Embodiments of the disclosure provide an optical antenna for a photonic integrated circuit (PIC). The optical antenna includes a semiconductor waveguide on a semiconductor layer. The semiconductor waveguide includes a first vertical sidewall over the semiconductor layer over the semiconductor layer. A plurality of grating protrusions extends horizontally from the first vertical sidewall of the semiconductor waveguide.

An optical device for coupling light propagating between a waveguide and an optical transmission component is provided. The optical device includes a taper portion and a grating portion. The taper portion is disposed between the grating portion and the waveguide. The grating portion includes rows of grating patterns. A first size of a first grating pattern in a first row of grating patterns is larger than a second size of a second grating pattern in a second row of grating patterns. A first distance between the first row of grating patterns and the waveguide is less than a second distance between the second row of grating patterns and the waveguide.

A method of measuring strain comprises providing laminated material comprising two or more ply layers and having a thickness along a direction orthogonal to a plane defined by the ply layers, and comprising a strain sensor embedded between adjacent ply layers, wherein: the strain sensor comprises a first planar optical waveguide and a second planar optical waveguide, each of the first planar optical waveguide and the second planar optical waveguide having a waveguiding core defining an optical propagation direction parallel to the plane of the laminated material and a Bragg grating in the waveguiding core, the optical propagation direction of the first planar optical waveguide being non-parallel to the optical propagation direction of the second planar waveguide; interrogating the Bragg grating of the first planar optical waveguide with transverse electric (TE) polarized light and with transverse magnetic (TM) polarized light to obtain a TE spectral response of the Bragg grating for the TE polarized light and a TM spectral response of the Bragg grating for the TM polarized light; interrogating the Bragg grating of the second planar optical waveguide with TE polarized light and with TM polarized light to obtain a TE spectral response of the Bragg grating for the TE polarized light and a TM spectral response of the Bragg grating for the TM polarized light; and processing the TE spectral response and the TM spectral response of the first planar optical waveguide and the TE spectral response and the TM spectral response of the second planar optical waveguide to extract at least a through-thickness component of strain within the laminated material which is aligned along the direction of the thickness of the laminated material.

A method of measuring strain comprises providing laminated material comprising two or more ply layers and having a thickness along a direction orthogonal to a plane defined by the ply layers, and comprising a strain sensor embedded between adjacent ply layers, wherein: the strain sensor comprises a first planar optical waveguide and a second planar optical waveguide, each of the first planar optical waveguide and the second planar optical waveguide having a waveguiding core defining an optical propagation direction parallel to the plane of the laminated material and a Bragg grating in the waveguiding core, the optical propagation direction of the first planar optical waveguide being non-parallel to the optical propagation direction of the second planar waveguide; interrogating the Bragg grating of the first planar optical waveguide with transverse electric (TE) polarized light and with transverse magnetic (TM) polarized light to obtain a TE spectral response of the Bragg grating for the TE polarized light and a TM spectral response of the Bragg grating for the TM polarized light; interrogating the Bragg grating of the second planar optical waveguide with TE polarized light and with TM polarized light to obtain a TE spectral response of the Bragg grating for the TE polarized light and a TM spectral response of the Bragg grating for the TM polarized light; and processing the TE spectral response and the TM spectral response of the first planar optical waveguide and the TE spectral response and the TM spectral response of the second planar optical waveguide to extract at least a through-thickness component of strain within the laminated material which is aligned along the direction of the thickness of the laminated material.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a method for forming an integrated chip the method includes forming a waveguide on a first surface of a substrate. A conductive structure is formed at least partially overlying the waveguide. A light pipe structure is formed over the waveguide. A lower surface of the light pipe structure is disposed between a top surface and a bottom surface of the conductive structure. A lower portion of the light pipe structure contacts the conductive structure.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a method for forming an integrated chip the method includes forming a waveguide on a first surface of a substrate. A conductive structure is formed at least partially overlying the waveguide. A light pipe structure is formed over the waveguide. A lower surface of the light pipe structure is disposed between a top surface and a bottom surface of the conductive structure. A lower portion of the light pipe structure contacts the conductive structure.

A device or system includes a light source, an optical waveguide, and a light director. The light source emits illumination light. The optical waveguide includes a light input coupler. The light director receive the illumination light and generates shaped light. The light director adjusts the tilt angle and/or the divergence angle of the illumination light.

An optical waveguide structure. In some embodiments, the optical waveguide structure includes a semiconductor waveguide having a waveguide ridge, and a heater. The waveguide ridge may have a varying dopant concentration across its cross-section. The heater may include a first contact and a second contact, and the waveguide structure may include a conductive path from the first contact to the second contact, the conductive path extending through a doped portion of the waveguide ridge.

An optical waveguide structure. In some embodiments, the optical waveguide structure includes a semiconductor waveguide having a waveguide ridge, and a heater. The waveguide ridge may have a varying dopant concentration across its cross-section. The heater may include a first contact and a second contact, and the waveguide structure may include a conductive path from the first contact to the second contact, the conductive path extending through a doped portion of the waveguide ridge.

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for optical coupling in optical communications. In one embodiment, an apparatus for optical coupling is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a planar layer; an array of scattering elements arranged in the planar layer at a plurality of intersections of a first set of concentric elliptical curves crossing with a second set of concentric elliptical curves rotated proximately 90 degrees to form a two-dimensional (2D) grating; a first taper structure formed in the planar layer connecting a first convex side of the 2D grating to a first waveguide; and a second taper structure formed in the planar layer connecting a second convex side of the 2D grating to a second waveguide. Each scattering element is a pillar into the planar layer. The pillar has a top surface whose shape is a concave polygon having at least 6 corners.