Jds Uniphase Corporation

Solexel, Inc.

Duncan Harwood

Mehrdad M Moslehi

Suketu Arun Parikh

Barthelemy Fondeur

Robert Brainard

David J Dougherty

Sanjay M Thekdi

Anantharaman Vaidyanathan

Anca L Sala

Pang-Chen Sun

Thomas Nguyen

Nevran Ozguven

Ian Hutagalung

A three-dimensional structure having a mixture of inverted pyramidal cavities and substantially flat areas defines the frontside and backside of a substrate. The substantially flat areas have ridges forming base openings of the inverted pyramidal cavities and planar linear regions across the substrate. Pyramidal sidewalls define the pyramidal cavities from the ridges to pyramidal apices. Metallization contacts emitter regions on the frontside of the substantially flat areas.

Integrated three-dimensional and planar metallization structure for thin film solar cells

A polarization compensated planar waveguide branch is disclosed having a planar optical trunk waveguide for transporting a linearly un-polarized optical signal having TE and TM modes. A planar optical branch waveguide, capable of supporting TE and TM modes is optically coupled to the trunk waveguide such that at least a portion of an optical signal propagating within the trunk waveguide will couple into the branch waveguide with an undesired imbalance, having stronger TM mode coupling than TE mode coupling for the at least the portion of the optical signal which couples into the branch waveguide from the trunk waveguide. A portion of said branch waveguide downstream from a region where coupling takes place between the trunk and branch waveguides or a waveguide portion optically coupled thereto, receives the at least a portion of the optical signal, and has at least a predetermined bend with a predetermined radius for compensating for the unwanted imbalance in the TM and TE mode caused by light optically coupling into the branch from the trunk waveguide.

Polarization compensated optical tap

The invention relates to a variable optical attenuator constructed as a Mach Zehnder planar lightwave circuit, particularly including a channel waveguide support structure for heat isolation and stress relief to reduce polarization dependent loss (PDL) and power consumption in the device. Power reduction trenches comprise longitudinal segments having small stress relief pillars of cladding material left in between them in the etching process. The waveguides of the MZI are supported by a main pillar structure and integral stress relief pillars which remain after removal of the trenches. The waveguide is surrounded by air on three sides for improved heat isolation. The performance of the present invention shows substantial improvement in PDL and extinction ratio over the prior art continuous trench design, and also, to a smaller degree, over the case where power reduction trenches are not used at all. Segmented trenches appear to allow for the lowest stress on the two waveguide arms of all the cases including no trench and trenched devices.

Planar lightwave circuit variable optical attenuator

The invention relates to a method of reducing polarization dependence in planar optical waveguides using index and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) matched material between the optical waveguide core and the cladding layer. For coupled mode devices such as the directional coupler or mode conversion horn polarization sensitivity has been linked to birefringence in the cladding, since their operation is dependent on co-propagation of fundamental and higher order mode(s), which are not as strongly confined to the waveguide core. Polarization sensitivity can be reduced by reducing the CTE mismatch between the core and cladding, or by moving the birefringence away from the core/cladding boundary, or both. To accomplish this, silica material, or similar material for refractive index (RI) and CTE matching is applied between the core and cladding to waveguide features where significant transmission occurs in the cladding.

Reduction of polarization dependence in planar optical waveguides

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Duncan Harwood