An optical switch device includes a first semiconductor structure configured to operate as a first waveguide and a second semiconductor structure configured to operate as a second waveguide. The second semiconductor structure is located above or below the first semiconductor structure and separated from the first semiconductor structure. The second semiconductor structure includes a first portion having a first width and a second portion having a width different from the first width and located on the first portion. The first portion is located between a first doped region and a second doped region.

Improvements in extinguishing optical signals in silicon photonics may be achieved by supplying a test signal of a known characteristics to a Photonic Element (PE) to extinguish the test signal via a first phase shifter and intensity modulator on a first arm of the PE and a second phase shifter and intensity modulator on a second arm of the PE; sweeping through a plurality of voltages at the first intensity modulator to identify a first voltage that is associated with an extinction ratio at an output of the PE that satisfies an induced loss threshold and a second voltage that is associated with an induced loss in the test signal at the output of the PE that satisfies an extinction ratio threshold; and setting the PE to provide an operational voltage to the first intensity modulator based on the first voltage and the second voltage.

Improvements in extinguishing optical signals in silicon photonics may be achieved by supplying a test signal of a known characteristics to a Photonic Element (PE) to extinguish the test signal via a first phase shifter and intensity modulator on a first arm of the PE and a second phase shifter and intensity modulator on a second arm of the PE; sweeping through a plurality of voltages at the first intensity modulator to identify a first voltage that is associated with an extinction ratio at an output of the PE that satisfies an induced loss threshold and a second voltage that is associated with an induced loss in the test signal at the output of the PE that satisfies an extinction ratio threshold; and setting the PE to provide an operational voltage to the first intensity modulator based on the first voltage and the second voltage.

An optical apparatus includes a light source, an optical waveguide element, a light detector, and an optical system. The light source emits a light beam. The optical waveguide element includes first and second gratings. The first grating causes part of the light beam to propagate in the optical waveguide element as a guided light beam. The second grating causes part of the guided light beam to exit from the optical waveguide element. The optical system causes the light beam to enter the first grating and causes a reflected light beam from an object to enter the second grating. Part of the reflected light beam entering the second grating propagates in the optical waveguide element and exits from the first grating as an optical feedback beam. The optical system causes part of the optical feedback beam to enter the light detector as separated light beams separated depending on wavelength.

Improvements in extinguishing optical signals in silicon photonics may be achieved by supplying a test signal of a known characteristics to a Photonic Element (PE) to extinguish the test signal via a first phase shifter and intensity modulator on a first arm of the PE and a second phase shifter and intensity modulator on a second arm of the PE; sweeping through a plurality of voltages at the first intensity modulator to identify a first voltage that is associated with an extinction ratio at an output of the PE that satisfies an induced loss threshold and a second voltage that is associated with an induced loss in the test signal at the output of the PE that satisfies an extinction ratio threshold; and setting the PE to provide an operational voltage to the first intensity modulator based on the first voltage and the second voltage.

The present application discloses an optical switch, including a first optical waveguide, a second optical waveguide, and a first heater, where a place at which a distance between the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide is the smallest is a junction; the first heater is adjacent to the third optical sub-waveguide; and there is a first dielectric material between the first heater and the third optical sub-waveguide, and there is a second dielectric material between the third optical sub-waveguide and the fourth optical sub-waveguide, where a thermal conductivity of the first dielectric material is greater than a thermal conductivity of the second dielectric material. The optical switch has advantages such as high heating efficiency, a small quantity of heaters, and simple control.

Monitoring output power levels of a carrier-effect based switching cell allows phase errors resulting from driving a PIN or PN junction of the switching cell to be dynamically compensated for. The compensation may also allow for compensating of phase errors resulting from the phase imbalance of input couplers as well as phase errors from the waveguide due to fabrication variations. By dynamically compensating for phase errors caused by the driving of the PIN or PN junction, the extinction ratio of the carrier-effect based switching cell can be increased.

A photonic processing module (100) comprises a high index-contrast waveguide device comprising a substrate (102), a first layer (104) disposed on the substrate having a first refractive index, and a relatively thin second layer (106) disposed on the first layer. The second layer has a second refractive index providing a high index-contrast with the first layer, and the device includes at least one thin-ridge waveguide element (108) formed in the second layer which supports a guided mode in a longitudinal direction. An optical input port (110) is configured to direct an input beam into a slab mode of the second layer, the beam being directed to propagate at a predetermined angle to the longitudinal direction of the thin-ridge waveguide element. The angle is associated with a resonant coupling between the slab mode of the second layer and the guided mode of the thin-ridge waveguide element. An output beam is thus generated when the input beam includes one or more optical components corresponding with the resonant coupling. An optical output port (112) is configured to receive the output beam.

In an optical circuit using a Mach-Zehnder-type element, it is difficult to obtain an optical circuit which has a less wavelength dependence and is suitable for achieving high integration. Accordingly, an optical circuit according to the present invention includes: a first Mach-Zehnder-type element including a first branch waveguide, a first branching/combining unit connected to one end of the first branch waveguide, and a second branching/combining unit connected to another end of the first branch waveguide and having a branch configuration different from that of the first branching/combining unit; and a second Mach-Zehnder-type element including a second branch waveguide, a third branching/combining unit connected to one end of the second branch waveguide, and a fourth branching/combining unit connected to another end of the second branch waveguide and having a branch configuration different from that of the third branching/combining unit. The first branch waveguide and the second branch waveguide each include a phase difference adjustment means. In the second branching/combining unit and the third branching/combining unit, light coupling between two basic modes with a phase inverted and a higher-order mode, is smaller than that in the first branching/combining unit and the fourth branching/combining unit. The first Mach-Zehnder-type element and the second Mach-Zehnder-type element are connected with each other through the second branching/combining unit and the third branching/combining unit.

The present application discloses an optical switch, including a first optical waveguide, a second optical waveguide, and a first heater, where a place at which a distance between the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide is the smallest is a junction; the first heater is adjacent to the third optical sub-waveguide; and there is a first dielectric material between the first heater and the third optical sub-waveguide, and there is a second dielectric material between the third optical sub-waveguide and the fourth optical sub-waveguide, where a thermal conductivity of the first dielectric material is greater than a thermal conductivity of the second dielectric material. The optical switch has advantages such as high heating efficiency, a small quantity of heaters, and simple control.