Techniques for enhancing the absorption of photons in semiconductors with the use of microstructures are described. The microstructures, such as pillars and/or holes, effectively increase the effective absorption length resulting in a greater absorption of the photons. Using microstructures for absorption enhancement for silicon photodiodes and silicon avalanche photodiodes can result in bandwidths in excess of 10 Gb/s at photons with wavelengths of 850 nm, and with quantum efficiencies of approximately 90% or more.

A multi-layered lens comprises a plurality of metasurface layers. At least some layers of the plurality of metasurface layers include features that exhibit angular phase controls. The angular phases of the at least some layers cause an angular aberration correction or an angle convergence that focuses light onto a focal point regardless of angles of incidence.

Each of six first lattice elements adjacent to a light confinement portion shifts from a lattice point in a direction of separating from the light confinement portion, and each of twelve second lattice elements shifts from a lattice point in a direction of separating from the light confinement portion. The second lattice elements are lattice elements arranged to be adjacent to the first lattice elements on a side of separating from the light confinement portion. Moreover, each of the first lattice elements has a smaller diameter than other lattice elements arranged on lattice points.

A color conversion panel includes a first color filter and a second color filter that are disposed on a substrate, a low refractive index layer disposed on the substrate, the first color filter, and the second color filter, the low refractive index layer including at least one of a first blue pigment and a first blue dye, a first color conversion layer overlapping the first color filter and including a semiconductor nanocrystal, a second color conversion layer overlapping the second color filter and including a semiconductor nanocrystal, and a transmissive layer that overlaps the low refractive index layer.

A light-emitting device assembly includes a concave optical collector, a light-emitting device, and a light-escape surface. The collector redirects incident light by reflection, scattering, or reradiation. The light-emitting device emits device output light to propagate within the optical collector. The light-escape surface extends across an open end of the collector and exhibits (i) incidence-angle-dependent transmission of light that decreases with increasing incidence angle, or (ii) transmissive redirection of light to propagate at an angle less than a corresponding refracted angle, that are imparted by an array of nano-antennae, a partial photonic bandgap structure, a photonic crystal, an array of meta-atoms or meta-molecules, or a multi-layer dielectric thin film. Assembly output light transmitted by the light-escape surface includes first and second portions of the device output light that propagate within the collector without and with redirection, respectively, within the collector by the light-escape surface.

The invention provides a photonic package system comprising at least two optical alignment pins integrated on a package substrate. A key feature of this invention is the addition of alignment structures within the package. When combined with the use of micro optics it enables a ‘fiber-less’ photonic package system that requires no physical connection between and optical fiber and the photonic package system.

A scalable interferometric imaging and laser communications system integrated as a single satellite payload is provided. Multiple lenslets are coupled via associated waveguides to a single multi-mode interferometer in an N-arm beam combination using a PIC based architecture. The multi-mode interferometer is coupled to a communication sensor via a splitter and to an imaging sensor via an array waveguide grating, which in turn are coupled to a processor. The system interferes all input waveguides simultaneously and provides OPD control over individual input waveguides.

A system, method and device for use as a reflector for a light emitting diode (LED) are disclosed. The system, method and device include a first layer designed to reflect transverse-electric (TE) radiation emitted by the LED, a second layer designed to block transverse-magnetic (TM) radiation emitted from the LED, and a plurality of ITO layers designed to operate as a transparent conducting oxide layer. The first layer may be a one-dimension (1D) distributed Bragg reflective (DBR) layer. The second layer may be a two-dimension (2D) photonic crystal (PhC), a three-dimension (3D) PhC, and/or a hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM). The 2D PhC may include horizontal cylinder bars, vertical cylinder bars, or both. The system, method and device may include a bottom metal reflector that may be Ag free and may act as a bonding layer.

Embodiments of the invention generally relates to photovoltaic, thermophotovoltaic, and laser power beaming devices which convert solar light, thermal radiation, or laser radiation into electric power. Said devices have a reflective interference “greenhouse” filter placed in front of a semiconductor cell and a reflective mirror on the back of the cell. The front filter is transparent for high energy (short wavelength) photons, but traps low energy (long wavelength) photons emitted by photocarriers accumulated near the semiconductor bandgap. In the optimized PV device, the chemical potential of photoelectrons near semiconductor bandgap exceeds the chemical potential of photoelectrons above the photonic bandgap established by the filter (i.e., the device is in chemical nonequilibrium). The greenhouse filter reduces the emission losses, decreases the semiconductor cell thickness, and provides PV conversion with reduced nonradiative losses. Said device converts radiative energy into electricity in a more efficient way than conventional cells.

A system, apparatus, and method include an optical steering system including a holder with a plurality of apertures; a photonic crystal mounted in each of the plurality of apertures; a light source to direct a path of light through the photonic crystal; a motion controller to control movement of the holder to sequentially insert each photonic crystal of the plurality of apertures into the path of light; and a sensor to detect optical energy arriving from each direction of the path of light passing through each photonic crystal.