The present description concerns a microelectromechanical sensor control method, including the steps of: exciting, with same first signal (FSL), a first resonant (206L) and at least one second resonant element (206R); and estimating a phase shift (Δφ) between the first signal and a second signal (FSR) which is an image of vibrations of the second resonant element.

Examples include a driver circuit for driving a voltage controlled electro-optical modulator. The driver circuit includes a supply input and an input for receiving the input voltage. The driving circuit further includes a level shifter circuit, which includes first and second capacitors and is electrically connected to the input, and a voltage distribution circuit, which is electrically connected between the level shifter circuit and an output of the driver circuit for providing the output voltage. The level shifter circuit is configured to generate, based on the input voltage and using the first capacitor, a first voltage varying between the positive supply voltage level and a positive first level that is greater than the positive supply voltage level. The level shifter circuit is also configured to generate, based on the input voltage and using the second capacitor, a second voltage varying between ground and a negative second level.

Power consumption in MZI-based integrated photonic switches or filters throughout the operational life can be reduced by reducing fabrication-induced phase misalignment between the unpowered operational mode of the switch or filter and the predominant switch state, and/or by enabling low-power compensation for any such misalignment. In various embodiments, misalignment is reduced by increasing the width of the waveguides implementing the interferometer arms of the MZI, and/or by structuring a region containing the MZI symmetrically to diminish stress-induced misalignment. In some embodiments, phase tuners are used to actively compensate for any phase misalignment, with a tuner drive voltage substantially lower than used to switch to the non-dominant state.

The present description concerns a microelectromechanical sensor control method, including the steps of: exciting, with same first signal (FSL), a first resonant (206L) and at least one second resonant element (206R); and estimating a phase shift (Δφ) between the first signal and a second signal (FSR) which is an image of vibrations of the second resonant element.

Methods and systems for a low-voltage integrated silicon high-speed modulator may include an optical modulator comprising first and second optical waveguides and two optical phase shifters, where each of the two optical phase shifters may comprise a p-n junction with a horizontal section and a vertical section and an optical signal is communicated to the first optical waveguide. A portion of the optical signal may then be coupled to the second optical waveguide. A phase of at least one optical signal in the waveguides may be modulated utilizing the optical phase shifters. A portion of the phase modulated optical signals may be coupled between the two waveguides, thereby generating two output signals from the modulator. A modulating signal may be applied to the phase shifters which may include a reverse bias.

The invention relates, inter alia, to a photonic component (10), which has an interference device (20), which has at least one input and at least a first and a second output. According to the invention, the component also comprises: a first grating coupler (GC1), which has a first and a second grating coupler output and is connected to the first output of the interference device by means of a grating coupler input, a second grating coupler (GC2), which has a first and a second grating coupler output and is connected to the second output of the interference device by means of a grating coupler input, a first photodetector (PD1), which is connected to the first grating coupler output of the first grating coupler, a second photodetector (PD2), which is connected to the first grating coupler output of the second grating coupler, and a control device (30), which is connected to the first and second photodetectors and, on the basis of the photo signals (I1, I2) of the two photodetectors or an evaluation signal formed by means of the photosignals, forms at least one control signal (ST1, ST2) for controlling the interference device, wherein the first and second grating couplers are arranged, in particular integrated, in the same chip level (E) of a chip (2000) of the component and wherein, in the case of the first and second grating couplers, the second grating coupler outputs each form a coupling path out of the chip level, namely at an angle of between 70 and 110 degrees to the chip level.

A transmitter includes an optical modulator, a drive unit, a deviation identification signal generation unit, and a bias control unit. The deviation identification signal generation unit generates a signal value in accordance with a deviation of a bias voltage of the optical modulator by amplifying a signal value of a dither signal extracted from a modulated signal output from the optical modulator by a factor set for each of a plurality of modulation schemes so as to generate a uniform signal value. The bias control unit generates a bias value at which a center of a variation range, which is a range from a maximum value to a minimum value of the drive signal, corresponds to transmission characteristics of the optical modulator according to one predetermined adjustment method by using the signal value generated by the deviation identification signal generation unit.

An optical transmitter comprises a directly coupled MZ interferometer and driver circuit. The MZ interferometer comprises a pair of differentially driven MZ electrodes configured to impart RF signals to light travelling through respective arms of the interferometer, and to receive DC bias as a positive voltage via lower n-type cladding of the MZ interferometer. The lower n-type cladding is at a different positive DC potential to an upper plane RF ground of the MZ interferometer, but the lower n-type cladding and the upper plane RF ground have similar AC potential. The MZ interferometer also comprises a pair of resistors in series configured to provide differential RF termination of the MZ electrodes; and a capacitive coupling between a virtual ground formed at a centre point between the pair of resistors and an RF ground configured to provide common-mode RF termination. The DC supply for the driver circuit is applied to the centre point of the RF termination.

An optical waveguide modulator with automatic bias control is disclosed. A dither signal is applied to the modulator bias and its signature detected in light tapped from an output of the modulator using a phase sensitive dither detector such as a lock-in amplifier. The detected signal is processed using pre-recorded information defining the direction of the detected signal change relative to a change in the modulator bias, and the bias is adjusted in the direction determined using the information. An IQ bias of a quadrature modulator is controlled by dithering bias settings of two inner modulators at different dither frequencies, and detecting an oscillation at a sum frequency.

Methods and systems for an all-optical wafer acceptance test may include an optical transceiver on a chip, the optical transceiver comprising first, second, and third grating couplers, an interferometer comprising first and second phase modulators, a splitter, and a plurality of photodiodes. A first input optical signal may be received in the chip via the first grating coupler, where the first input optical signal may be coupled to the interferometer. An output optical signal may be coupled out of the chip via the second grating coupler for a first measurement of the interferometer. A second input optical signal may be coupled to a third grating coupler and a portion of the second input optical signal may be communicated to each of the plurality of photodiodes via the splitter. A voltage may be generated using the photodiodes based on the second input signal that may bias the first phase modulator.