Sarnoff Corporation

Novatronix Corporation

Sernoff Corporation

Martin Kwakernaak

Joseph H Abeles

Hooman Mohseni

Winston Kong Chan

Alan Michael Braun

Viktor Borisovitch Khalfin

Timothy James Davis

Ramon Ubaldo Martinelli

Steven A Lipp

Ralph Doud Whaley, Jr

Gary A Pajer

Haiyan An

David Capewell

A chip scale atomic clock is disclosed that provides a low power atomic time/frequency reference that employs direct RF-interrogation on an end-state transition. The atomic time/frequency reference includes an alkali vapor cell containing alkali atoms, preferably cesium atoms, flex circuits for physically supporting, heating, and thermally isolating the alkali vapor cell, a laser source for pumping alkali atoms within the alkali vapor cell into an end resonance state by applying an optical signal along a first axis, a photodetector for detecting a second optical signal emanating from the alkali vapor cell along the first axis, a pair of RF excitation coils for applying an RF-interrogation signal to the alkali atoms along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, a pair of bias coils for applying a uniform DC magnetic field along the first axis, and a pair of Zeeman coils for applying a Zeeman interrogation signal to the alkali atoms and oriented and configured to apply a time-varying magnetic field along the second axis through the alkali vapor cell. Another flex circuit is used for physically supporting the laser source, for heating the laser source, and for providing thermal isolation of the laser source. The laser source can be a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VSCEL). The bias coils can be Helmholtz coils.

Batch-fabricated, RF-interrogated, end transition, chip-scale atomic clock

A method of coupling a waveguide to a multi-layered active device structure on a substrate is described. The method includes forming a junction area by etching the active device structure to form a sloped etch profile with respect to the substrate, aligning multiple layers of the multi-layered active device structure via an etch stop adjacent the multi-layered active device structure, and depositing the waveguide over the etched active device structure, wherein a sloped active passive junction is formed at the junction area that reduces residual interface reflection in a resulting coupled device. Also described is a method for removing at least one laser layer in a sloped junction region forming passive amorphous silicon waveguides. This includes depositing a SiN layer for use as an etch mask, patterning a photoresist mask, patterning the SiN layer by reactive ion etching, stripping the photoresist mask, and etching the at least one laser layer.

Interface for a-Si waveguides and III/V waveguides

An optical waveguide assembly and method of forming the same is described. The optical waveguide assembly includes a waveguide, an amorphous silicon arrayed waveguide grating communicative with the waveguide, and an integrated amorphous silicon waveguide grating laser which communicatively outputs a laser output responsive to the amorphous silicon arrayed waveguide grating. The method includes providing a waveguide, providing an amorphous silicon arrayed waveguide grating communicative with the waveguide, and providing an integrated amorphous silicon waveguide grating laser which communicatively outputs a laser output responsive to the amorphous silicon arrayed waveguide grating.

Monolithically integrated optical devices with amorphous silicon arrayed waveguide gratings and InGaAsP gain

A high power laser system including: a plurality of emitters each including a large area waveguide and a plurality of quantum well regions optically coupled to the large area waveguide, wherein each of the quantum well regions exhibits a low modal overlap with the large area waveguide; a collimator optically coupled to the emitters; a diffraction grating optically coupled through the collimator to the emitters; and, an output coupler optically coupled through the diffraction grating to the emitters.

High power diode laser based source

A monolithic light amplification system including: an un-doped waveguide; a ridge waveguide positioned over the un-doped waveguide; and, at least a doped layer between the un-doped waveguide and ridge waveguide; wherein, the un-doped waveguide and ridge waveguide cooperate to amplify light input to the un-doped waveguide.

Vertically coupled large area amplifier

An optical amplifier including: a photonic gain clement; and, a transistor electromagnetically coupled to the gain element to inject current into the gain element responsively to the internal optical intensity of the gain element. The coupling of the transistor and the photonic gain element is such that as the optical intensity within the photonic gain element increases, the current injected by the transistor increases, thereby preventing filamentation in the photonic gain element.

Semiconductor based broad area optical amplifier

A monolithic device for photonically coupling a first optical waveguide to a second optical waveguide, including: an input being optically coupled to the first waveguide; a first portion being optically coupled to the input; a second portion being optically coupled to the first portion; and, an output being optically coupled to the second portion and the second waveguide; wherein, when an optical signal is provided on the first waveguide, a given part of the signal is provided to the second waveguide dependently upon an angle between the first and second portions. At least one of the waveguides may have an amorphous silicon material coating.

Photonic device and method for making same

A low-jitter optical pulse source including: a monolithic waveguide including a first section substantially perpendicular to a first facet and a second section being curved and substantially non-perpendicular to a second facet; and, an optical circulator coupled to the monolithic waveguide and forming a sigma cavity in combination with the monolithic waveguide, wherein the first facet forms a sole reflector for the sigma cavity.

Compact, high-power, low-jitter, semiconductor modelocked laser module

An optical system including: a substrate having a recess; and, a substantially planar, semiconductor waveguiding membrane suspended over the recess and having a thickness less than about 200 nm; wherein, the optical system supports a propagating optical mode having a majority of its energy external to the semiconductor waveguiding membrane.

Growing community of inventors

New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America

Martin Kwakernaak