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for structuring a nitride layer (2), comprising the following steps: A) providing a nitride layer (2) formed with silicon nitride of a first type, B) defining regions (40) of said nitride layer (2) to be transformed, and C) inserting the nitride layer (2) into a transformation chamber for the duration of a transformation period, said transformation period being selected such that—at least 80% of the nitride layer (2) regions (40) to be transformed are transformed into oxide regions (41) formed with silicon oxide, and—remaining nitride layer (2) regions (21) remain at least 80% untransformed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORS GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Rueckerl, Roland Zeisel, Simeon Katz
  • Patent number: 10520674
    Abstract: An optical fiber cleaving apparatus that employs a microchip laser system for cleaving an optical fiber is disclosed. The microchip laser system is operably arranged relative to an optical system that receives an initial laser beam and forms a focused laser beam that includes a focus spot. The focus spot is directed to the outer surface of the optical fiber to create an optical damage zone that includes at least one micro-crack necessary for performing the cleaving operation. Methods of aligning the optical fiber to the focus spot and performing the cleaving operation using the cleaving apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC
    Inventor: Qi Wu
  • Patent number: 10406723
    Abstract: A fiber is provided that has been thermally drawn from a fiber preform, having a longitudinal-axis length and including at least one core that has a longitudinal core axis parallel to the longitudinal axis and internally disposed to at least one outer fiber cladding material layer along the fiber length. The fiber is fed through a localized heating site having a heating site temperature, T, that is above a melting temperature of the fiber core, with a feed speed, ?f, that melts a portion of the fiber core at the heating site, causing molten droplets to pinch off of fiber core material, one droplet at a time, with a time period of molten droplet formation set by the fiber feed speed, ?f. The fiber is fed through the localized heating site to move the molten droplets out of the heating site and solidify the molten droplets into solid in-fiber particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignees: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Yoel Fink, Ayman F. Abouraddy, Benjamin Jean-Baptiste Grena, Alexander Gumennik, John D. Joannopoulos, Guillaume R. Lestoquoy, Lei Wei
  • Patent number: 10345522
    Abstract: A mode-converting optical coupler may include a secondary waveguide to guide light in one or more secondary optical modes, and a primary waveguide to guide light in one or more primary optical modes, each adiabatically coupled to a secondary optical mode of the secondary waveguide having a secondary mode index. Each primary optical mode of the primary waveguide may have a first primary mode index near a first end and a second primary mode index near a second end. The first primary mode index may be lower than the second primary mode index. The secondary mode index may be between the first primary mode index and the second primary mode index. The primary waveguide may include a plurality of silicon core structures including a central core structure arranged between a first neighboring core structure and a second neighboring core structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLC
    Inventor: Brian Daniel
  • Patent number: 10288806
    Abstract: A photonic integrated device includes a first waveguide and a second waveguide. The first and second waveguides are mutually coupled at a junction region the includes a bulge region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
    Inventor: Charles Baudot
  • Patent number: 10261257
    Abstract: A waveguide includes a segment with a substantially uniform cure profile and related methods and systems for making and using the same. The waveguide is formed by modifying a laser beam used to write the waveguide to provide a substantially uniform cure profile in the waveguide. A marker characteristic of laser writing may be present in the waveguide. A method or system modifies an intensity profile or a shape profile of a laser beam to proactively compensate for exposure convolution based on the characteristics of the laser beam spot profile. A convolution compensator is positioned in the path of the laser beam to modify the beam spot profile during writing to form the one or more segments of the waveguide in a photo-curable layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Richard C. A. Pitwon
  • Patent number: 10229898
    Abstract: Package structures and methods are provided to integrate optoelectronic and CMOS devices using SOI semiconductor substrates for photonics applications. For example, a package structure includes an integrated circuit (IC) chip, and an optoelectronics device and interposer mounted to the IC chip. The IC chip includes a SOI substrate having a buried oxide layer, an active silicon layer disposed adjacent to the buried oxide layer, and a BEOL structure formed over the active silicon layer. An optical waveguide structure is patterned from the active silicon layer of the IC chip. The optoelectronics device is mounted on the buried oxide layer in alignment with a portion of the optical waveguide structure to enable direct or adiabatic coupling between the optoelectronics device and the optical waveguide structure. The interposer is bonded to the BEOL structure, and includes at least one substrate having conductive vias and wiring to provide electrical connections to the BEOL structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Russell A. Budd, Mounir Meghelli, Jason Scott Orcutt, Jean-Olivier Plouchart
  • Patent number: 10228513
    Abstract: A spectrometer includes a one or more Arrayed Waveguide Gratings (AWGs), which have output waveguides which are non-uniformly spaced at the output slab and/or with different passband widths. AWGs can be cascaded, each receiving a different portion of the spectrum passing through an upstream AWG, for further processing and/or detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: SB MICROSYSTEMS
    Inventor: Michael Dickerson
  • Patent number: 10180546
    Abstract: An optical receptacle includes: a fiber stub including an optical fiber, a ferrule, and an elastic member; and a holder holding the fiber stub, the optical fiber including a cladding and a core for conducting light, the ferrule having a through-hole fixing the optical fiber, the elastic member fixing the optical fiber in the through-hole, the fiber stub having one end surface on the ferrule side, and another on an opposite side, the optical fiber including first and third portions on the opposite end surface sides and a second portion therebetween, a core diameter of the first portion being smaller than the third portion, and a core diameter of the second portion increasing from the first portion side toward the third portion side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Toto LTD.
