Techniques and mechanisms for optically coupling a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip to an optical fiber via a planar optical waveguide structure. In an embodiment, a PIC chip comprises integrated circuitry, photonic waveguides, and integrated edge-oriented couplers (IECs) which are coupled to the integrated circuitry via the photonic waveguides. The PIC chip forms respective divergent lens surfaces of the IECs, which are each at a respective terminus of a corresponding one of the photonic waveguides. A planar optical waveguide structure, which is adjacent to the IECs, comprises a core which is optically coupled between the PIC chip and an array of optical fibers. In another embodiment, an edge of the PIC forms a stepped structure, wherein an upper portion of the stepped structure comprises the plurality of coplanar IECs, and a lower portion of the stepped structure extends past the plurality of coplanar IECs.

Embodiments described herein may be related to apparatuses, processes, and techniques related to a cavity created in a package substrate, where the surface of the substrate at the bottom of the cavity, or alignment features at the surface of the substrate at the bottom of the cavity are used to accurately align a lens of a FAU to a lens of a PIC. In embodiments, the surface of the substrate at the bottom of the cavity has additional standoff pedestal features to aid in height tolerance control of the FAU to properly align the FAU lens when attached. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

A method of processing by controlling one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam may include: launching the optical beam into a first length of fiber having a first refractive-index profile (RIP); coupling the optical beam from the first length of fiber into a second length of fiber having a second RIP and one or more confinement regions; modifying the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam in the first length of fiber, in the second length of fiber, or in the first and second lengths of fiber; confining the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam within the one or more confinement regions of the second length of fiber; and/or generating an output beam, having the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam, from the second length of fiber. The first RIP may differ from the second RIP.

A method and system for forming a photonic device. A photonic device may include a substrate, a cladding layer disposed on the substrate, an electrical device region formed within the cladding layer, the electrical device region having a plurality of electrical device component layers that include at least one metal layer, and a grating region formed within the cladding layer, the grating region including a grating coupler and the at least one metal layer. The at least one metal layer is deposited simultaneously in the electrical device and grating regions and is used in the grating region to reflect light emitted from the grating coupler.

Optical beam forming at the inputs/outputs of a photonic chip and to the spectral broadening of the light coupled to the chip. The photonic chip comprises an optical waveguide layer supported on a substrate. The chip includes an optical waveguide structure made of silicon and a coupling surface grating. The photonic chip has a front face on the side facing the coupling surface grating and a rear face on the side facing the substrate. A reflecting collimation structure is integrated in the rear face to modify the mode size of an incident light beam. The coupling surface grating is designed to receive light from the optical waveguide structure and to form a light beam directed to the reflecting collimation structure. The invention further relates to the method for producing such a chip.

A lithographic method for making an out-of-plane optical coupler includes forming a photoresist layer of positive photoresist material over a substrate. The positive photoresist layer undergoes a flood exposure to light through a binary mask to pattern a latent image of a mirror blank in the photoresist layer. A laser beam is scanned over the latent image of the mirror blank to apply controlled dosages of light at specified locations to form a latent image of a planar mirror surface that is oriented at a prescribed non-zero angle to a plane in which the substrate extends. The positive photoresist material is developed so that a remaining portion of the developed positive photoresist material forms an out-of-plane optical coupler having a planar mirror surface that is oriented at the prescribed angle.

A photonic assembly comprises: a photonic device comprising an output guide and an input guide cooperating with, respectively, a first output and a first input; a photonic element having a second output and a second input optically coupled to the first input and the first output; an optical isolator interposed in a first path between the first output and the second input, and imposing a first size on radiation propagating along the first path; and adjustment means interposed in a second path between the first input and the second output, the adjustment means being configured to impose on radiation propagating along the second path a second size equal to the first size.

Aspects described herein include an apparatus supporting optical alignment with one or more optical waveguides optically exposed along an edge of a photonic integrated circuit (IC). The apparatus comprises a frame body comprising an upper portion defining a reference surface, and a lateral portion defining an interface for an optical connector connected with one or more optical fibers. The lateral portion comprises one or more optical components defining an optical path through the lateral portion. The one or more optical components are arranged relative to the reference surface such that the one or more optical components align with (i) the one or more optical waveguides along at least one dimension when the reference surface contacts a top surface of an anchor IC, and with (ii) the one or more optical fibers when the optical connector is connected at the interface.

This disclosure relates to the layout of optical components included in a photonics integrated circuit (PIC) and the routing of optical traces between the optical components. The optical components can include light sources, a detector array, and a combiner. The optical components can be located in different regions of a substrate of the PIC, where the regions may include one or more types of active optical components, but also may exclude other types of active optical components. The optical traces can include a first plurality of optical traces for routing signals between light sources and a detector array, where the first plurality of optical traces can be located in an outer region of the substrate. The optical traces can also include a second plurality of optical traces for routing signals between the light sources and a combiner, where the second plurality of optical traces can be located in regions between banks of the light sources.

A photonic integrated circuit, PIC, for use in generating a random number. The PIC comprising: light source on a substrate; a light detector on the substrate configured to, in response to receipt of light from the light source, output an electrical signal for use in generating the random number; and a light guidance system on the substrate configured to direct light from the light source to the light detector.