Analog Photonics LLC

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Benjamin Roy Moss

Christopher Vincent Poulton

Michael Robert Watts

Ehsan Shah Hosseini

Peter Nicholas Russo

Vladimir Marko Stojanovic

Jason Scott Orcutt

Erman Timurdogan

Shahriar Shahramian

Katia Shtyrkova

An apparatus includes: an optical phased array (e.g., on a photonic integrated circuit), a focusing element, which can be at a fixed position relative to the optical phased array and configured to receive an optical beam from the optical phased array, and a steering element, which can be at a fixed position relative to the focusing element and configured to transmit the optical beam received from the focusing element. In some implementations, at least one of the focusing element or the steering element is externally coupled to the photonic integrated circuit.

Optical phased array light steering

Controlling an optical phased array includes applying optical phase shifts by an array of phase shifter (PS) elements, each PS element applying an optical phase shift based on an input voltage signal applied across first and second terminals of the PS element, providing output voltage signals from an array of driver elements. During a charging time period, each driver element provides an output voltage signal to determine a corresponding input voltage signal applied across at least one of the PS elements; an array of switches control connectivity between the driver elements and respective PS elements; and all of the second terminals of all of the PS elements in the array of PS elements are maintained at a common voltage. The total number of switches in the array of switches is at least as large as the total number of PS elements in the array of PS elements.

Integrated optical phased array electronic control

An apparatus comprises: a first integrated circuit comprising: a plurality of sets of optical waveguides, each set of optical waveguides including a plurality of optical waveguide segments, and a plurality of optical emitter elements arranged over a first surface of the first integrated circuit, each optical emitter element coupled to a distal end of one of the optical waveguide segments; and a second integrated circuit comprising: a plurality of optical phase shifters that each provide a phase-shifted optical wave that is coupled to the first integrated circuit from a first edge surface of the second integrated circuit. The first edge surface of the second integrated circuit is in proximity to a row of proximal ends of the optical waveguide segments of a first set of the plurality of sets of optical waveguides.

Two dimensional optical phased arrays using edge-coupled integrated circuits

A plurality of waveguide structures are formed in at least one silicon layer of a first member. The first member includes: a first surface of a first silicon dioxide layer that is attached to a second member that consists essentially of an optically transmissive material having a thermal conductivity less than about 50 W/(m&#xb7;K), and a second surface of material that was deposited over at least some of the plurality of waveguide structures. An array of phase shifters is formed in one or more layers of the first member. An array of temperature controlling elements are in proximity to the array of phase shifters.

Photonics fabrication process performance improvement

Devices and techniques for integrated optical data communication. A method of encoding symbols in an optical signal may include encoding a first symbol by injecting charge carriers, at a first rate, into a semiconductor device, such as a PIN diode. The method may also include encoding a second symbol by injecting charge carriers, at a second rate, into the semiconductor device. The first rate may exceed the second rate. A modulator driver circuit may include a resistive circuit coupled between supply terminal and drive terminals. The modulator driver circuit may also include a control circuit coupled between a data terminal and the resistive circuit. The control circuit may modulate a resistance of the resistive circuit by selectively coupling one or more of a plurality of portions of the resistive circuit to the drive terminal based on data to be optically encoded. In some embodiments, a modulator driver circuit and an optical modulator may be integrated on the same die or stacked (3D integrated) die and connected with through-oxide or through-silicon vias.

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Brookline, MA, United States of America

Benjamin Roy Moss