A device includes a photonic integrated circuit having an optical phased array. The optical phased array includes multiple array elements, where each array element includes (i) an antenna element configured to transmit or receive optical signals and (ii) a phase modulator configured to phase-shift the optical signals transmitted or received by the antenna element. The device also includes multiple digital register in integrated circuit (DRIIC) cells, where each DRIIC cell is associated with one of the array elements. The DRIIC cells are configured to receive digital inputs and to provide outputs to the phase modulators of the associated array elements in order to control the phase-shifts of the optical signals transmitted or received by the antenna elements based on the digital inputs.

A method and apparatus for scanning a scene.

An optical circuit includes one or more input waveguides, a plurality of output waveguides, and a reflector structure. At least a portion of the reflector structure forms an interface with the one or more input waveguides. The portion of the reflector structure has a smaller refractive index than the one or more input waveguides. An electrical circuit is electrically coupled to the optical circuit. The electrical circuit generates and sends different electrical signals to the reflector structure. In response to the reflector structure receiving the different electrical signals, a carrier concentration level at or near the interface or a temperature at or near the interface changes, such that incident radiation received from the one or more input waveguides is tunably reflected by the reflector structure into a targeted output waveguide of the plurality of output waveguides.

Configurations for a tunable Echelle grating are disclosed. The tunable Echelle grating may include an output waveguide centered in a waveguide array, with input waveguides on both sides of the output waveguide. A metal tuning pad may be located over the slab waveguide and may be heated to induce a temperature change in the slab waveguide. By increasing the temperature of the propagation region of the slab waveguide, the index of refraction may shift, thus causing the peak wavelength of the channel to shift. This may result in an optical component capable of multiplexing multiple light sources in an energy efficient manner while maintaining a small form factor.

Configurations for an optical system with phase shifting elements are disclosed. The optical system may include a first waveguide that provides light to a second waveguide, which may be a slab waveguide. A phase shifting element may be disposed on the slab waveguide and may be heated to induce a temperature change in the slab waveguide. By increasing the temperature of the propagation region of the slab waveguide, the index of refraction of the propagation region of the slab waveguide may shift, thus causing the index of refraction of light propagating through the propagation region to shift, thus shifting the phase of the light. This may result in an optical component capable of phase shifting light for reducing coherent noise while being energy efficient and maintaining a small form factor.

Photonic integrated circuits utilizing interferometric effects, such as wavelength multiplexers/demultiplexers, include a free-space coupling region having two core layers that have thermo-optic coefficients of opposite sign. The two core layers are configured to provide athermal or nearly-athermal operation. Described examples include integrated array waveguide grating devices and integrated echelle grating devices. Example material systems include LNOI and SOI.

An apparatus for scanning a scene comprising a light transmitter including a one-dimensional phased array; wherein the light transmitter is fed by a frequency swept scanning laser; and a light receiver including a one-dimensional phased array; the one-dimensional phased array of the light receiver disposed orthogonally to the one-dimensional phased array of the transmitter; wherein light received by the light receiver is enabled to be interfered with light from the frequency swept scanning laser.

The present disclosure provides a calibration system for wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM), a WDM system, and a calibrating method for WDM. The calibration system includes heating devices, an optical sensor, and an electrical device. When the optical sensor receives no beam with energy exceeding a threshold value from a first channel, the optical sensor transmits a first signal to the electrical device. In response to the first signal, the electrical device is configured to control the one or more of the heating devices to heat one or more of channels. When the optical sensor receives a beam having energy exceeding the threshold value from the first channel, the optical sensor transmits a second signal to the electrical device. In response to the second signal, the electrical device is configured to control the one or more of the heating devices to maintain the temperature of the one or more of the channels.

A structure for, and method of, forming a first optoelectronic circuitry that generates an optical signal, a second optoelectronic circuitry that receives an optical signal, and a loopback waveguide that connects the output from the first optoelectronic circuitry to the second optoelectronic circuitry on an interposer substrate are described. The connected circuits, together comprising a photonic integrated circuit, are electrically tested using electrical signals that are provided via probing contact pads on the PIC die. Electrical activation of the optoelectrical sending devices and the subsequent detection and measurement of the optical signals in the receiving devices, in embodiments, provides information on the operability or functionality of the PIC on the die at the wafer level, prior to die separation or singulation, using the electrical and optical components of the PIC circuit.

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) having a substrate in which vertically coupled photodetectors and in-line optical modulators are integrated to enable vertical coupling of light using a fiber assembly block (FAB), with the planar end surface thereof being attached to a substantially planar main surface of the substrate. In an example embodiment, the photodetectors are buried in deep vias formed in the substrate, and the in-line optical modulators are waveguide-connected to the corresponding vertical-coupling optical gratings. The photodetectors and optical gratings may be arranged in a linear array along the main surface of the substrate to enable uncomplicated optical alignment of end segments of the optical fibers in the FAB with the corresponding photodetectors and optical gratings for vertical coupling of light therebetween. In some embodiments, the FAB may have more than one hundred optical fibers. In some embodiments, the PIC can be implemented using the silicon photonics material platform.