An optical system has a LIDAR chip that includes a switch configured to direct an outgoing LIDAR signal to one of multiple different alternate waveguides. The system also includes a redirection component configured to receive the outgoing LIDAR signal from any one of the alternate waveguides. The redirection component is also configured to redirect the received outgoing LIDAR signal such that a direction that the outgoing LIDAR signal travels away from the redirection component changes in response to changes in the alternate waveguide to which the optical switch directs the outgoing LIDAR signal.

Embodiments described herein may be related to apparatuses, processes, and techniques directed to dense integration of PICs in a substrate using an optical fanout structure that includes waveguides formed within a substrate to optically couple with the PICs at an edge of the substrate. One or more PICs may then be electrically with dies such as processor dies or memory dies. The one or more PICs may be located within a cavity in the substrate. The substrate may be made of glass or silicon. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Example implementations described herein are directed to an interface configured to redirect light between a connector connected to a printed optical board (POB) via an optical waveguide, and a photonic integrated circuit (PIC), the interface involving two-dimensionally distributed waveplates (TDWs) having multiple layers of p-doped and n-doped silicon, the TDWs configured to be driven to change a dielectric constant at a two dimensional location on the TDWs such that the received light is redirected at the two dimensional location.

A method includes defining a first waveguide in a first region of an optical device over a first dielectric layer over a silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate of the optical device and disposing a second dielectric layer on the first waveguide and the first dielectric layer of the optical device. The method also includes defining a second region on the second dielectric layer, the first dielectric layer, and the SOI substrate. The second region includes an integrated trench structure defined in the SOI substrate. The method further includes etching the second region to form an etched second region, disposing a third dielectric layer in the etched second region, and disposing a second waveguide on at least the third dielectric layer. The second waveguide is disposed to provide an optical coupling between the second waveguide and the first waveguide.

An optical integrated device includes a substrate and a waveguide that has a hollow structure. The waveguide includes a first waveguide and a second waveguide that is optically coupled to the first waveguide and that has a smaller relative refractive index difference than that of the first waveguide and converts a mode diameter to a mode diameter of an optical fiber in accordance with travelling of light. The optical integrated device includes a dent portion that is formed in the vicinity of the dicing line on the substrate such that the width of the output end surface is smaller than the core width of the optical fiber that is optically coupled to the output end surface in the state in which the dicing end surface of the substrate protrudes farther than the output end surface of the second waveguide in the axial direction of the optical waveguide.

A device providing efficient transformation between an initial optical mode and a second optical mode includes first, second and third elements fabricated on a common substrate. The first element includes first and second active sub-layers supporting initial and final optical modes with efficient mode transformation therebetween. The second element includes a passive waveguide structure supporting a second optical mode. The third element, at least partly butt-coupled to the first element, includes an intermediate waveguide structure supporting an intermediate optical mode. If the final optical mode differs from the second optical mode by more than a predetermined amount, a tapered waveguide structure in the second or third elements facilitates efficient transformation between the intermediate optical mode and the second optical mode. Precise alignment of sub-elements formed in one of the elements, relative to sub-elements formed in another one of the elements, is defined using lithographic alignment marks.

A fiber-to-chip coupler includes a substrate, a waveguide on a top surface of the substrate, an optical fiber axially aligned to the waveguide, and a cap. The waveguide has a uniform region with uniform width and a tapered-waveguide region having a width that adiabatically increases from a minimum width to the uniform width. The optical fiber has a tapered fiber tip having a minimum core diameter, a cylindrical section having a maximum core diameter, and a tapered-fiber section therebetween. The optical fiber is located at least in part above the tapered-waveguide region, and has a core diameter that adiabatically decreases within a taper length of the tapered-fiber section. The cap extends from the tapered fiber tip toward the cylindrical section, is formed of a second material having a cap refractive index that exceeds a refractive index of the optical fiber, and includes a cap-region disposed on the tapered-waveguide region.

Structures including an optical component, such as an edge coupler, and methods of fabricating a structure that includes an optical component, such as an edge coupler. The structure includes a substrate having a sealed cavity, an optical component, and a dielectric layer between the optical component and the sealed cavity. The optical component is positioned vertically over the substrate and the dielectric layer, and the optical component overlaps with the sealed cavity in the substrate.

A method for fabricating an integrated structure, using a fabrication system having a CMOS line and a photonics line, includes the steps of: in the photonics line, fabricating a first photonics component in a silicon wafer; transferring the wafer from the photonics line to the CMOS line; and in the CMOS line, fabricating a CMOS component in the silicon wafer. Additionally, a monolithic integrated structure includes a silicon wafer with a waveguide and a CMOS component formed therein, wherein the waveguide structure includes a ridge extending away from the upper surface of the silicon wafer. A monolithic integrated structure is also provided which has a photonics component and a CMOS component formed therein, the photonics component including a waveguide having a width of 0.5 μm to 13 μm.

Structures for an edge coupler and methods of forming a structure for an edge coupler. The structure includes a waveguide core over a dielectric layer, and a back-end-of-line stack over the waveguide core and the dielectric layer. The back-end-of-line stack includes an interlayer dielectric layer, a side edge, a first feature, a second feature, and a third feature laterally arranged between the first feature and the second feature. The first feature, the second feature, and the third feature are positioned on the interlayer dielectric layer adjacent to the side edge, and the third feature has an overlapping relationship with a tapered section of the waveguide core.