Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) has enabled telecommunication service providers to provide multiple independent multi-gigabit channels on one optical fiber. To meet demands for improved performance, increased integration, reduced footprint, reduced power consumption, increased flexibility, re-configurability, and lower cost monolithic optical circuit technologies and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have become increasingly important. However, further integration via microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS) of monolithically integrated optical waveguides upon a MEMS provide further integration opportunities and functionality options. Such MOEMS may include MOEMS mirrors and optical waveguides capable of deflection under electronic control. In contrast to MEMS devices where the MEMS is simply used to switch between two positions the state of MOEMS becomes important in all transition positions. Improvements to the design and implementation of such MOEMS mirrors, deformable MOEMS waveguides, and optical waveguide technologies supporting MOEMS devices are presented where monolithically integrated optical waveguides are directly supported, moved and/or deformed by a MEMS.

A printed circuit board may include an aluminum nitride (AIN) substrate that includes an AIN thin film and a layer of high-frequency polymer as a carrier substrate of the AIN thin film. The AIN substrate forms a first layer of the printed circuit board. The AIN substrate comprises a heat spreader that laterally spreads out heat from a heat sink on the printed circuit board to form a thermal dissipation path parallel with a signal path on the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board may include a main substrate aligned to and bonded with the AIN substrate. The main substrate may include one or more additional layers of the printed circuit board.

A printed circuit board may include an aluminum nitride (AIN) substrate that includes an AIN thin film and a layer of high-frequency polymer as a carrier substrate of the AIN thin film. The AIN substrate forms a first layer of the printed circuit board. The AIN substrate comprises a heat spreader that laterally spreads out heat from a heat sink on the printed circuit board to form a thermal dissipation path parallel with a signal path on the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board may include a main substrate aligned to and bonded with the AIN substrate. The main substrate may include one or more additional layers of the printed circuit board.

An optical module includes a Silicon Photonics chip that transports a light signal and a coupler chip that includes a waveguide and that is attached to the Silicon Photonics chip so that the light signal is transported along a light path between the Silicon Photonics chip and the coupler chip. The light path in the coupler chip includes a guided section that includes the waveguide that guides the light signal and an unguided section that does not guide the light signal in any other waveguide structure. The cross-sectional size of the beam defined by the light signal is largest at the interface between the Silicon Photonics chip and the coupler chip.

Optical alignment of an optical connector to input/output couplers of a photonic integrated circuit can be achieved by first actively aligning the optical connector successively to two loopback alignment features formed in the photonic chip of the PIC, optically unconnected to the PIC, and then moving the optical connector, based on precise knowledge of the positions of the loopback alignment features relative to the input/output couplers of the PIC, to a position aligned with the input/output couplers of the PIC and locking it in place.

A hybrid grating comprises a first grating layer composed of a first solid-state material, and a second grating layer over the first grating layer and composed of a second solid-state material, the second solid state-material being different than the first solid-state material and having a monocrystalline structure.

The optical device coupleable to a waveguide to receive an optical signal from the waveguide generally has at least two optical grating devices optically coupled to one another and having corresponding spectral responses, the spectral response of at least one of said optical grating devices being tunable to adjust an amount of overlapping between the spectral responses of the at least two optical grating devices.

The optical device coupleable to a waveguide to receive an optical signal from the waveguide generally has at least two optical grating devices optically coupled to one another and having corresponding spectral responses, the spectral response of at least one of said optical grating devices being tunable to adjust an amount of overlapping between the spectral responses of the at least two optical grating devices.

A photonic chip comprising a light guiding layer supported by a substrate and covered with an encapsulation layer. The chip has a front face on the side of the encapsulation layer and a back face on the side of the substrate. The light guiding layer includes a light guiding structure optically coupled to a vertical coupler configured to receive light from the waveguide and to form a light beam directed towards either the front face or the back face. The chip also comprises a collimation structure formed at least partly in the light guiding layer and an arrangement of one or several reflecting structures each on either the front face or on the back face. This arrangement is made so as to assure propagation of light between the vertical coupler and the collimation structure along an optical path with at least one fold.

A photonic chip comprising a light guiding layer supported by a substrate and covered with an encapsulation layer. The chip has a front face on the side of the encapsulation layer and a back face on the side of the substrate. The light guiding layer includes a light guiding structure optically coupled to a vertical coupler configured to receive light from the waveguide and to form a light beam directed towards either the front face or the back face. The chip also comprises a collimation structure formed at least partly in the light guiding layer and an arrangement of one or several reflecting structures each on either the front face or on the back face. This arrangement is made so as to assure propagation of light between the vertical coupler and the collimation structure along an optical path with at least one fold.