Gemfire Corporation

Deacon Research

Simon J Field

William K Bischel

David A Deacon

Michael J Brinkman

Edward J DeWath

Mark J Dyer

Markus Peter Hehlen

David K Wagner

Richard B Tompane

David A G Deacon

Jim Weijian Li

Nina D Morozova

C Geoffrey Fanning

Harald Guenther

Mark J Dryer

Andrew T Ryan

Tony C Kowalczyk

Hilary Sue Lackritz

Travis P S Thoms

Yeong-Cheng Lee

David Ag Deacon

Nigel J Cockroft

Edward J De Wath

Linda A Whittelsey

An optical assembly, such as a multiple output diode laser pump source for EDFAs, is formed by pressing an optical array emitter chip against a standoff structure protruding from a submount such that the emitter chip deforms to match the curvature of the standoff structure. An IO chip is also juxtaposed against the standoff structure such that its optical receivers can receive optical energy from the emitter chip. The IO chip can provide various optical functions, and then provide an optical array output for coupling into an optical fiber array. The standoff structure preferably contacts the emitter chip over an aggregate contact area much smaller than the area by which the emitter chip overlaps the submount. The materials used for bonding the emitter chip and the IO chip to the submount are disposed in the recesses between standoffs and not on the contact surfaces of the standoff structure.

Multi-channel laser pump source for optical amplifiers

An optical structure is fabricated by forming an active layer including a photodefinable material on a substrate or on another underlying layer, forming an upper layer above the active layer, and then patterning the active layer by selective application of radiation through the upper layer. The upper layer is substantially transparent to radiation of the type required to activate the photodefinable material in the active layer.

Photodefinition of optical devices

An optical device includes at least a first and second electrical conductors. At least one optical layer overlies at least a portion of the first and second electrical conductors. An applicator is positioned proximate to said at least one optical layer to selectively redirect light from the optical layer. An electrical coupling path between said at least one applicator and one of said first or second electrical conductors, at least a portion of the coupling path traversing said at least one optical layer. At least one optical waveguide may be formed in an optical layer above said electrical conductors. A feature is located to receive light redirected by the applicator and at least one electrical coupling path, which may be included in said feature, couples the applicator and at least one of said plurality of conductors. In a further aspect, a method for manufacturing an optical device is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: providing a substrate; constructing at least a first electrical conductor in a first substantially planar layer; forming an optical guiding structure in an optical layer; constructing at least one applicator capable of redirecting optical energy; constructing a feature; and electrically coupling said applicator and said at least first electrical conductor.

Electrical connection scheme for optical devices

A flat panel display is based on a new switching technology for routing laser light among a set of optical waveguides and coupling that light toward the viewer. The switching technology is based on poled electro-optical structures. The display technology is versatile enough to cover application areas spanning the range from miniature high resolution computer displays to large screen displays for high definition television formats. The invention combines the high brightness and power efficiency inherent in visible semiconductor diode laser sources with a new waveguide electro-optical switching technology to form a dense two-dimensional addressable array of high brightness light emissive pixels.

Display panel with electrically-controlled waveguide-routing

An integrated optical microstructure includes a substrate carrying an optical waveguide and supporting a medium disposed to receive optical energy from the waveguide. The medium includes an optical re-radiator such as a phosphor, which reradiates optical energy in response to optical energy received from the waveguide. The structure further includes a reflector disposed to redirect some of the input optical energy emanating from the medium back into the medium, to achieve spatial confinement of the input light delivered by the input waveguide. The structure can thereby increase the efficiency of the light conversion processes of re-radiating materials. An aperture in the reflector permits optical energy emitted by the re-radiator to emerge from the structure and to propagate in a preferred direction, such as toward a viewer or sensor. The structure is useful for increasing the brightness of various kinds of small emissive elements which are excited by light delivered from an integrated optical waveguide, including pixels in an information display.

