Silc Technologies, Inc.

Elenion Technologies, LLC

Kotura, Inc.

Inplane Photonics, Inc.

Amir Hanjani

Chen Chen

Mehdi Asghari

Bradley Jonathan Luff

Shuren Hu

Amir Ali Tavallaee

Ari Jason Novack

Randall Brian Wilson

Carl Gaebe

Anna Mikami

John Edward Picot

A waveguide heater is configured to heat an optical waveguide. The heater includes multiple heating elements and has one or two conditions selected from a group consisting of a first condition and the second condition. The first condition is the heater including multiple interior connectors that are each included in an interior electrical pathway between a pair of the heating elements where the interior connectors are connected in parallel and provide electrical communication between the heating elements included in the pair. The second condition is multiple exterior connectors that are each included in an exterior electrical pathway between electronics and a first one of the heating elements where the exterior connectors are connected in parallel and provide electrical communication between the electronics and the first heating element. The electronics are configured to apply an electrical bias to the heater. In some instances, the heater in included in a wavelength tuner.

Waveguide heating in LIDAR systems

An on-chip optical switch based on an echelle grating and a phase tuning element is described herein. The phase tuning element may change a refractive index of the material through which an optical signal propagates, thereby causing a change in the angle of propagation of the optical signal. By dynamically tuning the phase change element, the refractive index change may be controlled such that the deviation of the optical signal causes the optical signal to be focused on a particular coupling waveguide out of an array of coupling waveguides. The echelle grating with the active phase change element form a configurable optical switch capable of switching an optical signal between two or more coupling waveguides, that may be respectively connected to different optical signal processing pathways.

On-chip optical switch based on an echelle grating

On-chip optical switch based on an Echelle grating

In order to bond an opto-electronic device with fiber pigtails to a larger PCB, the fibers need to be secured in place so that they don't become entangled in the bonding elements resulting in misalignment of the electronic connectors and of the optics. Accordingly, there is a need for packaged parts, which enables customers to use their own surface mount technology (SMT) bonding process without the fiber pigtails interfering with the process. Ideally, the fiber holder device is disposable and provides a spool and a fiber track to guide the fibers from the package to the spool. Ideally, an opening is provided through the spool to enable the components on the opto-electronic device to be accessed.

Fiber holder

The system includes an optical device having both optical components and one or more waveguides on a base. The system also includes a heat sink and a zone definer contacting the base and the heat sink. The zone definer is configured to conduct thermal energy from the optical device to the heat sink. The zone definer includes a thermal insulator having a lower thermal conductivity than both the heat sink and the base. The zone definer also includes a thermal via that extends through the thermal insulator. A via medium is positioned in the thermal via and has a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal insulator. The via medium is located under one of the optical components.

System for managing thermal conduction on optical devices

A method and apparatus is provided for attaching an optical fiber to a waveguide formed on a planar lightguide circuit (PLC). The method begins by securing at least one joint element to a first surface of the PLC. The joint element has a beveled surface such that a gap is formed between the joint element and the first surface of the PLC. The gap is adjacent to an end face of the waveguide. The waveguide end face extends in a plane that includes a transverse surface of the joint element to define therewith a first mating surface. The optical fiber is secured to a support member such that an end face of the optical fiber extends in a plane that includes a transverse surface of the support member to define a second mating surface therewith. The waveguide end face is aligned with the optical fiber end face. An adhesive is applied to an interface defined between the first and second mating surfaces so that the first and second mating surfaces are fixed together, whereby adhesive that would otherwise enter an optical path located between the waveguide end face and the optical fiber end face is diverted into the gap.

Method of attaching optical fibers to integrated optic chips that excludes all adhesive from the optical path

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Amir Hanjani