A window can comprise a first side and a second side substantially parallel to the first side. The window can comprise an optical grating operatively positioned with respect to one of the first side and the second side. The optical grating can be used to determine a temperature at or near the respective one of the first side and the second side.

A fluid properties sensing system includes an optical sensor which generates a sensor signal based on received laser light, a light source which transmits laser light through a transmitting fiber to a sensor head, a receiver that detects a portion of the laser light from a receiving fiber through an evanescent field of the transmitting fiber when the laser light radiates through a transmitting fiber wall of the transmitting fiber and interacts with a fluid medium at an interface of the sensor and the fluid medium, and a processor. The fibers are coupled at one end through the evanescent field to form the sensor head disposed in a flow field and to interact with the fluid medium. The processor identifies a change in the sensor signal based on a detected portion of the laser light resulting from an interaction of the sensor head with the fluid medium.

A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a waveguide over a substrate. The semiconductor device includes a first dielectric structure over the substrate, wherein a portion of the waveguide is in the first dielectric structure. The semiconductor device includes a second dielectric structure under the waveguide, wherein a first sidewall of the second dielectric structure is adjacent a first sidewall of the substrate.

A photonic integrated circuit includes a photonic device. The photonic device includes an input region configured to receive an input signal including a plurality of multiplexed channels. The photonic device includes a metastructured dispersive region structured to partially demultiplex the input signal into an output signal and a throughput signal. The output signal includes a channel of the multiplexed channels. The throughput signal includes the remaining channels of the multiplexed channels. The photonic device includes an output region and a throughput region optically coupled with the metastructured dispersive region to receive the output signal and the throughput signal, respectively. The metastructured dispersive region includes a heterogeneous distribution of a first material and a second material that structures the metastructured dispersive region to partially demultiplex the input signal into the output signal and the throughput signal.

In an integrated optical device, squeezed light is used internally to effectively increase an optical modulation effect. One exemplary device operates by squeezing the light at the input, then sending it through an electro-optic stage where its phase picks up the signal of interest, and finally anti-squeezing it to obtain a displaced coherent state. Thus the displacement is amplified by the level of squeezing that is achieved inside the device and it is thereby less sensitive to loss. Since this device behaves simply as an electro-optic modulator, albeit one with an exponentially enhanced sensitivity, no extra considerations are needed to integrate the modulator into a system. Such devices can be operated as modulators or as sensors, and can make use of optical phase shift effects other than the electro-optic effect.

An optical fiber mold device has a first portion that includes a base layer having a longitudinal feature configured to receive an optical fiber. At least one second portion is disposed over the base layer. The second portion has a center wall and front and back end walls. The center wall, the front end wall, and the back end wall form a mold cavity. At least one first hole is disposed in the mold cavity and is configured to allow mold material to enter the mold cavity. At least one second hole in the mold cavity is configured to allow air displaced by the mold material to exit the mold cavity.

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC)-based imager blade includes a number of PIC imager units stacked on top of one another. Each PIC imager unit includes a PIC coupled, at a first end and a second end, to a first set of lenslets and a second set of lenslets, respectively. An electronic integrated circuit (EIC) is coupled to the PIC. Pairs of lenslets of the first and second set of lenslets are optically coupled to respective waveguides embedded in the PIC. The PIC imager units have different lengths, and longer PIC imager units include larger lenslets.

Provided are three dimensional, stretchable, optical sensor networks that can localize deformations. The devices described herein are suitable for uses in soft robots to determine the position of external contact, such as touching, and possibly internal deformations that may be caused by actuation. Sensor networks of the present disclosure contain a substrate, such as a 3D lattice, and cores having a cladding, such as air. Light passes through the cores and upon deformation of the substrate, cores may come into contact, allowing light to couple between cores due to frustrated total internal reflection. The resulting changes in intensity in the cores can be used to determine the placement and magnitude of deformation.

Provided are three dimensional, stretchable, optical sensor networks that can localize deformations. The devices described herein are suitable for uses in soft robots to determine the position of external contact, such as touching, and possibly internal deformations that may be caused by actuation. Sensor networks of the present disclosure contain a substrate, such as a 3D lattice, and cores having a cladding, such as air. Light passes through the cores and upon deformation of the substrate, cores may come into contact, allowing light to couple between cores due to frustrated total internal reflection. The resulting changes in intensity in the cores can be used to determine the placement and magnitude of deformation.

Various embodiments relate to an optical detection element and GOI (Ge-on-insulator) device for ultra-small on-chip optical sensing, and a manufacturing method of the same. According to various embodiments, the optical detection element and the GOI device may be implemented on a GOI structure comprising a germanium (Ge) layer, and the GOI device may be implemented to have an optical detection element. Specifically, the GOI device may include a GOI structure with a waveguide region comprising a germanium layer, a light source element configured to generate light for the waveguide region, and at least one optical detection element configured to detect light coming from the waveguide region. At least one slot configured to collect light from the light source element may be formed in the germanium layer in the waveguide region. The light source element may generate light so as to be coupled to the germanium layer in the waveguide region. The optical detection element may detect heat generated as light is propagated from the germanium layer.