A terahertz metamaterial waveguide and device are provided. The terahertz metamaterial waveguide comprises a subwavelength substrate layer and a metal layer. One surface of the subwavelength substrate layer is plated with the metal layer, and a plurality of periodically-distributed micropores is formed in the metal layer. The subwavelength substrate layer, the metal layer, and the formed plurality of periodically-distributed micropores are described.

Structures for an optical coupler and methods of fabricating a structure for an optical coupler. A coupling section has a plurality of segments arranged with a pitch, a first waveguide core has a section extending longitudinally over the first plurality of segments of the coupling section, and a second waveguide core has a section extending longitudinally over the coupling section. The section of the second waveguide core laterally spaced from the section of the first waveguide core by a given distance.

A medical sensor is described. In an example, the medical sensor includes a nanoscale tapered waveguide attached to a substrate. The nanoscale tapered waveguide includes a nanoscale channel that receives fluid and an excitation light and that outputs a response light. The excitation light propagates through the fluid. A receiving channel of the nanoscale channel is configured as a waveguide that receives and guides the excitation to a linearly tapered channel of the nanoscale channel. The linearly tapered channel has three dimensional linear tapering that focuses the excitation light guided from the receiving channel into an optical response channel of the nanoscale channel. In turn, the optical response channel is configured as a waveguide that outputs a response light in response to the excitation light focused from the linearly tapered channel. The response light corresponds to a response of an analyte of the fluid present in the optical response channel.

A SOI device may include a waveguide adapter that couples light between an external light source—e.g., a fiber optic cable or laser—and a silicon waveguide on the silicon surface layer of the SOI device. In one embodiment, the waveguide adapter is embedded into the insulator layer. Doing so may enable the waveguide adapter to be formed before the surface layer components are added onto the SOI device. Accordingly, fabrication techniques that use high-temperatures may be used without harming other components in the SOI device—e.g., the waveguide adapter is formed before heat-sensitive components are added to the silicon surface layer.

Integrated-optics systems are presented in which an active-material stack is disposed on a coupling layer in a first region to collectively define an OA waveguide that supports an optical mode of a light signal. The coupling layer is patterned to define a coupling waveguide and a passive waveguide, which are formed as two abutting, optically coupled segments of the coupling layer. The lateral dimensions of the active-material stack are configured to control the shape and vertical position of the optical mode at any location along the length of the OA waveguide. The active-material stack includes a taper that narrows along its length such that the optical mode is located completely in the coupling waveguide where the coupling waveguide abuts the passive waveguide. In some embodiments, the passive layer is optically coupled with the OA waveguide and a silicon waveguide, thereby enabling light to propagate between them.

Structures for an optical coupler and methods of fabricating a structure for an optical coupler. A coupling section has a plurality of segments arranged with a pitch, a first waveguide core has a section extending longitudinally over the first plurality of segments of the coupling section, and a second waveguide core has a section extending longitudinally over the coupling section. The section of the second waveguide core laterally spaced from the section of the first waveguide core by a given distance.

The present invention provides a surface plasmon-optical-electrical hybrid conduction nano heterostructure and a preparation method therefor. The structure includes an exciting light source, a semiconductor nano-structure array, a two-dimensional plasmonic micro-nano structure, a sub-wavelength plasmon polariton guided wave, an emergent optical wave, a one-dimensional plasmonic micro-nano structure, a wire, a metal electrode, a conductive substrate, a probe molecule, an atomic-force microscopic conductive probe and a voltage source. The method achieves a semiconductor seed crystal with controllable distribution and density by controlling free metal ions, air, water or oxygen on a metal substrate to achieve highly uniform control of the seed crystal, and then strictly controls a length-to-diameter ratio and distribution of a semiconductor structure by continuous growth. Therefore, a new nano optics platform is provided for studying various novel effects produced by interaction between light and substances.

A superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD) device includes a substrate having a top surface, an optical waveguide on the top surface of the substrate to receive light propagating substantially parallel to the top surface of the substrate, a seed layer of metal nitride on the optical waveguide, and a superconductive wire on the seed layer. The superconductive wire is a metal nitride different from the metal nitride of the seed layer and is optically coupled to the optical waveguide.

Structures for a polarizer and methods of fabricating a structure for a polarizer. A first waveguide core has a first tapered section, a second tapered section, and a section positioned along a longitudinal axis between the first tapered section and the second tapered section. The first tapered section and the second tapered section each narrow in a direction along the longitudinal axis toward the section. A second waveguide core has a first terminating end, a second terminating end, and a section that is arranged between the first and second terminating ends. The section of the second waveguide core is positioned either over or below the section of the first waveguide core.

Integrated-optics systems are presented in which an optically active device is optically coupled with a silicon waveguide via a passive compound-semiconductor waveguide. In a first region, the passive waveguide and the optically active device collectively define a composite waveguide structure, where the optically active device functions as the central ridge portion of a rib-waveguide structure. The optically active device is configured to control the vertical position of an optical mode in the composite waveguide along its length such that the optical mode is optically coupled into the passive waveguide with low loss. The passive waveguide and the silicon waveguide collectively define a vertical coupler in a second region, where the passive and silicon waveguides are configured to control the distribution of the optical mode along the length of the coupler, thereby enabling the entire mode to transition between the passive and silicon waveguides with low loss.