Lightwave Microsystems Corporation

Neophotonics Corporation

Kenneth McGreer

Anthony J Ticknor

Robert Cole

Calvin Ho

Jane Lam

Kenneth Purchase

Liang Zhao

Hao Xu

Peter D Ascanio

David Menche

Michael Guerrero

Ming Yan

Maria G Guardado

Brian P McGinnis

Wayne Wai Wing Lui

Randal Edward Zugnoni

Brian McGinnis

Mach-Zehnder interferometers comprise heater elements configured to have projections in the plane of optical waveguides positioned such that two adjacent sections of one optical waveguide arms are heated by a common heater element. The heater and at least a substantial section of the heated waveguide segments can be curved. Configurations of an optical waveguide arm can comprise an outer curved heated section, an inner curved heated section, and a loopback waveguide section connecting the outer curved heated section and the inner curved heated section, with average radius of curvature selected to form an open accessible space. Appropriate configurations of the two optical waveguide arms provide for nested configurations of the arms that provide for a compact structure for the interferometer.

Compact, energy efficient mach-zehnder interferometers and optical attenuators

Energy efficient thermo-optic phase shifters have a configuration with two sections of a waveguide adjacent for heating by a common heater. A loop section can connect the two heated waveguide sections. Further improved efficiency can be achieved in which the heated sections are curved to allow closer placement of the adjacent waveguides. The heater can be curved to follow the configuration of the curved heated waveguide sections. Energy efficiency gains can be up to approximately a factor of two over corresponding traditional thermo-optical phase shifter designs.

Planar optical phase shifters with efficient heater placement

Compact, energy efficient Mach-Zehnder interferometers and optical attenuators

An optical waveguide router device with feedback control that uses the fringe frequencies of an optical data signal to derive a wavelength (e.g., temperature) control signal in order to compensate for wavelength variations due to temperature fluctuations and/or other wavelength shifting factors without the need for a reference laser. A monitoring circuit converts an output of at least one output monitoring port to an electrical signal and comparing the output of said at least one output monitoring port against 1) a reference signal, or 2) at least one output from another output monitoring port having a higher or lower frequency fringe of an optical data signal of at least one data port, or 3) at least one output from another output monitoring port having light from diffraction pattern(s), and outputting a control signal reflecting a result of the comparison to control at least one center wavelength of the waveguide router.

Wavelength router with feedback control comprising optical monitor ports

Optical networks can comprise a branch structure with the de-multiplexing/multiplexing structure that operates to disperse a plurality of optical bands. Thus, the optical network comprises an optical network connection with a common optical channel, a plurality of de-multiplexed branch optical service connections and the de-multiplexing/multiplexing structure. In some embodiments, one optical band can be used to deliver input from a common channel to the branch node and the other optical band can carry output along the common channel from the branch node. The de-multiplexing/multiplexing element can be an arrayed waveguide grating. The AWG can have desirable architecture to efficiently provide the corresponding functions with respect to the two optical bands. Appropriate photodetectors and light sources can be associated with the AWG.

Optical network configurations with multiple band multiplexing and de-multiplexing and AWG structures with multiple band processing

Methods of using an optical device capable of distributing the optical power presented at an input to specified ratios in two output ports. The devices and methods described herein have the ability to broaden the range of wavelengths over which the splitting ratio is even, or substantially even. Methods involve achieving a desired splitting ratio over a broad or ultra-broad wavelength range.

Distributing optical power with a power balance ratio substantially constant over a broadband of wavelengths

Actuators facilitating mechanical beam steering for optical integrated circuits are disclosed. The mechanical beam steering can mitigate thermal sensitivity of optical circuits, for example, arrayed waveguides. Also disclosed are methods for fabricating optical integrated circuits employing actuators.

Method and apparatus facilitating mechanical beam steering for optical integrated circuits

Optical integrated circuits are disclosed having a gap traversing the lens or the waveguide grating and an actuator that controllably positions the optical integrated circuit on each side of the gap. As a result, the thermal sensitivity of the optical integrated circuits, for example, arrayed waveguide gratings, is mitigated. Also disclosed are methods for fabricating optical integrated circuits employing the gap and actuator.

Athermal AWG and AWG with low power consumption using groove of changeable width

The present invention provides an arrayed waveguide such that each waveguide of the grating has a substantially uniform width, but the width of any single waveguide in the grating is selected based on a predetermined birefringence required for the waveguide. Generally, the narrowest grating waveguide has the longest overall length and the widest grating waveguide has the shortest overall length. The remaining intermediate waveguides have widths that are interpolated between the narrowest and widest waveguide gratings. With an appropriate width for each waveguide, an arrayed waveguide grating is provided that has low polarization dependent wavelength.

Arrayed waveguide grating with waveguides of unequal widths

The invention relates to an optical device which carries multiple optical signals where the optical device has a plurality of distal waveguides some of which may be configured to control insertion loss among the multiple optical signals.

Optical devices for controlling insertion loss

The invention provides integrated optical matching elements for use in integrated optical devices. The matching elements each comprise one or more lenses. The lenses may have low index contrast with the surrounding medium. Required dioptric power is achieved by using a train of lenses. Optical matching elements according to the invention can be used to enhance the optical coupling between channel waveguides and slab waveguides. The insertion loss of devices such as optical power splitters, optical couplers and arrayed waveguide grating routers can be reduced by incorporating optical matching elements according to the invention.

Microlenses for integrated optical devices

An optical integrated circuit (OIC) or optical apparatus upon which a waveguide-grating router (WGR) device is fashioned is provided, where the circuit is configured to optimize a passband for each channel transmitted on an output waveguide. The WGR has two or more waveguides of varying widths optically coupled to a slab waveguide. The widths can be configured to facilitate producing a substantially uniform frequency-limited bandwidth, a substantially uniform wavelength-limited bandwidth, a substantially uniform isolation value, and/or a substantially uniform value for insertion loss between the output waveguides, which in turn facilitates producing optical data communication devices with more consistent transmission parameters and higher quality. In addition to various widths, the shape of the delivering end of a slab waveguide can be fashioned to further improve the consistency and quality of such parameters.

Waveguide-grating router with output tapers configured to provide a passband that is optimized for each channel individually

The present invention generally provides an optical wavelength router that includes at least one dendritic taper region. The dendritic taper region includes at least one dendritic taper which has a trunk and at least one branch optically coupled to the trunk. In addition to the dendritic taper region, the optical wavelength router includes at least one input waveguide, a input slab waveguide, an arrayed waveguide grating, an output slab waveguide, and at least one output waveguide. The improved optical wavelength router provides a wide passband width without a substantial effect on insertion loss.

Growing community of inventors

Livermore, CA, United States of America

Kenneth McGreer