Systems and methods are provided for processing an optical signal. An example system may include a source disposed on a substrate and capable of emitting the optical signal. A first waveguide is formed in the substrate to receive the optical signal. A first coupler is disposed on the substrate to receive a reflected portion of the optical signal. A second waveguide is formed in the substrate to receive the reflected portion from the first coupler. A second coupler is formed in the substrate to mix the optical signal and the reflected portion to form a mixed signal. Photodetectors are formed in the substrate to convert the mixed signal to an electrical signal. A processor is electrically coupled to the substrate and programmed to convert the electrical signal from a time domain to a frequency domain to determine a phase difference between the optical signal and the reflected portion.

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) in which some optical waveguides have laterally tilted waveguide cores used to implement passive polarization-handling circuit elements, e.g., suitable for processing polarization-division-multiplexed optical communication signals. Different sections of such waveguide cores may have continuously varying or fixed lateral tilt angles. Different polarization-handling circuit elements can be realized, e.g., using different combinations of end-connected untilted and laterally tilted waveguide-core sections. In some embodiments, laterally tilted waveguide cores may incorporate multiple-quantum-well structures and be used to implement active circuit elements. At least some embodiments beneficially lend themselves to highly reproducible fabrication processes, which can advantageously be used to achieve a relatively high yield of the corresponding PICs during manufacture.

A quantum-dot based avalanche photodiode (QD-APD) may include a silicon substrate and a waveguide on which a quantum dot (QD) stack of layers is formed having a QD light absorption layer, a charge multiplication layer (CML), and spacer layers. The QD stack may be formed within a p-n junction. The waveguide may include a mode converter to facilitate optical coupling and light transfer from the waveguide to the QD light absorption layer. The QD absorption layer and the CML layer may be combined or separate layers. The CML may generate electrical current from the absorbed light with more than 100% quantum efficiency when the p-n junction is reverse-biased.

An optical waveguide structure and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The optical waveguide structure includes: a substrate; a first-type semiconductor conductive layer disposed on the substrate; a first confining layer disposed on the first-type semiconductor conductive layer; a waveguide layer disposed on the first confining layer and including a luminescent material; a polymer filling layer disposed on the first confining layer and adjacent to the waveguide layer, wherein the viscosity of the polymer filling layer is less than 52 mm.sup.2/s; a second confining layer disposed on the waveguide layer and the polymer filling layer; a cladding layer disposed on the second confining layer; and a second-type semiconductor conductive layer disposed on the cladding layer.

An optical waveguide structure and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The optical waveguide structure includes: a substrate; a first-type semiconductor conductive layer disposed on the substrate; a first confining layer disposed on the first-type semiconductor conductive layer; a waveguide layer disposed on the first confining layer and including a luminescent material; a polymer filling layer disposed on the first confining layer and adjacent to the waveguide layer, wherein the viscosity of the polymer filling layer is less than 52 mm.sup.2/s; a second confining layer disposed on the waveguide layer and the polymer filling layer; a cladding layer disposed on the second confining layer; and a second-type semiconductor conductive layer disposed on the cladding layer.

A silicon-photonic integrated circuit comprising a direct-bandgap-semiconductor-based active optical device that is epitaxially grown on an indirect-bandgap SOI substrate (108) is disclosed. The structure of the active optical device includes an active region (120) having quantum dots (206) made of InGaAs that are embedded in one or more confinement layers (n-InP, p-InP), where the bandgap of the confinement layers is higher than that of the quantum dots. Further the confinement-layer material is preferably lattice matched to the quantum dot material in order to suppress associated crystalline defects within the material are located away from the center of its bandgap such that they suppress recombination-enhanced defect-reaction-driven degradation of the active optical device. The active optical device is epitaxially grown on a handle substrate of an SOI substrate that has a surface waveguide formed in its device layer, where the active region and the surface waveguide are at the same height above the handle wafer surface.

A germanium waveguide is formed from a P-type silicon substrate that is coated with a heavily-doped N-type germanium layer and a first N-type doped silicon layer. Trenches are etched into the silicon substrate to form a stack of a substrate strip, a germanium strip, and a first silicon strip. This structure is then coated with a silicon nitride layer.

A quantum-dot based avalanche photodiode (QD-APD) may include a silicon substrate and a waveguide on which a quantum dot (QD) stack of layers is formed having a QD light absorption layer, a charge multiplication layer (CML), and spacer layers. The QD stack may be formed within a p-n junction. The waveguide may include a mode converter to facilitate optical coupling and light transfer from the waveguide to the QD light absorption layer. The QD absorption layer and the CML layer may be combined or separate layers. The CML may generate electrical current from the absorbed light with more than 100% quantum efficiency when the p-n junction is reverse-biased.

A grating coupler having first and second ends for coupling a light beam to a waveguide of a chip includes a substrate configured to receive the light beam from the first end and transmit the light beam through the second end, the substrate having a first refractive index n1, a grating structure having curved grating lines arranged on the substrate, the grating structure having a second refractive index n1, wherein the curved grating lines have line width w and height d and are arranged by a pitch , wherein the second refractive index n2 is less than first refractive index n1, and a cladding layer configured to cover the grating structure, wherein the cladding layer has a third refractive index n3.

A grating coupler having first and second ends for coupling a light beam to a waveguide of a chip includes a substrate configured to receive the light beam from the first end and transmit the light beam through the second end, the substrate having a first refractive index n1, a grating structure having curved grating lines arranged on the substrate, the grating structure having a second refractive index n1, wherein the curved grating lines have line width w and height d and are arranged by a pitch , wherein the second refractive index n2 is less than first refractive index n1, and a cladding layer configured to cover the grating structure, wherein the cladding layer has a third refractive index n3.