Integrated optical devices include various configurations of active optical switches and other passive components such as splitters that are useful for controlling signals in optical data transmission networks. An optical switch may be used to switch light between waveguides on different substrates. The active optical switch may include one or more microfluidic droplets that are controllably movable relative to the coupling region to change the amount of light couplable between the first and second switch waveguides. Different configurations of the droplets can be controlled for operating the switch in different switching states. An optical switch can be included in an end use transceiver device for remotely controlling an optical time domain measurement. A microfluidic switch can be used to control wavelength-selective reflection in a waveguide reflector.

A system for selectively adiabatically coupling electromagnetic waves from one waveguide to another waveguide is described. It comprises a first waveguide portion and a second waveguide portion having substantially different surface normal cross-sections. Portions thereof are positioned with respect to each other in a coupling region so that under first predetermined environmental conditions coupling of electromagnetic waves between the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion can occur and under second predetermined environmental conditions substantially no coupling of electromagnetic waves between the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion can occur. The system also comprises a fluid positioning means for selectively positioning at least a first fluid simultaneously overlaying both said first waveguide portion and said second waveguide portion in the coupling region thus selectively inducing first predetermined environmental conditions or second predetermined environmental conditions.

A radiation emitting element comprising a radiation transmissive element having a first refractive index, a first surface, a second, opposite surface, a radiation emitter adapted to emit radiation of a predetermined wavelength into the radiation transmissive element, and a plurality of radiation controlling elements, wherein each radiation controlling element comprises: a first liquid having a second refractive index, a second fluid having a third refractive index being lower than the second refractive index, the second refractive index being closer to the first refractive index than the third refractive index, means for altering a shape of the first liquid between two modes wherein: in a first mode, the first liquid being in contact with the first surface at a first surface part, and an interface between the first liquid and the second fluid, at the first surface part, is not parallel to the first surface part and in a second mode, a surface of the second fluid, at the first surface part, is at least substantially parallel to the shape of the first surface part, wherein the first liquid has a transmittance of at least 10% at the predetermined wavelength.

The system captures and concentrates sunlight for transmission to interior spaces or to a PV system. A solar collector uses arrayed refractive lenses and opposing concave focusing mirrors and a movable coupling sheet forming part of a lightguide. The transparent sheet contains small angled mirrors, where each angled mirror corresponds to a particular set of the lenses/focusing mirrors and is in the focal plane. The lightguide also includes a fluid surrounding the transparent sheet, and lower index cladding layers sandwich the fluid. The sheet is translated within the fluid by an actuator to position the angled mirrors at the focal points of the sunlight for maximum deflection of the sunlight to an edge of the lightguide for extraction to a light transmission system or to a PV system. A position sensor on the sheet provides feedback regarding the position of the angled mirrors relative to the focal points.

A system for selectively adiabatically coupling electromagnetic waves from one waveguide to another waveguide is described. It comprises a first waveguide portion and a second waveguide portion having substantially different surface normal cross-sections. Portions thereof are positioned with respect to each other in a coupling region so that under first predetermined environmental conditions coupling of electromagnetic waves between the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion can occur and under second predetermined environmental conditions substantially no coupling of electromagnetic waves between the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion can occur. The system also comprises a fluid positioning means for selectively positioning at least a first fluid simultaneously overlaying both said first waveguide portion and said second waveguide portion in the coupling region thus selectively inducing first predetermined environmental conditions or second predetermined environmental conditions.

A computing device may include a substrate. A computing device may include a processing unit supported by the substrate. A computing device may include an optical transmitter supported by the substrate and in electrical communication with the processing unit.

An encapsulation structure is provided. The encapsulation structure includes a flexible substrate that has an element area and a non-element area. The encapsulation structure also includes multiple electronic elements disposed in the element area. The encapsulation structure further includes multiple light-guiding structures disposed on the electronic elements. The light-guiding structure includes a convex structure and/or a concave structure. The convex structure, in a cross-section, has at least one curved surface, at least two inclined surfaces, or a combination of at least one curved surface and one inclined surface. The concave structure, in a cross-section, has at least one curved surface or at least two inclined surfaces.

Embodiments described herein relate to waveguide combiners having arrangements for image uniformity. The waveguide combiners includes an input coupling grating (ICG) defined by a plurality of input structures, a pupil expansion grating (PEG) defined by a plurality of expansion structures, an output coupling grating (OCG) defined by a plurality of output structures The waveguide combiners includes at least one of a pixelated phase modulator is aligned with the PEG of the first side of the waveguide combiners, at least one of a Y expander and an X expander disposed on a second side of the waveguide combiners opposing the first side, or a pupil shifting mechanism operable to shift incident beams of light between a first position and a second position of the ICG.

An optical device for polarization dependent loss compensation and a polarization controlling wavelength selective switch (PC-WSS). The device includes a polarization independent liquid crystal on silicon (PI-LCoS) structure, a first liquid crystal structure disposed on the PI-LCOS structure; and a second liquid crystal structure disposed on the first liquid crystal layer, the two liquid crystal structures having a common ground electrode. The PI-LCOS structure includes a metamaterial quarter-wave plate (QWP) disposed over a silicon substrate. The PC-WSS includes an optical assembly arranged to receive light from a fiber array unit; a polarization-insensitive grating structure optically aligned with the optical assembly; and the optical device for polarization dependent loss compensation optically aligned with the polarization-insensitive grating structure.