Bookham Technology Limited

Mehdi Asghari

Andrew George Rickman

Arnold Peter Harpin

Robin Jeremy Morris

Stephen Gorton

An integrated optical transceiver comprising: a laser cavity formed between first and second feedback elements ( ), wavelength selective means, eg a diffraction grating ( ), within the laser cavity for determining a lasing wavelength thereof and a light receiver ( ), one of the feedback elements ( ) being partially transmissive at the lasing wavelength to enable the transceiver to emit radiation at the lasing wavelength, and the wavelength selective means ( ) being arranged to receive light through the feedback element ( ) and transmit light of a selected wavelength, differing from the lasing wavelength, to the light receiving means ( ).

Integrated optical transceiver

The device is formed on a silicon-on-insulator chip (which comprises a layer of silicon (1) separated from a substrate (3) by an insulator layer (2)) and comprises an integrated waveguide (4) formed in the silicon layer (1) and a reflective facet (6) formed in a recess in the silicon layer (1). The facet (6) is positioned to redirect light in a desired direction. The waveguide (4) and facet (6) are both formed in the silicon layer (1) so their positions can be defined by the same lithographic steps so they are automatically aligned with each other.

Device for re-directing light from optical waveguide

A tapered rib waveguide tapering from a large, multi-mode optical waveguide to a smaller, single-mode optical waveguide, the tapered rib waveguide comprising two portions (4,5) formed of the same material: a lower portion (4) which tapers laterally from the large waveguide to the smaller waveguide and an upper portion (5) formed on the lower portion (4), which tapers to a point (or other form of termination), the dimensions of the two portions (4,5) being such that substantially all of a fundamental mode propagated in the large multi-mode waveguide is coupled to the smaller, single-mode waveguide.

Tapered rib waveguide

An optical device for splitting up a multi-wavelength light beam into a plurality of individual beams, each comprising light of a different wavelength or a narrow beam of wavelengths. The optical device includes an optical grating and an optical system for directing the incident beam onto the optical grating. The incident beam is divided into two portions, and one portion is directed onto the grating in one direction, while the other portion is directed onto the grating along an opposite direction. Preferably the grating is formed in two parts and one beam portion is directed through the two grating parts in succession in one direction while the other beam portion is directed through the two grating parts in succession along an opposite direction. A common mirror may be used to direct light towards the grating and to receive light returning from the grating. The device may also be used as a multiplexer by reversing the direction of light transmitted through the device.

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Swindon, United Kingdom

Mehdi Asghari