Optically integrating pixel microstructure

Display architecture with waveguide routing and out-plane emission

Integrated optical device with phosphor in substrate pit

Method for operating a display panel with electrically-controlled

Phosphor RE-radiation in integrated optics

Frequency converter optical source for switched waveguide

An extremely low-loss optical switch element includes a first waveguide segment having first and second regions longitudinally-adjacent with each other and having an index of refraction difference which is greater when the switch element is in an 'on' state than when it is in an 'off' state. The two regions have a common boundary which is oriented at an angle in the first waveguide so as to redirect optical energy through total internal reflection when the switch element is in the 'on' state. The switch element further includes a second waveguide segment spaced from the first waveguide segment and disposed and oriented to guide optical energy redirected from the first waveguide segment when the switch element is in the 'on' state.

Low loss optical switch with inducible refractive index boundary and

Method for optical energy transfer and energy guidance uses an electric field to control energy propagation using a class of poled structures in solid material. The poled structures, which may form gratings in thin film or bulk configurations, may be combined with waveguide structures. Electric fields are applied to the poled structures to control routing of optical energy. Techniques include frequency-selective switchable- and adjustable-tunable reflection, splitting, directional coupling, frequency-tunable switching and efficient beam combining, as well as polarized beam combining. Adjustable tunability is obtained by a poled structure which produces a spatial gradient in a variable index of refraction along an axis in the presence of a variable electric field. In one embodiment, the present invention is a method of switching a grating which consists of a poled material with an alternating domain structure of specific period. When an electric field is applied across the periodic structure, a Bragg grating is formed by the electro-optic effect, reflecting optical radiation with a certain bandwidth around a center wavelength. The grating may be used by itself, or in combination with other gratings to form integrated structures in a ferroelectric crystal. Specifically of interest is an method of using an integrated structure in which one or more optical waveguides interact with one or more periodic structures to form a wavelength selective integrated optic modulator, switch, or feedback element.

Method for manipulating optical energy using poled structure

An optical beam routing apparatus is constructed of solid material in which is embedded a beam routing array structure (1370) which has at least a first waveguide segment (1376) traversing the solid material along a plane, second waveguide segments (1378) traversing the solid material along the same plane and encountering the first waveguide segment at a plurality of intersections, electrically-controlled gratings 1372, 1373) disposed transverse to the intersections to controllably reflect optical energy between the first waveguide segment and the second waveguide segments, and optical reflectors (1374, 1375) at selected locations in line with the second waveguide segments (1378) for projecting optical energy into and/or out of the plane from a selected position (1382) on an-out-of-plane medium which might contain optically readable or writable information, such as a disc. Electrodes at the intersections and the electrically-controllable gratings (1372, 1373) disposed transverse of the intersections and controlled by the electrodes controllably reflect optical energy between the first waveguide segment and the second waveguide segment upon application of a controlled electric field at the electrodes.

Solid state optical data reader using an electric field for routing

Optical energy transfer devices and energy guiding devices use an electric field to control energy propagation using a class of poled structures in solid material in channel dropping filter and splitter applications. The poled structures, which may form gratings in thin film or bulk configurations, may be combined with waveguide structures. Electric fields applied to the poled structures control routing of optical energy. In a particular embodiment, an electrode confronts a solid material and bridges at least two elements of a grating disposed transverse of two waveguide segments and overlaps evanescent fields of optical energy in one of the waveguide segments. A switchable grating consists of a poled material with an alternating domain structure of specific period. In a further embodiment there may be an optically active cladding between a grating and a waveguide. Additional electrodes may be provided for independent tuning of the cladding and the grating structure. When an electric field is applied across the periodic structure, a Bragg grating is formed by the electro-optic effect, reflecting optical radiation with a certain bandwidth around a center wavelength. The grating may be used by itself, or in combination with other gratings to form integrated structures.

Optical frequency channel selection filter with

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Simon J Field