An optical waveguide comprises multiple layers of solid-state material disposed on a substrate. One of the layers is a lifting-gate valve made of a high refractive index material. The device provides for better optical confinement in microfluidic channels, and has the capability to integrate both optical signals and fluid sample processing. The optical paths on the chip are reconfigurable because of the use of a movable microvalve that guides light in one of its positions.

MEMS-actuated optical switches can be implemented on photonic chips. These switches are compact, essentially planar, simple to implement and include only one moving MEMS component per switch. The switches exhibit low optical loss, require low power to operate, and are simple to control and easy to integrate with other optical devices. Each switch has two optical waveguides that are optically coupled in an ON switch state and not coupled in an OFF switch state. An end or a medial section of one of the two waveguides may translate between the ON and OFF states to affect the coupling. Alternatively, a coupling frustrator may translate between the ON and OFF states to affect the coupling.

Switching technology may be incorporated into various systems, components, and/or architectures in a fiber optic network to promote network reconfigurability and design flexibility. A signal access unit comprises an input, an output, an access port, a switch arrangement including a switch, and a controller. The switch optically couples the input to the output and not to the access port when in a first configuration, and optically couples the access port to at least one of the input and the output without optically coupling the input and the output together when in a second configuration. The controller is configured to receive an indication of a selected wavelength and to operate the switch arrangement to change the switch between the first and second configurations based on the indication of the selected wavelength.

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device comprises an optical directional coupler comprising: a first waveguide having a first and a second end, wherein a light beam is introduced into the first end; a second waveguide having a third and a fourth end, wherein the light beam is evanescently coupled between the two waveguides in the central region; a first photodetector to detect first optical power in the light beam at the second end; and a second photodetector to detect second optical power in the light beam at the fourth end; a vibrating proof mass adjacent to the coupler in a first direction from the coupler, wherein when inertial forces are applied to the MEMS device in a second direction, the proof mass moves in the first direction; a processor to determine the displacement of the proof mass from the coupler as a function of the first and the second optical power.

This disclosure relates to counterfeit detection and deterrence using advanced signal processing technology including steganographic embedding and digital watermarking. Digital watermark can be used on consumer products, labels, logos, hang tags, stickers and other objects to provide counterfeit detection mechanisms.

Disclosed is an optoelectromechanical switch that includes: an optical feedline disposed on an isolation substrate that receives resonator light that is subject to optical communication to a resonator when a cavity length of the resonator supports an electromagnetic mode at the wavelength of the resonator light; a resonator including: a low refractive index optical layer and receives substrate electrical counter potential; a non-conductive spacer; the electrically conductive membrane and that receives a membrane electrical potential and deflects toward and away from the electrically conductive high-index optical waveguide based on a difference in potential between the membrane electrical potential and the substrate electrical counter potential; the cavity length that is variable and under electromechanical control.

An electronic module is provided. The electronic module includes a carrier, a movable component and an optical component. The movable component is on the carrier and configured to be movable with respect to the carrier. The optical component is configured to detect a movement of the movable component by an optical coupling between the optical component and the movable component.

This application discloses an optical switch and an optical switching system. The optical switch includes a first waveguide, a second waveguide, and a movable waveguide, the first waveguide and the second waveguide are immovable relative to a substrate and are located in a plane, and an optical coupling relationship exists between the first waveguide and the second waveguide; the movable waveguide is movable relative to the substrate, and the movable waveguide is optically coupled to an input section or an output section of the first waveguide; when the movable waveguide is located at a first location, the movable waveguide is optically decoupled from the first waveguide, and the optical switch is in a through state; and when the movable waveguide is located at a second location, the movable waveguide is optically coupled to the input section or the output section, and the optical switch is in a drop state.

Several optical micro-electromechanical systems (OptoMEMS) are provided. One of the OptoMEMS comprises an OptoMEMS chip, and a photonic chip coupled to the OptoMEMS chip; wherein the OptoMEMS chip comprises a photonic cavity and a first platform on which the photonic cavity is fabricated, and the photonic chip comprises a waveguide and a second platform on which the waveguide is fabricated; wherein the photonic cavity comprises at least one dielectric beam, each of which further comprises at least one array of air holes; wherein the photonic cavity is at least partially made of a photonic crystal, and the lattice constant of the photonic crystal is reduced or increased gradually in a central region of the photonic cavity, allowing the light of a specific frequency to be trapped in the center region.

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device comprises an optical directional coupler comprising: a first waveguide having a first and a second end, wherein a light beam is introduced into the first end; a second waveguide having a third and a fourth end, wherein the light beam is evanescently coupled between the two waveguides in the central region; a first photodetector to detect first optical power in the light beam at the second end; and a second photodetector to detect second optical power in the light beam at the fourth end; a vibrating proof mass adjacent to the coupler in a first direction from the coupler, wherein when inertial forces are applied to the MEMS device in a second direction, the proof mass moves in the first direction; a processor to determine the displacement of the proof mass from the coupler as a function of the first and the second optical power.