Embodiments described herein may be related to apparatuses, processes, and techniques related to active optical couplers that provide optical coupling at or proximate to an edge of a silicon photonics package, to allow the package to optically couple with other devices or peripherals. In embodiments, the active optical coupler is optically coupled with a photonics IC (PIC) inside the photonics package, and provides an optical coupling mechanism for optical pathways outside the photonics package. The active optical coupler may include electrical circuitry and may be coupled to the package substrate to provide data related to the operation of the active optical coupler. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

An optical delay line device, providing a fixed or variable optical delay, including an optical input, an optical output, an optical assembly that directs a beam along an optical path from the input to the output. The optical assembly including; a retroreflector, an optical element including first, second and third reflective surfaces, the second and third reflective surfaces being arranged to make therebetween an angle of 45°, a beam that propagates along the optical path and enters said optical element being reflected by the first surface with an angle of 90° toward the second surface, then being reflected by the second and third surfaces to exit from the optical element in a direction parallel to the direction of the beam incident on the optical element, and said optical element is arranged so as to steer said output beam onto said second surface of said retroreflector.

An in-plane photonic device is provided for transmission of an optical signal across a gap, in particular an in-plane photonic device for use in a photonic integrated circuit with one or more in-plane crossings of electrical connections and photonic waveguides. One embodiment relates to an in-plane photonic device for use in a photonic integrated circuit with in-plane crossings of electrical connections and photonic waveguides, including: at least one input optical waveguide; and at least one output optical waveguide; wherein the at least one input optical waveguide and the at least one output optical waveguides are positioned such that a gap between them separates the input and the output optical waveguide(s), and wherein the input and the output optical waveguides are configured for optical mode matching across the gap, such that an optical signal can be transmitted from the input optical waveguide to the output optical waveguide across the gap.

A fiber optic temperature probe is disclosed. The fiber optic temperature probe includes a probe shaft containing an optical fiber. An optical temperature sensor element is coupled to the probe shaft and configured to be excited by light from the optical fiber and emit light back to the optical fiber. A thermally conductive plate is coupled to the probe shaft and interfaces with the optical temperature sensor element. Baffling extends from the probe shaft and surrounds the edges of the thermally conductive plate.

Passive optical couplers having passive optical activity indicators and methods of operating the same are disclosed. An example passive optical coupler for passively coupling first and second optical fibers includes a housing including: a first port configured to receive an end of a first optical fiber, and a second port configured to receive an end of a second optical fiber; and a passive optical activity indicator positioned at least partially within the housing, wherein a first portion of the passive optical activity indicator is exposed through the housing, and wherein the passive optical activity indicator is configured to passively illuminate in response to (i) first light propagating in the first optical fiber when the end of the first optical fiber is received in the first port, and (ii) second light propagating in the second optical fiber when the end of the second optical fiber is received in the second port.

Periscope assemblies are provided which have a light path that travels in a first plane along the first waveguide, a second plane along the second waveguide that is parallel to the first plane, and along a third plane along the third waveguide that intersects the first plane and the second plane. In some examples the periscope assembly includes first and second carriers comprising respective first and second waveguides and defining respective first and second cavities in which a third carrier comprising a third waveguide is disposed and optionally includes an optical component. In some examples, the cavities are defined in one or more carriers on a mating surface, on a side opposite to the mating surface, or on a side perpendicular to a mating surface.

A silicon-based photonic chip is provided that includes an interface for optically coupling the photonic chip to an optical fiber or an optical fiber assembly. The interface includes: a single-mode waveguide configured to guide light and to provide a first light beam; a first optical element configured to expand the light beam in a first direction in-plane of the photonic chip, thereby providing an expanded light beam; and a second optical element configured to deflect and to further expand the expanded light beam in a second direction, thereby providing an output light beam from the photonic chip. Also provided are methods for fabricating such a photonic chip.

An optical connector includes: at least a ferrule and n self-forming optical waveguides, wherein the ferrule includes n optical fiber insertion holes, and optical fibers are each inserted into and included in the optical fiber insertion holes, the number n indicates a natural number not including zero, there are variations in an angle of each optical fiber in a core axial direction and a core gap between adjacent ones of the optical fibers, an end surface of the ferrule is formed with roundness, and end portions of the self-forming optical waveguides are each optically connected to the optical fibers.

An optical connector includes multiple optical fibers; a single multicore fiber; and multiple self-forming optical waveguides, wherein the total number of cores of the multiple optical fibers and the total number of cores of the multicore fiber are identical to each other, the multiple optical fibers and the multicore fiber are arranged facing each other, the self-forming optical waveguides are provided among the multiple optical fibers and the multicore fiber, end portions of the self-forming optical waveguides are optically connected to the cores of the multiple optical fibers and the cores of the multicore fiber, and either the multiple optical fibers or the multicore fiber contacting the end portions of the self-forming optical waveguides is detachable from the self-forming optical waveguides.

An optical device is formed of a plurality of optical parts arranged on a carrier, at least one optical element of which has a main face provided with a first microstructured zone for intercepting incident luminous radiation propagating along a first determined optical path, the first microstructured zone spatially modifying the phase of the incident luminous radiation according to a determined spatial profile. The first microstructured zone is used to form, via a plurality of reflections or transmissions off/through the one or more optical elements, transformed luminous radiation. The optical device comprises an input stage for guiding the injection of positioning luminous radiation, along a second optical path, and the main surface of the optical element includes a second microstructured zone that is configured to reflect the positioning luminous radiation and to back-propagate the positioning radiation along the second optical path.