A fiber array unit (FAU) includes a substrate, a plurality of optical fibers, and a lid. The substrate includes: an optical window extending through a layer of non-transparent material, a plurality of grooves, and an alignment protrusion configured to mate with an alignment receiver. The plurality of optical fibers are disposed in the plurality of grooves. The alignment protrusion is configured to align the plurality of optical fibers with an external device when mated with the alignment receiver. The plurality of optical fibers is disposed between the lid and the substrate.

A waveguide illuminator includes an input waveguide, a waveguide splitter coupled to the input waveguide, and a waveguide array coupled to the waveguide splitter. The waveguide array includes an array of out-couplers out-coupling portions of the split light beam to form an array of out-coupled beam portions for illuminating a display panel. Locations of the array of out-couplers are coordinated with locations of individual pixels of the display panel, causing each light beam portion to propagate through a corresponding pixel of the display panel, thereby improving efficiency of light utilization by the display panel.

An optical telescope may include an array of optical lenslets in a common plane, and optical waveguides extending from respective optical lenslets and each having a common optical path delay. Further, at least one optical star coupler may be downstream from the optical waveguides, and an optical detector may be downstream from the at least one optical star coupler and having an optical image formed thereon.

A method includes depositing a crystalline magnesium oxide (MgO) seed layer directly on an amorphous insulating cladding layer by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, and depositing a crystalline electro-optic layer directly on the crystalline MgO seed layer.

An optical splitting device is provided, which includes a housing, at least one first optical splitter which is disposed in the housing, a multi-core input optical interface, a multi-core output optical interface, and at least one single-core output optical interface. The multi-core input optical interface, the multi-core output optical interface, and the at least one single-core output optical interface are disposed on an outer wall of the housing, and each first optical splitter includes an input end, a first output end, and at least one second output end. The multi-core input optical interface is connected to an input end of the at least one first optical splitter, the first output end of each first optical splitter is connected to the multi-core output optical interface, and the second output end of each first optical splitter is connected to the single-core output optical interface in a one-to-one correspondence.

A system and method are presented for coupling OAM optical beams to optical fibers. The system may include, for instance, an OAM beam generator, for receiving one or more of a plurality of input signals, and generating a different OAM mode signal for each input signal. The OAM beam generator may further be operative to adjust a location and/or an exit angle of the one or more OAM mode signals before sending the one or more OAM mode signals to a beam combiner that combines the one or more OAM mode signals into a combined mode OAM transmission. The system may further include a controller in communication with at least one crosstalk estimate sensor and the at least one OAM beam generator, the controller operative to optimize the crosstalk estimate by receiving the crosstalk estimate for one of the OAM mode signals, and sending control instructions instructing the OAM beam generator to adjust a location and/or an exit angle of the one or more OAM mode signals to reduce the crosstalk estimate.

Systems and methods for optically connecting first and second fiber arrays at different locations with paired transmit and received fibers are disclosed. A method includes establishing at a first location first and second fiber arrays of fibers T and R, and establishing at a second location third and fourth fiber arrays of fibers T′ and R′. A trunk cable is then used to optically connect fibers T to fibers R′ and fibers R′ to fibers T to form first fiber pairs (T,R) where T=1 to (N/2) and R=[(N/2)+1] to N, and second fiber pairs (T′, R′), where T′=1′ to (N/2)′ and R′=[(N/2)+1]′ to N′, wherein N is an even number greater than 2.

An SFO-box (1) suitable to receive at least one optical fan out module (6). The SFO-box (1) includes a housing (2) with a base (3) and a top (4) which in an assembled position encompass a mounting space (5) suitable to receive the at least one optical fan out module (6) therein. The top (4) includes first fastening means (7) and the base (3) comprises second fastening means (8) which from their layout are compatible to each other such that two assembled housings (2) can be attached to each other in a stackable manner by interconnecting the first fastening means (7) of the top (4) and the second fastening means (8) of the base (3).

An electro-optic beam controller, material processing apparatus, or optical amplifier, and corresponding methods, can include an actively controlled, waveguide-based, optical spatial mode conversion device. The conversion device can include a coupler, which can be a photonic lantern, configured to combine light beams into a common light beam; a sensor configured to measure at least one characteristic of the common light beam; and a controller configured to modulate optical parameters of the individual, respective light beams to set one or more spatial modes of the common light beam. Actively controlled and modulated devices can be used to maintain a stable, diffraction-limited beam for use in an amplification, communications, imaging, laser radar, switching, or laser material processing system. Embodiments can also be used to maintain a fundamental or other spatial mode in an optical fiber even while scaling to kilowatt power.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an optical branching assembly, a passive optical network, and an optical transmission method, which relate to the field of communications and are used to implement a functional diversity of the optical branching assembly. The optical branching assembly includes: a substrate and an optical power distribution area disposed on a surface of the substrate, where the optical power distribution area is coupled to a first optical waveguide, multiple second optical waveguides, and at least one third optical waveguide, and is used to distribute optical power of an optical signal, transmitted through the first optical waveguide, to each of the second optical waveguides and the at least one third optical waveguide; and the third optical waveguide is coupled to the first optical waveguide, where a reflective material is disposed on the third optical waveguide.