An optical device is provided that includes an active waveguide having a top electrode and a plurality of layers including a gain layer. Configurations are disclosed for the active waveguide to enable amplification of a guided optical wave profile while preserving a shape of a lateral optical intensity profile of the guided optical wave as the guided optical wave is amplified along the waveguide. The top electrode and/or one or more layers of the active optical waveguide may be tailored to provide a tailored optical gain.

A transmitting unit of a LIDAR device includes at least two radiation sources for generating and emitting punctiform or linear electromagnetic beams into a scanning range, at least one of the radiation sources including an operating temperature settable as a function of an emission angle of the electromagnetic beams generated by the at least one radiation source. The different operating temperatures can generate beams having angle-dependent emission wavelengths, which can result in an improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio of a LIDAR device.

A light source device includes: a laser diode including an emission end surface for emitting laser light and a rear end surface opposite to the emission end surface; a reflecting member that reflects a portion of the laser light emitted from the emission end surface of the laser diode; a photodetector configured to detect light that is reflected at the reflecting member; and a light-shielding member disposed between the rear end surface of the laser diode and the photodetector, the light-shielding member configured to shield at least a portion of light emitted from the rear end surface of the laser diode.

Laser Side Mode Suppression Ratio (SMSR) control is provided via a logic controller configured to measure an SMSR of a carrier wave upstream of a modulator and measure an Average Optical Power (AOP) of the carrier wave downstream of the modulator; transmit a bias voltage based on the SMSR and the AOP to a laser driver for a laser generating the carrier wave; and transmit an attenuation level based on the SMSR and the AOP to a Variable Optical Attenuator (VOA) upstream of the modulator. In various embodiments the attenuation level and bias voltage can rise or fall together, or one may rise and one may fall to ensure the output optical signal meets specified SMSR and AOP values.

Laser Side Mode Suppression Ratio (SMSR) control is provided via a logic controller configured to measure an SMSR of a carrier wave upstream of a modulator and measure an Average Optical Power (AOP) of the carrier wave downstream of the modulator; transmit a bias voltage based on the SMSR and the AOP to a laser driver for a laser generating the carrier wave; and transmit an attenuation level based on the SMSR and the AOP to a Variable Optical Attenuator (VOA) upstream of the modulator. In various embodiments the attenuation level and bias voltage can rise or fall together, or one may rise and one may fall to ensure the output optical signal meets specified SMSR and AOP values.

A light detecting element is realized in which a length thereof is reduced in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which light detecting regions are disposed side by side. A light detecting element includes a light detecting surface provided with a plurality of light detecting regions disposed side by side in a first direction and a plurality of wiring regions electrically connected to the plurality of light detecting regions. Of the plurality of wiring regions, a plurality of the wiring regions connected to a plurality of the light detecting regions are provided in an end region that is a region excluding a central region at the light detecting surface.

A light detecting element is realized in which a length thereof is reduced in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which light detecting regions are disposed side by side. A light detecting element includes a light detecting surface provided with a plurality of light detecting regions disposed side by side in a first direction and a plurality of wiring regions electrically connected to the plurality of light detecting regions. Of the plurality of wiring regions, a plurality of the wiring regions connected to a plurality of the light detecting regions are provided in an end region that is a region excluding a central region at the light detecting surface.

Described herein are photonic integrated circuits (PICs) comprising a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) to output a signal comprising a plurality of wavelengths, a sensor to detect data associated with a power value of each wavelength of the output signal of the SOA, a filter to filter power values of one or more of the wavelengths of the output signal of the SOA, and control circuitry to control the filter to reduce a difference between a pre-determined power value of each filtered wavelength of the output signal of the SOA and the detected power value of each filtered wavelength of the output signal of the SOA.

Described herein are photonic integrated circuits (PICs) comprising a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) to output a signal comprising a plurality of wavelengths, a sensor to detect data associated with a power value of each wavelength of the output signal of the SOA, a filter to filter power values of one or more of the wavelengths of the output signal of the SOA, and control circuitry to control the filter to reduce a difference between a pre-determined power value of each filtered wavelength of the output signal of the SOA and the detected power value of each filtered wavelength of the output signal of the SOA.

Provided are a lens, a stem, an LD chip to emit laser light with a beam center directed along a mounting surface of the stem, and a PD chip having a reflective surface formed with a dielectric multilayer film on its surface, reflecting the laser light emitted from the LD chip toward the lens, and measuring an amount of the laser light, wherein the LD chip is provided with a waveguide portion having a tip portion that is formed on a side of a front end face and has a width of 0.5 to 0.7 μm, and having a tapered portion that is connected to the tip portion and becomes narrower toward the tip portion at a gradient of 0.018 to 0.033.