An optical waveguide comprises at least two TIR surface and contains a grating. Input TIR light with a first angular range along a first propagation direction undergoes at least two diffractions at the grating. Each diffraction directs light into a unique TIR angular range along a second propagation direction.

An optical waveguide comprises at least two TIR surface and contains a grating. Input TIR light with a first angular range along a first propagation direction undergoes at least two diffractions at the grating. Each diffraction directs light into a unique TIR angular range along a second propagation direction.

An optical device, comprising: a first semiconductor substrate; a reference laser, configured to generate coherent light; a plurality of first optical components, wherein the reference laser is optically coupled to the plurality of first optical components, wherein each of the plurality of first optical components is configured to output coherent light during a period of time that coherent light from the reference laser is received; a plurality of second optical components, the second optical components configured to produce optical intensity modulation, wherein each of the plurality of first optical components is optically coupled to at least one corresponding second optical component; wherein the plurality of first optical components each comprises a laser, an optical amplifier or a phase modulator, and the plurality of second optical components each comprises a laser, an optical amplifier or an intensity modulator, and wherein when a first optical component comprises a laser or an optical amplifier the at least one corresponding second optical component comprises a laser, an optical amplifier or an intensity modulator, and wherein when a first optical component comprises a phase modulator the at least one corresponding second optical component comprises a laser or an optical amplifier; one or more first controllers, configured to apply phase control signals to said plurality of first optical components to apply a phase shift; one or more second controllers, configured to apply pulse control signals to said plurality of second optical components such that a light pulse is outputted during a period of time that coherent light is received, the relative phase between emitted light pulses from the plurality of second optical components being controlled by the relative phase shifts applied by the one or more first controllers; wherein the reference laser, plurality of first optical components and plurality of second optical components are integrated laterally on the semiconductor substrate in the plane parallel to the surface of the substrate.

A LiDAR system has a field of view and includes a polarization-based waveguide splitter. The splitter includes a first splitter port, a second splitter port and a common splitter port. A laser is optically coupled to the first splitter port via a single-polarization waveguide. An objective lens optically couples each optical emitter of an array of optical emitters to a respective unique portion of the field of view. An optical switching network is coupled via respective dual-polarization waveguides between the common splitter port and the array of optical emitters. An optical receiver is optically coupled to the second splitter port via a dual-polarization waveguide and is configured to receive light reflected from the field of view. A controller, coupled to the optical switching network, is configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a temporal pattern.

Optical coupling techniques between an optical fiber and another optical device, such as a planar optical waveguide, or a probed region are disclosed. An optical fiber for lateral optical coupling includes a cladding, a core disposed in the cladding, a reflecting structure inclined relative to the fiber axis, and a light-converging structure embedded in the cladding. The reflecting structure is configured to reflect light between the core and a lateral coupling path extending and providing lateral optical coupling between the core and an exterior of the fiber. The cladding-embedded light-converging structure is configured to intercept and converge light traveling along the lateral coupling path. In some implementations, the optical fiber is a fiber-optic transition coupled between a main optical fiber and another optical device or a probed region. A coupled optical system including an optical fiber coupled to another optical device is also disclosed.

An optical coupling device including, in sequence, a focusing lens and an optical coupling network, the coupling device being symmetric with respect to a plane, the focusing lens formed in a core layer, as a front face, perpendicular to the plane, the optical coupling network including a plurality of trenches, formed on the front face, and convex in shape, the optical coupling network including, in sequence, a first sub-network and a contiguous second sub-network, respectively delimited, by a first contour and a second contour, the first and second contours extending in a divergent manner and convergent manner respectively.

An optical coupling device including, in sequence, a focusing lens and an optical coupling network, the coupling device being symmetric with respect to a plane, the focusing lens formed in a core layer, as a front face, perpendicular to the plane, the optical coupling network including a plurality of trenches, formed on the front face, and convex in shape, the optical coupling network including, in sequence, a first sub-network and a contiguous second sub-network, respectively delimited, by a first contour and a second contour, the first and second contours extending in a divergent manner and convergent manner respectively.

A manufacturing system performs a deposition of an etch-compatible film over a substrate. The etch-compatible film includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The manufacturing system performs a partial removal of the etch-compatible film to create a surface profile on the first surface with a plurality of etch heights relative to the substrate. The manufacturing system performs a lithographic patterning of a photoresist deposited over the created profile in the etch-compatible film to obtain the plurality of etch heights and one or more duty cycles corresponding to the etch-compatible film deposited over the substrate.

A manufacturing system performs a deposition of an etch-compatible film over a substrate. The etch-compatible film includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The manufacturing system performs a partial removal of the etch-compatible film to create a surface profile on the first surface with a plurality of etch heights relative to the substrate. The manufacturing system performs a lithographic patterning of a photoresist deposited over the created profile in the etch-compatible film to obtain the plurality of etch heights and one or more duty cycles corresponding to the etch-compatible film deposited over the substrate.

A photonic chip having a photonic-circuit layer supported on a substrate, the photonic-circuit layer including a suspended portion that extends beyond the outline of the substrate on the photonic-circuit layer. In various embodiments, the suspended portion may host one or more functional optical elements, such as an on-chip grating coupler, an on-chip microring resonator, and an on chip optical waveguide, that can be used to couple light in and out of the photonic chip. The geometry of the suspended portion enables unencumbered (e.g., double-sided) access to the one or more functional optical elements located therein and can advantageously be used to place an optical fiber and/or a second photonic chip sufficiently close to those functional optical elements to achieve a high chip-to-fiber or chip-to-chip optical-coupling efficiency.