Embodiments include a fiber to photonic chip coupling system including a collimating lens which collimate a light transmitted from a light source and an optical grating including a plurality of grating sections. The system also includes an optical dispersion element which separates the collimated light from the collimating lens into a plurality of light beams and direct each of the plurality of light beams to a respective section of the plurality of grating sections. Each light beam in the plurality of light beams is diffracted from the optical dispersion element at a different wavelength a light beam of the plurality of light beams is directed to a respective section of the plurality of grating sections at a respective incidence angle based on the wavelength of the light beam of the plurality of light beams to provide optimum grating coupling.

In some embodiments, optical systems with a reflector and a lens proximate a light output opening of the reflector provide light output with high spatial uniformity and high efficiency. The reflectors are shaped to provide substantially angularly uniform light output and the lens is configured to transform this angularly uniform light output into spatially uniform light output. The light output may be directed into a spatial light modulator, which modulates the light to project an image.

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.

In some embodiments, optical systems with a reflector and a lens proximate a light output opening of the reflector provide light output with high spatial uniformity and high efficiency. The reflectors are shaped to provide substantially angularly uniform light output and the lens is configured to transform this angularly uniform light output into spatially uniform light output. The light output may be directed into a spatial light modulator, which modulates the light to project an image.

Fabricating light guide elements includes forming a first portion of the light guide element using a replication technique (104), and forming a second portion of the light guide element using a photolithographic technique (106). Use of replication can facilitate formation of more complex-shaped optical elements as part of the light guide element. The replication process sometimes results in the formation of a “yard,” or excess replication material, which may lead to light leakage if not removed or smoothed over. In some instances, at least part of the yard portion is embedded within the second portion of the light guide element, thereby resulting in a smoothing over of the yard portion.

A gas detector sensor node includes a first sensor conductor having a terminal end, a second sensor conductor including an end section, and a coupler joining the terminal end of the first sensor conductor with the end section of the second sensor conductor. The coupler is permeable to gas.

Provided are an optical waveform shaping apparatus and an optical waveform shaping method. According to an embodiment, the optical waveform shaping apparatus includes a multiplexer/demultiplexer (D/MUX) unit demultiplexing an optical signal in which optical signals of a plurality of wavelengths are multiplexed, a micro lens system refracting the demultiplexed optical signal into a collimated beam of light, and a wavelength level controller unit shaping a waveform of the optical signal. The wavelength level controller unit includes a 2D LCoS for adjusting and reflecting an amplitude or a phase value of the demultiplexed optical signal to have a distribution that is desired for each cell, and a controller for controlling the distribution.

A monolithic fiber-lens array includes a number of optical fibers integrated into a fiber block and multiple lens elements integrated into a lens block. The fiber block is coupled to the lens block via a transparent adhesive layer, and the tips of the optical fibers are aligned with respective focal points of the lens elements.

An optical waveguide connection structure connects a Si waveguide and an optical fiber to each other with a bonding layer interposed therebetween. The Si waveguide has a core whose cross-sectional area in the direction perpendicular to the direction of propagation of light decreases toward the optical fiber, and a cladding that covers the core. The optical fiber has a fiber core, a fiber cladding that covers the fiber core, and a recess formed in an end face opposed to the Si waveguide. The bonding layer fills a gap between the end face of the Si waveguide and the end face of the optical fiber and the recess, and the bonding layer has a refractive index greater than the refractive index of the fiber core of the optical fiber.

Optical beam forming at the inputs/outputs of a photonic chip and to the spectral broadening of the light coupled to the chip. The photonic chip comprises an optical waveguide layer supported on a substrate. The chip includes an optical waveguide structure made of silicon and a coupling surface grating. The photonic chip has a front face on the side facing the coupling surface grating and a rear face on the side facing the substrate. A reflecting collimation structure is integrated in the rear face to modify the mode size of an incident light beam. The coupling surface grating is designed to receive light from the optical waveguide structure and to form a light beam directed to the reflecting collimation structure. The invention further relates to the method for producing such a chip.