A waveguide includes a segment with a substantially uniform cure profile and related methods and systems for making and using the same. The waveguide is formed by modifying a laser beam used to write the waveguide to provide a substantially uniform cure profile in the waveguide. A marker characteristic of laser writing may be present in the waveguide. A method or system modifies an intensity profile or a shape profile of a laser beam to proactively compensate for exposure convolution based on the characteristics of the laser beam spot profile. A convolution compensator is positioned in the path of the laser beam to modify the beam spot profile during writing to form the one or more segments of the waveguide in a photo-curable layer.

An energy harvesting system is provided. The system includes a waveguide operable for trapping at least some light energy. The waveguide defines a surface and an edge. A photovoltaic cell is coupled to the surface or the edge of the waveguide. A waveguide redirecting material is provided on the surface of the waveguide. The waveguide redirecting material is formed of a solidified colored luminescent paint. The paint is configured to be applied and adhere to the surface of the waveguide and redirect light energy to the photovoltaic cell. A method of generating and demonstrating solar power using the system is also provided.

Provided is an optical connector used for connecting an optical waveguide substrate and an optical-fiber connector member, where the optical connector comprises a plurality of positioning structures, each having a cylindrical hole for inserting another end of a pin which has an end inserted into the connector member, and a groove formed on a second surface perpendicular to a first surface on which an open end of the hole is located, and where the groove and the hole are continuous, the groove has an arc-shaped cross section, and a center of a circle formed by a cross section of the hole and a center of an arc formed by the cross section of the groove are identical, and when the optical connector is coupled to the optical waveguide substrate that comprises a plurality of protrusions having a rectangular cross section, in each of the plurality of positioning structures, at least two corners of a corresponding protrusion among the plurality of protrusions are supported by an inner wall of the groove.

An example device includes a nanovoided polymer element, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The nanovoided polymer element may be located at least in part between the first electrode and the second electrode. In some examples, the nanovoided polymer element may include anisotropic voids. In some examples, anisotropic voids may be elongated along one or more directions. In some examples, the anisotropic voids are configured so that a polymer wall thickness between neighboring voids is generally uniform. Example devices may include a spatially addressable electroactive device, such as an actuator or a sensor, and/or may include an optical element. A nanovoided polymer layer may include one or more polymer components, such as an electroactive polymer.

Disclosed herein is a fully flexible photonic platform based on a high density, flexible array of ultra-compact optical waveguides composed of biocompatible polymers Parylene C and PDMS. The photonic platform features unique embedded input/output micro-mirrors that redirect light from the waveguides perpendicularly to the surface of the array for localized, patterned illumination in tissue. This architecture enables the design of a fully flexible, compact integrated photonic system to realize an implantable, wearable or on-chip photonic platform for application such as in vivo chronic optogenetic stimulation of brain activity.

An issue is directed to suppressing light interference occurring between a plurality of waveguides and providing waveguides at high densities. Means for solving the issue includes a plurality of cores (104) each configured to allow light to be transmitted therethrough, a clad (106) surrounding the plurality of cores (104) and smaller in refractive index for light than each of the cores (104), and a transmission suppression member (108) located between mutually adjacent two cores out of the plurality of cores (104) and configured to suppress transmission of light leaking from each of the cores.

An optical device includes an optical modulator on an optical IC chip. The optical modulator includes an optical waveguide, first and second wiring patterns that are formed along the optical waveguide and a polymer pattern. A portion of the polymer pattern is formed on the optical waveguide and located in a region between the first and second wiring patterns. Each of the first and second wiring patterns includes a modulation portion that is formed parallel to the optical waveguide, a pad portion, and a transition portion that connects the modulation portion and the pad portion. A shape of a region between the transition portion of the first wiring pattern and the transition portion of the second wiring pattern is a curve. The polymer pattern has a curved portion in the region between the transition portion of the first wiring pattern and the transition portion of the second wiring pattern.

Described herein are photonic systems and devices including a optical interface unit disposed on a bottom side of a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) to receive light from an emitter of the PIC. A top side of the PIC includes a flip-chip interface for electrically coupling the PIC to an organic substrate via the top side. An alignment feature corresponding to the emitter is formed with the emitter to be offset by a predetermined distance value; because the emitter and the alignment feature are formed using a shared processing operation, the offset (i.e., predetermined distance value) may be precise and consistent across similarly produced PICs. The PIC comprises a processing feature to image the alignment feature from the bottom side (e.g., a hole). A heat spreader layer surrounds the optical interface unit and is disposed on the bottom side of the PIC to spread heat from the PIC.

Many embodiments in accordance with the invention are directed towards waveguides implementing birefringence control. In some embodiments, the waveguide includes a birefringent grating layer and a birefringence control layer. In further embodiments, the birefringence control layer is compact and efficient. Such structures can be utilized for various applications, including but not limited to: compensating for polarization related losses in holographic waveguides; providing three-dimensional LC director alignment in waveguides based on Bragg gratings; and spatially varying angular/spectral bandwidth for homogenizing the output from a waveguide. In some embodiments, a polarization-maintaining, wide-angle, and high-reflection waveguide cladding with polarization compensation is implemented for grating birefringence. In several embodiments, a thin polarization control layer is implemented for providing either quarter wave or half wave retardation.

A photosensitive epoxy resin composition for formation of an optical waveguide, which can be used as an optical waveguide forming material excellent in thermal coloration resistance, patternability, and R-to-R adaptability (flexibility in an uncured resin state). The photosensitive epoxy resin composition contains an epoxy resin component and a photo-cationic polymerization initiator, wherein the epoxy resin component comprises an epoxy resin having a tri- or higher functional bisphenol-A skeleton.