Disclosed herein are embodiments of an ultraviolet (UV) illumination system. The UV illumination system includes at least one UV light emitting diode (LED) and a light-diffusing optical fiber bundle. The light-diffusing optical fiber bundle includes a bundle jacket and a plurality of optical fibers disposed within the bundle jacket. Each optical fiber is made up of a glass core having a glass composition with less than 90 mol % silica and a cladding surrounding the glass core. At least one of the glass core or the cladding includes scattering centers. Further, the light-diffusing optical fiber bundle is optically coupled to the UV LED. Also disclosed herein are a UV light-diffusing fiber and a method of sterilizing an object using a UV illumination system contain a UV light-diffusing fiber.

A novel optical assembly apparatus for coupling optical energy and a related method for creating the novel optical assembly apparatus are disclosed. In one embodiment, the novel optical assembly apparatus includes a high-index contrast waveguide constructed on a semiconductor die or another base substrate with an aligned optical coupling section, a grating coupler etched onto a surface, a micro mirror with an acute angle relative to the surface, and a waveguide taper that narrows an optical beam width. A light ray entered into the optical coupling section is redirected by the micro mirror to form a perpendicular ray entry angle with the grating coupler. The grating coupler then efficiently couples the light ray with the waveguide taper, which in turn narrows the optical beam width. The light ray may originate from a semiconductor die or from an optical fiber, which is purposefully aligned with the high-index contrast waveguide.

A fiber optical superconducting nanowire detector with increased detector efficiency, fabricated directly on the tip of the input optical fiber. The fabrication on the tip of the fiber allows precise alignment of the detector to the fiber core, where the field mode is maximal. This construction maximizes the coupling efficiency to close to unity, without the need for complex alignment procedures, such as the need to align the input fiber with a previously fabricated device. The device includes a high-Q optical cavity, such that any photon entering the device will be reflected to and fro within the cavity numerous times, thereby increasing its chances of absorption by the nanowire structure. This is achieved by using dedicated cavity mirrors with very high reflectivity, with the meander nanowire structure contained within the cavity between the end mirrors, such that photons impinge on the nanowire structure with every traverse of the cavity.

Disclosed are an optical signal outputting device and method, and a storage medium. The device includes a pump laser, first fiber grating and target fiber grating connected seriatim, the pump laser being configured to emit a first optical signal to the first fiber grating upon receiving a target waveband optical signal transmission instruction, and convert a second waveband optical signal into a target waveband optical signal by resonance upon receiving an optical signal adjusting instruction, then output the same; the first fiber grating being configured to filter the first optical signal to obtain a first waveband optical signal and send it to the target fiber grating; and the target fiber grating being configured to filter the first waveband optical signal to obtain a second waveband optical signal and the target waveband optical signal to use one of them to deliver the optical signal adjusting instruction to the pump laser.

A detection system for light communications comprises a total internal reflection (TIR) waveguide and a light sensor adjacent to the TIR waveguide. The TIR waveguide comprises a TIR structure, a diffusive element, and a waveguide entrance. The TIR structure is configured to internally propagate light associated with optical signaling along the TIR waveguide. The diffusive element is disposed at an internal edge of the TIR structure opposite the light sensor. The diffusive element is configured to disrupt the propagation of the light such that at least some of the light is directed to the light sensor. The waveguide entrance is offset from the diffusive element along the TIR structure and configured to collect the light into the TIR structure.

An optical part includes: an optical fiber having a core portion and a cladding portion that is formed around the core portion; a light absorber placed around the optical fiber; and an adhesive member that adheres the light absorber and the optical fiber to each other. Further, the cladding portion includes: a main portion extending along a longitudinal direction and having a main portion cladding diameter; and an input end portion positioned closer to a light input side with respect to the main portion, and an input end face cladding diameter at an input end face of the input end portion is less than the main portion cladding diameter.

Devices and associated methods for measuring orientation using an optical gyroscope are disclosed. One example optical gyroscope includes a spherical component configured to allow propagation of light in one or more confined modes inside the spherical component. The spherical component includes a gain medium for enhancing a sustained confinement of light within the spherical component. The optical gyroscope also includes one or more detectors positioned outside of the spherical component to detect at least one characteristic of the light, or a change thereto, in response to a rotation of the optical gyroscope.

In some implementations, an emitter module may include an emitter array that includes multiple emitters, and an optical fiber that includes multiple cores within a single cladding. The emitter array may be optically coupled to a tip of the optical fiber such that each emitter, of the multiple emitters of the emitter array, is optically coupled to a respective core of the multiple cores of the optical fiber. The optical fiber may include an integral lens at the tip of the optical fiber. The integral lens at the tip of the optical fiber may be in alignment with the multiple cores of the optical fiber.

The present invention relates of a photonic integrated and a method of fabricating a photonic integrated chip, PIC, configured for alignment and attachment of a laser diode in a predetermined position in which light from the laser diode is aligned with an input of the PIC; wherein the photonic chip comprises an asymmetric alignment assembly for receiving and aligning the laser diode in the predetermined position; and wherein the input comprises a coupler for receiving a laser beam from the laser diode in use.

It is an object of this invention to provide an optical waveguide, an optical concentration measuring device, and a method for manufacturing an optical waveguide capable of achieving an improvement of evanescent wave exuding efficiency of propagating light and light extraction efficiency. A core layer provided in an optical waveguide has a first portion having a first film thickness, a second portion having a second film thickness different from the first film thickness, and a third portion connecting the first portion and the second portion. The third portion is formed so that the film thickness is gradually increased from the second portion having the smaller film thickness toward the first portion having the larger film thickness between the first portion and the second portion, and the maximum inclination angle is 10° or more and 45° or less.