Embodiments of the disclosure provide an integrated circuit (IC) structure, including an absorber layer separated from an optical grating coupler by a cladding material. The absorber is positioned to receive light reoriented through the optical grating coupler.

The present invention relates to an optical light guide element having a first end section with a light entrance area designed for facing a light source and having a second end section with a light exit area designed for facing a light target area, wherein the light exit area is defined by a second surface area on the optical light guide element which faces a light target area, and wherein the light entrance area is defined by a first surface area on the optical light guide element which faces the light source, wherein the first end section comprises a first inclined surface area which forms an acute angle with the first surface area of the light entrance area, wherein the second end section forms a second inclined surface area which encloses an acute angle with the surface area of the light exit area, characterized in that said first surface area on the optical light guide element which faces the light source comprises a first replicated polymer lens.

An optical device includes a semiconductor laser light source, a grating element and an optical transmission element. The grating element includes a ridge-type optical waveguide having an incident surface to which a semiconductor laser light is incident and an emitting surface from which an outgoing light having a desired wavelength is emitted, and a Bragg grating formed in the ridge-type optical waveguide. The light transmission element includes an optical transmission part having an incident surface to which the outgoing light from the ridge-type optical waveguide is incident. A near-field diameter in a horizontal direction at the incident surface of the optical transmission part is greater than a near-field diameter in the horizontal direction at the emitting surface of said ridge-type optical waveguide.

In order to prevent non-uniformity in emission wavelength among different sites along an optical axis direction, provided is a resonator portion including: a waveguide which includes a first area and a second area being adjacent to the first area; and diffraction gratings formed along an optical axis direction. The effective refraction index in the first area is larger than the one in the second area, and the thickness in the first area is larger than the one in the second area. A pitch at the adjacent diffraction gratings at a boundary between the first area and the second area is narrower both than pitches of the diffraction gratings that are formed in the first area and than pitches of the diffraction gratings that are formed in the second area.

To make connection work be done easily and certainly, and, further, space-saving be achieved, when an optical fiber and an optical module are connected. An optical module includes a connecting face connected with an optical connector and a first diffraction grating, provided in an end part of a first optical waveguide, to convert an optical axis direction of the first optical waveguide to a direction toward an opposing face of the optical connector; in the optical connector, the second optical waveguide is provided in the optical connector along the opposing face toward the connecting face; the optical connector includes a second diffraction grating, provided in an end part of the second optical waveguide, to convert an optical axis direction of the second optical waveguide into a direction toward the optical module; and while the optical module and the optical connector are connected mechanically to make the opposing face of the optical connector oppose the connecting face of the optical module, the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating opposing each other and being coupled optically.

In some implementations, a photonic transmission structure includes a first cladding structure; a first active structure disposed over the first cladding structure; and a second cladding structure disposed over the first active structure. The first active structure includes a non-alkali, oxide solution that includes a cation that is niobium.

A novel optical assembly apparatus for coupling optical energy and a related method for creating the novel optical assembly apparatus are disclosed. In one embodiment, the novel optical assembly apparatus includes a high-index contrast waveguide constructed on a semiconductor die or another base substrate with an aligned optical coupling section, a grating coupler etched onto a surface, a micro mirror with an acute angle relative to the surface, and a waveguide taper that narrows an optical beam width. A light ray entered into the optical coupling section is redirected by the micro mirror to form a perpendicular ray entry angle with the grating coupler. The grating coupler then efficiently couples the light ray with the waveguide taper, which in turn narrows the optical beam width. The light ray may originate from a semiconductor die or from an optical fiber, which is purposefully aligned with the high-index contrast waveguide.

The invention relates, inter alia, to a photonically integrated chip (2) having a substrate (20), a plurality of material layers arranged on a top side (21) of the substrate (20), an optical waveguide which is integrated in one or more wave-guiding material layers of the chip (2), and a grating coupler (60) which is formed in the optical waveguide and causes beam deflection of radiation guided in the waveguide in the direction out of the layer plane of the wave-guiding material layer(s) or causes beam deflection of radiation to be coupled into the waveguide in the direction into the layer plane of the wave-guiding material layer(s).

With respect to the chip, the invention provides for an optical diffraction and refraction structure (100, 100a) to be integrated in a material layer of the chip (2) above or below the optical grating coupler (60) or in a plurality of material layers above or below the optical grating coupler (60) or on the rear side of the substrate (20), which diffraction and refraction structure carries out beam shaping of the radiation before it is coupled into the waveguide or after it has been coupled out of the waveguide.

A semiconductor device for infrared detection comprises a stack of a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer and an optical coupling layer. The first semiconductor layer has a first type of conductivity and the second semiconductor layer has a second type of conductivity. The optical coupling layer comprises an optical coupler and at least a first lateral absorber region. The optical coupler is configured to deflect incident light towards the first lateral absorber region. The first lateral absorber region comprises an absorber material with a bandgap Eg in the infrared, IR.

A MEMS optical switch-based LiDAR beam steering unit may comprise an optical switching array comprising two or more translatable optical switch gratings. The two or more translatable optical switch gratings may be arranged in a foveal pattern. Each of the two or more translatable optical switch gratings may have an associated MEMS structure operative to selectively translate the optical switch grating between a first position and a second position, and a first waveguide associated with the translatable optical switch grating. The grating being in the first position may cause the grating to be sufficiently close to the first waveguide to produce a strong optical coupling between the grating and the first waveguide. The grating being in the second position may cause the grating to be sufficiently far from the first waveguide to produce a weak optical coupling between the grating and the first waveguide.