Optical spectroscopy is a widely used method to identify the chemical composition of materials and the characteristics of optical signals. Silicon based integrated photonics offers a platform for many optical functions through microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS), silicon waveguides, integrated CMOS electronics and hybrid integration of compound semiconductor elements for optical gain. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide advanced optical tools for techniques such as optical spectroscopy and optical tomography exploiting MOEMS to provide swept filters that offer improved performance, increased integration, reduced footprint, reduced power consumption, increased flexibility, reconfigurability, and lower cost. Further, such MOEMS elements can support the provisioning of swept optical sources, swept filters, swept receivers etc. in the planar waveguide domain without free space optics.

Aspects described herein include an optical apparatus comprising at least a first Bragg grating of a first stage. The first Bragg grating is configured to transmit a first two wavelengths and to reflect a second two wavelengths of a received optical signal. The optical apparatus further comprises a second Bragg grating of a second stage. The second Bragg grating is configured to transmit one of the first two wavelengths and to reflect the other of the first two wavelengths. The optical apparatus further comprises a third Bragg grating of the second stage. The third Bragg grating is configured to transmit one of the second two wavelengths and to reflect the other of the second two wavelengths.

An isolator includes a first waveguide and a second waveguide on a substrate having a substrate surface, the first waveguide and the second waveguide located along the substrate surface and overlapping each other as viewed from the substrate. The first waveguide and the second waveguide each include a core and a clad. The core has a first surface facing the substrate surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The clad contacts the first surface and the second surface of the core. The first waveguide has a first end and a second end, and has a port for input and output of electromagnetic waves at each of the first end and the second end. The core of the second waveguide includes a non-reciprocal member in at least one part of a cross section intersecting a direction in which the second waveguide extends.

A flexible photonic skin is provided, including a functional layer, an adhesive layer used for fixing the functional layer and made of hypoallergenic polyvinyl ethyl ether, and a packaging layer made of a polyurethane semi-transparent film and adhered to the adhesive layer, which are arranged successively from the top down, wherein the functional layer consists of two electrodes located on two sides and used for acquiring electrocardiographic signals of a human body, and a polymer-based photonic integrated chip located between the two electrodes and used for acquiring body temperature, pulse, blood pressure and blood glucose signals of the human body; and, the polymer-based photonic integrated chip processes and outputs the acquired electrocardiographic signals of the human body as well as the body temperature, pulse, blood pressure and blood glucose signals of the human body.

A flexible photonic skin is provided, including a functional layer, an adhesive layer used for fixing the functional layer and made of hypoallergenic polyvinyl ethyl ether, and a packaging layer made of a polyurethane semi-transparent film and adhered to the adhesive layer, which are arranged successively from the top down, wherein the functional layer consists of two electrodes located on two sides and used for acquiring electrocardiographic signals of a human body, and a polymer-based photonic integrated chip located between the two electrodes and used for acquiring body temperature, pulse, blood pressure and blood glucose signals of the human body; and, the polymer-based photonic integrated chip processes and outputs the acquired electrocardiographic signals of the human body as well as the body temperature, pulse, blood pressure and blood glucose signals of the human body.

A coupling interface arrangement is described for a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) device. The PIC includes an interface coupling surface having optical grating elements arranged to form optical output locations that produce corresponding light output beams. A coupling lens couples the light output beams into a conjugate plane at a far-field scene characterized by one or more optical aberrations that degrade optical resolution of the light outputs. The optical grating elements are configured to correct for the one or more optical aberrations.

A coupling interface arrangement is described for a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) device. The PIC includes an interface coupling surface having optical grating elements arranged to form optical output locations that produce corresponding light output beams. A coupling lens couples the light output beams into a conjugate plane at a far-field scene characterized by one or more optical aberrations that degrade optical resolution of the light outputs. The optical grating elements are configured to correct for the one or more optical aberrations.

A multi-beam optical phased array on a single planar waveguide layer or a small number of planar waveguide layers enables building an optical sensor that performs much like a significantly larger telescope. Imaging systems use planar waveguides created using micro-lithographic techniques. These imagers are variants of phased arrays, common and familiar from microwave radar applications. However, there are significant differences when these same concepts are applied to visible and infrared light.

A multi-beam optical phased array on a single planar waveguide layer or a small number of planar waveguide layers enables building an optical sensor that performs much like a significantly larger telescope. Imaging systems use planar waveguides created using micro-lithographic techniques. These imagers are variants of phased arrays, common and familiar from microwave radar applications. However, there are significant differences when these same concepts are applied to visible and infrared light.

A switch module includes a switch integrated circuit (IC), a silicon photonics chips, and an interface having removably coupled first side and second side. The first side includes a lens array optically coupled to a SiP chip and the second side includes a connector having a plurality of planar lightwave circuits (PLCs) optically coupled to another lens array.