    Inventors: Sho Kondo, Hirotsugu Agatsuma, Satoshi Hakozaki, Satoshi Kaneyuki, Kohei Tominaga, Hiroki Sato
  • Patent number: 10120135
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a substrate comprising a silicon dioxide (SiO2) material disposed on top of the substrate, a silicon waveguide comprising a first adiabatic tapering and enclosed in the silicon dioxide material, and a low-index waveguide disposed on top of the substrate and adjacent to the first adiabatic tapering. A mode converter fabrication method comprises obtaining a mode converter comprising a substrate, a silicon waveguide disposed on the substrate and comprising a sidewall and a first adiabatic tapering, and a hard mask disposed on the silicon waveguide and comprising a silicon dioxide layer, wherein the hard mask does not cover the sidewall, and oxidizing the silicon waveguide and the hard mask, wherein oxidizing the silicon waveguide and the hard mask encloses the silicon waveguide within the silicon dioxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Li Yang, Huapu Pan, Qianfan Xu, Dawei Zheng, Xiao Shen
  • Patent number: 10090286
    Abstract: Package structures and methods are provided to integrate optoelectronic and CMOS devices using SOI semiconductor substrates for photonics applications. For example, a package structure includes an integrated circuit (IC) chip, and an optoelectronics device and interposer mounted to the IC chip. The IC chip includes a SOI substrate having a buried oxide layer, an active silicon layer disposed adjacent to the buried oxide layer, and a BEOL structure formed over the active silicon layer. An optical waveguide structure is patterned from the active silicon layer of the IC chip. The optoelectronics device is mounted on the buried oxide layer in alignment with a portion of the optical waveguide structure to enable direct or adiabatic coupling between the optoelectronics device and the optical waveguide structure. The interposer is bonded to the BEOL structure, and includes at least one substrate having conductive vias and wiring to provide electrical connections to the BEOL structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Russell A. Budd, Mounir Meghelli, Jason Scott Orcutt, Jean-Olivier Plouchart
  • Patent number: 10018789
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for coupling an optical waveguide to a single-mode fiber are disclosed. The apparatus includes a substrate, a first optical waveguide, a single-mode fiber and a second optical waveguide. The first optical waveguide, the single-mode fiber and the second optical waveguide dispose on the substrate. One end of the single-mode fiber has an optical fiber taper structure. One end of the second optical waveguide is optically coupled to the first optical waveguide. Another end of the second optical waveguide is optically coupled to the single-mode fiber using the optical fiber taper structure of the single-mode fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Pan Wang, Can Zhang, Qinfen Hao
  • Patent number: 10014648
    Abstract: A bridge fiber includes a core layer and an outer layer which has an index of refraction higher than that of the core layer and covers the outer peripheral surface of the core layer. The outer layer is surrounded by a substance such as the atmosphere having an index of refraction lower than an index of refraction n2 of the outer layer. An area AR1 of the outer layer at one end face of the bridge fiber is an area that is to be optically coupled to an end face of a core of each of a plurality of pumping light inputting optical fibers, while an area AR2 of the core layer at another end face of the bridge fiber is an area that is to be optically coupled to an end face of a core of an amplification optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiro Kashiwagi
  • Patent number: 9972961
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the disclosure include a fiber optic amplifier system and a fiber optic oscillator system having a first stage, comprising a first core fiber having a first core diameter and a first cladding size; a second stage, comprising a second core fiber having a second core diameter and a second cladding size; and a double mode adapter connecting the first stage to the second stage, wherein the double mode adapter is configured to provide transitions for the cores and the claddings of the first and second core fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: OPTICAL ENGINES, INC.
    Inventors: Donald L. Sipes, Jr., Jason D. Tafoya, Daniel Scott Schulz
  • Patent number: 9964706
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a structure of an input end of an optical fiber, comprising a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber; wherein the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are coaxial, one end of the first optical fiber is used to receive light beam, and the other end of the first optical fiber is engaged with the second optical fiber; wherein the first optical fiber comprises a fiber core and a first cladding; the second optical fiber comprises a fiber core and a first cladding; wherein a diameter of the first cladding of the first optical fiber is larger than a diameter of the first cladding of the second optical fiber and a difference between them is larger than a first preset threshold; wherein a diameter of the fiber core of the first optical fiber is smaller than or equal to a diameter of the fiber core of the second optical fiber and a difference between them is smaller than a second preset threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: BWT Beijing Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiaoguang He, Kuiyan Song, Lei Xu