An integrated on-chip polarization rotator splitter (26) comprises a waveguide polarization rotator (54) having a first and a second layer (62) that form a rib waveguide (66) together and are both made of silicon nitride. The first layer (62) has a first, a second and a third section. The first layer (64) has a first width (w.sub.1) that increases in the first section (S1), is constant in the second section (S1) and decreases in the third section (S3). The second layer (64) has a second width (w.sub.2) that continuously increases. The polarization rotator splitter (26) further includes a waveguide polarization splitter (61) comprising a first strip waveguide (71) and a second strip waveguide (72) that are separated by a gap (74). The first and second strip waveguides (71, 72) are also made of silicon nitride. The first and second strip waveguide (71, 72) form an asymmetric evanescent direction coupler.

A silicon nitride phased array chip based on a suspended waveguide structure, which includes a silicon nitride waveguide area and a suspended waveguide area. The silicon nitride waveguide area includes a silicon substrate, a silicon dioxide buffer layer, a silicon dioxide cladding layer and a silicon nitride waveguide-based core layer. The silicon nitride waveguide-based core layer includes an optical splitter unit, a first curved waveguide, a thermo-optic phase shifter and a spot-size converter. The suspended waveguide area includes a second curved waveguide and an array grating antenna.

Structures for an edge coupler and methods of forming a structure for an edge coupler. The structure includes a waveguide core over a dielectric layer, and a back-end-of-line stack over the waveguide core and the dielectric layer. The back-end-of-line stack includes an interlayer dielectric layer, a side edge, a first feature, a second feature, and a third feature laterally arranged between the first feature and the second feature. The first feature, the second feature, and the third feature are positioned on the interlayer dielectric layer adjacent to the side edge, and the third feature has an overlapping relationship with a tapered section of the waveguide core.

An optical communications system includes a laser transmitter to generate an optical signal and a first optical fiber network coupled to transmit the optical signal from the laser transmitter system. A first latchable, asymmetric coupler is disposed along the first optical fiber network to receive the optical signal, and has a first tap output that receives a selected and alterable first fraction of the optical signal. A second latchable, asymmetric coupler is disposed along the first optical fiber network to receive the optical signal from the first latchable asymmetric coupler and has a second tap output that receives a selected and alterable second fraction of the optical signal incident at the second latchable. In certain embodiments the first and second couplers are capable of operating at any of at least three tapping fractions.

Provided herein are systems, devices, and methods for improved optical waveguide transmission and alignment in an analytical system. Waveguides in optical analytical systems can exhibit variable and increasing back reflection of single-wavelength illumination over time, thus limiting their effectiveness and reliability. The systems are also subject to optical interference under conditions that have been used to overcome the back reflection. Novel systems and approaches using broadband illumination light with multiple longitudinal modes have been developed to improve optical transmission and analysis in these systems. Novel systems and approaches for the alignment of a target waveguide device and an optical source are also disclosed.

A see-through display device includes an image generation unit configured to emit a virtual image light, a light combining unit configured to combine the virtual image light with an actual image light, and a driving unit including a deformation unit and a bridge unit disposed between the deformation unit and the image generation unit, and configured to control a distance between the image generation unit and the light combining unit through the deformation unit and the bridge unit.

The present disclosure is directed to light-distribution systems on photonic integrated circuits (PIC) that split and amplify a light signal received from at least one remotely located laser into a plurality of amplified light signals, where amplification is provided by an integrated semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). By locating the laser remotely with respect to the SOA-based PIC, the laser and PIC can be subjected to different ambient environmental conditions. Additionally, a lower-power laser can be used since the optical loss associated with splitting is compensated for by the amplification. As a result, lower current densities and optical powers can be used in both the source laser and the SOA. In some embodiments, the sequence of power splitting and amplification is repeated multiple times, thereby enabling system to scale gracefully.

A virtual image generation system comprises a planar optical waveguide having opposing first and second faces, an in-coupling (IC) element configured for optically coupling a collimated light beam from an image projection assembly into the planar optical waveguide as an in-coupled light beam, a first orthogonal pupil expansion (OPE) element associated with the first face of the planar optical waveguide for splitting the in-coupled light beam into a first set of orthogonal light beamlets, a second orthogonal pupil expansion (OPE) element associated with the second face of the planar optical waveguide for splitting the in-coupled light beam into a second set of orthogonal light beamlets, and an exit pupil expansion (EPE) element associated with the planar optical waveguide for splitting the first and second sets of orthogonal light beamlets into an array of out-coupled light beamlets that exit the planar optical waveguide.

A first waveguide and a second waveguide including a first layer and a second layer are provided. In a first longitudinal segment, the first layer gradually approaches a first waveguide in a first transverse direction. In a second longitudinal segment, the first and second waveguides are longitudinally oriented. In a third longitudinal segment, the first layer includes a length portion having a width in the first transverse direction that gradually decreases along the third longitudinal segment, and the second layer includes a length portion having a width in the first transverse direction that gradually increases along the third longitudinal segment.

Disclosed are an optical phased array chip and a method of manufacturing the same. The optical phased array chip includes a plurality of optical switches and a plurality of optical phased arrays implemented on a single integrated circuit, wherein the single integrated circuit includes a silicon substrate, a lower layer formed on an upper portion of the silicon substrate, a silicon layer formed on an upper portion of the lower layer, a first upper layer, a second upper layer and a third upper layer sequentially arranged on the silicon layer, and an electrode that penetrates through the first upper layer while being grounded to the silicon layer and is formed on an upper portion of the first upper layer.