A fiber Bragg grating interrogator assembly, comprising: an optical fiber including a fiber Bragg grating (FBG; 122) having a variable Bragg wavelength (.sub.B) and a dynamic range of interest (.sub.dyn,B) over which the Bragg wavelength (.sub.B) can shift during use; a light source operably connected to the optical fiber, and configured to illuminate the fiber Bragg grating to solicit a response therefrom; and an response analyzer, including: a spectrally selective device having an input port and a plurality of output ports (149-n), wherein the input port is operably connected to the optical fiber and wherein each of the output ports is associated with a respective spectral range (.sub.n), said spectrally selective device being configured to provide a spectral energy distribution of a response of the fiber Bragg grating received on the input port onto said output ports.

The wavelength response of an arrayed waveguide grating can be tuned, in accordance with various embodiments, using a beam sweeper including one or more heaters to shift a lateral position of light focused by the beam sweeper at an interface of the beam sweeper with an input free propagation region of the arrayed waveguide grating.

Core configuration transformers and methods of making same. A core configuration transformer includes a transforming optical fiber having plurality of routing cores embedded therein. The transforming optical fiber includes a first end face and a second end face. The plurality of routing cores is configured to define a first end face core pattern at the first end face of the transforming optical fiber, and a second end face core pattern at the second end face of the transforming optical fiber that has one or both of a different arrangement of cores or a different polarity of cores.

Embodiments herein describe using an actuator to tune a waveguide. In one embodiment, the tunable waveguide includes a gap between the waveguide and cladding. The actuator can compress the cladding to shrink this air, bringing the cladding closer to the waveguide. Doing so changes the effective refractive index of the waveguide. Alternatively or additionally, the actuator can increase the gap.

Embodiments of the invention describe systems, apparatuses and methods for providing athermicity and a tunable spectral response for optical filters. Finite impulse response (FIR) filters are commonly implemented in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) to make devices such as wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) devices, asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometers (AMZIs) and array waveguide gratings (AWGs). Athermicity of an FIR filter describes maintaining a consistent frequency transmission spectrum as the ambient temperature changes. A tunable spectral response for an FIR filter describes changing the spectrum of an FIR filter based on its application, as well as potentially correcting for fabrication deviations from the design. In addition, embodiments of the invention reduce energy dissipation requirements and control complexity compared to prior art solutions.

An optical phased array including a wafer, optical waveguides, a root optical waveguide, the root optical waveguide being optically connected at one end to one optical waveguide, another end of the root optical waveguide constituting an optical port, optical couplers disposed in an array and located on the wafer, the optical waveguides optically connecting the optical couplers to the optical port via respective optical paths, one optical path per optical coupler, configurable optical delay lines; each configurable optical delay line being disposed in one respective optical path from the respective optical paths; the configurable optical delay lines being configured such that the optical couplers emit a non-planar phase front near field radiation pattern from light received from a light source coupled to the optical port.

A method of fabricating an optical device comprises steps of forming a silicon-based optical component in a substrate; depositing an ILD layer on the substrate and the silicon-based optical component; forming a thermal tuning assembly comprising a first metallic material in the ILD layer and above the silicon-based optical component, wherein the thermal tuning assembly comprises a core above the silicon-based optical component, a plurality of grids spaced apart from the core, and a pair of neck portions connecting the grids to the core, wherein a width of a strip in each grid is greater than a width of the core; forming at least one conductive plug comprising the first metallic material penetrating the ILD layer and coupled to the silicon-based optical component; and forming a plurality of conductive lines comprising a second metallic material coupled to the thermal tuning assembly.

Example gratings, grating characteristic adjustment methods and devices are provided. One example grating includes a first optical waveguide region, a second optical waveguide region, and an arrayed waveguide region comprising a plurality of optical waveguides, where the first optical waveguide region is connected to the arrayed waveguide region, and the second optical waveguide region is connected to the arrayed waveguide region. The grating has at least one of the following characteristics: a refractive index of an optical waveguide in the first optical waveguide region can be changed, a refractive index of an optical waveguide in the second optical waveguide region can be changed, a refractive index of an optical waveguide in the arrayed waveguide region can be changed, or an optical waveguide in an arrayed waveguide region can be eliminated.

The wavelength response of an arrayed waveguide grating can be tuned, in accordance with various embodiments, using a beam sweeper including one or more heaters to shift a lateral position of light focused by the beam sweeper at an interface of the beam sweeper with an input free propagation region of the arrayed waveguide grating.

A beam distributor includes a beam entrance and multiple beam exits. The beam distributor includes: a rotatable cylindrical member; at least two multiple reflectors shifted from each other; a rotation mechanism that rotates the multiple reflectors; a fixing mechanism that fixes the reflectors; a reflector position sensing mechanism; a light absorber; and a control unit. The control unit controls the rotation mechanism to rotationally move a rotational position about the cylindrical member to a position where a laser beam is to be reflected on the reflector toward a selected beam exits, a position where the laser beam is to pass through between adjacent reflectors to be absorbed by the light absorber, or a position where the laser beam is to be reflected on the reflector and absorbed by the light absorber. The control unit controls the fixing mechanism so as to fix rotational movements of the reflectors.