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.

An optical device includes a first substrate, having first and second surfaces, and a second substrate having a third surface. The first substrate includes: a laser unit, having an active layer and emitting light into the first substrate from the active layer; a reflecting mirror, having a plane obliquely intersecting an optical axis of light emitted from the laser unit, and being formed on the first surface so as to reflect the light toward the second surface; and a convex lens, being formed in a region on the second surface, the region including an optical axis of the light reflected by the reflecting mirror. The second substrate is provided with a grating coupler and an optical waveguide on the third surface, the optical waveguide having light incident on the grating coupler propagating therethrough.

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.

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.

Embodiments include a fiber to photonic chip coupling system including a collimating lens which collimate a light transmitted from a light source and an optical grating including a plurality of grating sections. The system also includes an optical dispersion element which separates the collimated light from the collimating lens into a plurality of light beams and direct each of the plurality of light beams to a respective section of the plurality of grating sections. Each light beam in the plurality of light beams is diffracted from the optical dispersion element at a different wavelength a light beam of the plurality of light beams is directed to a respective section of the plurality of grating sections at a respective incidence angle based on the wavelength of the light beam of the plurality of light beams to provide optimum grating coupling.

Embodiments include a fiber to photonic chip coupling system including a collimating lens which collimate a light transmitted from a light source and an optical grating including a plurality of grating sections. The system also includes an optical dispersion element which separates the collimated light from the collimating lens into a plurality of light beams and direct each of the plurality of light beams to a respective section of the plurality of grating sections. Each light beam in the plurality of light beams is diffracted from the optical dispersion element at a different wavelength a light beam of the plurality of light beams is directed to a respective section of the plurality of grating sections at a respective incidence angle based on the wavelength of the light beam of the plurality of light beams to provide optimum grating coupling.

Integrated-optics systems are presented in which an active-material stack is disposed on a coupling layer in a first region to collectively define an OA waveguide that supports an optical mode of a light signal. The coupling layer is patterned to define a coupling waveguide and a passive waveguide, which are formed as two abutting, optically coupled segments of the coupling layer. The lateral dimensions of the active-material stack are configured to control the shape and vertical position of the optical mode at any location along the length of the OA waveguide. The active-material stack includes a taper that narrows along its length such that the optical mode is located completely in the coupling waveguide where the coupling waveguide abuts the passive waveguide. In some embodiments, the passive layer is optically coupled with the OA waveguide and a silicon waveguide, thereby enabling light to propagate between them.

Integrated-optics systems are presented in which an active-material stack is disposed on a coupling layer in a first region to collectively define an OA waveguide that supports an optical mode of a light signal. The coupling layer is patterned to define a coupling waveguide and a passive waveguide, which are formed as two abutting, optically coupled segments of the coupling layer. The lateral dimensions of the active-material stack are configured to control the shape and vertical position of the optical mode at any location along the length of the OA waveguide. The active-material stack includes a taper that narrows along its length such that the optical mode is located completely in the coupling waveguide where the coupling waveguide abuts the passive waveguide. In some embodiments, the passive layer is optically coupled with the OA waveguide and a silicon waveguide, thereby enabling light to propagate between them.

An optical switch includes a first bus waveguide supported by a substrate, an optical antenna suspended over the first bus waveguide via a spring, and interdigitated electrodes coupling the substrate with optical antenna and configured to control a position of the optical antenna relative to the first bus waveguide. When a voltage difference applied to the interdigitated electrodes is less than a lower threshold, the optical antenna is at a first position offset from the first bus waveguide, when the voltage difference applied to the interdigitated electrodes is greater than an upper threshold, the optical antenna is at a second position offset from the first bus waveguide, and the offset at the second position is greater than at the first position.

The present disclosure provides for two-dimensional mode matching by receiving an optical signal traveling in a first direction; and scattering the optical signal according to a scattering strength that progressively changes in the first direction. In various embodiments, the scattering strength progressively changes by increasing or decreasing in the first direction. A plurality of scatterers disposed in a path of the optical signal change in widths that progressively increase or decrease along the first direction. In various embodiments, a second optical signal is received in the grating coupler from a second direction; and is scattered into a surface of a photonic chip via a grating coupler. In some embodiments, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.