A photonic integrated device includes a first waveguide and a second waveguide. The first and second waveguides are mutually coupled at a junction region the includes a bulge region.

A system comprises a first optical component comprising a component body; at least a first waveguide formed in the component body, wherein the first waveguide is substantially mirror-symmetrical in shape relative to a line at or near the center of the first waveguide; and a self-alignment feature configured to assist in optically-coupling the first waveguide with a second waveguide located outside of the component body.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a method for forming an integrated chip the method includes forming a waveguide on a first surface of a substrate. A conductive structure is formed at least partially overlying the waveguide. A light pipe structure is formed over the waveguide. A lower surface of the light pipe structure is disposed between a top surface and a bottom surface of the conductive structure. A lower portion of the light pipe structure contacts the conductive structure.

The present invention provides a method for fabricating KTP nonlinear racetrack micro-ring resonator, composed of six steps: KTP wafer processing, ion implantation, electron beam exposure, subsequent processing, reactive ion etching and final processing. A thin-film waveguide structure similar to the on-insulator lithium niobate thin-film can be achieved through only one process of ion implantation, which enables significantly simplified procedure, shortened time, and reduced cost. Meanwhile, the KTP micro-ring resonator produced according to the present invention has an optical damage threshold several times higher than the existing lithium niobate micro-ring resonator. It can output nonlinear frequency converted light to the power of milliwatts, and suitable for the case where both the input and output optical signals are pulsed lasers. Since Ion implantation, electron beam exposure, metal evaporation deposition, and reactive ion etching are all relatively developed micro-nano machining technologies, the present invention has wonderful operability and repeatability.

Techniques for enhancing the absorption of photons in semiconductors with the use of microstructures are described. The microstructures, such as pillars and/or holes, effectively increase the effective absorption length resulting in a greater absorption of the photons. Using microstructures for absorption enhancement for silicon photodiodes and silicon avalanche photodiodes can result in bandwidths in excess of 10 Gb/s at photons with wavelengths of 850 nm, and with quantum efficiencies of approximately 90% or more.

An apparatus such as an optical modulator includes a buried oxide layer is disposed on a substrate. A microring resonator and an optical waveguide are disposed on the buried oxide layer and within a bonded semiconductor layer. The optical waveguide is optically coupled to the microring resonator and inputs a first optical wave into the microring resonator. An oxide layer is deposited on top of the optical waveguide and the microring resonator. A set of electrodes is disposed adjacent to the microring resonator, and in response to an electrical signal, the set of electrodes modulates the first optical wave into a modulated optical wave of transverse magnetic polarization within the microring resonator and outputs the modulated optical wave to the optical waveguide.

A method for forming at least one freestanding microstructure on a diamond crystal includes the step of removing material from the diamond crystal so as to form a structured surface, wherein the removing of the material includes creating at least two trenches, each trench having a bottom and two side walls and wherein adjacent side walls of the at least two trenches form side walls of the structured surface. The method also includes the steps of depositing at least one masking layer on the structured surface, removing at least a portion of the at least one masking layer from the bottom of each of the at least two trenches, removing additional material from the diamond crystal at least along the side walls so as to deepen the trenches, and undercutting the diamond crystal so as to form the freestanding microstructure.

The present invention provides an optical coupler comprising: a first optical prong; a second optical prong; an optical waveguide with which the first optical prong and the second optical prong merge; wherein: a distance from an axially outer tip edge of the first optical prong to an axially outer tip edge of the first optical prong is greater than a planar width of the optical waveguide; and the first optical prong and the second optical prong are each tapered from the optical waveguide.

A grating coupler integrated in a photonically-enabled circuit and a method for fabricating the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the grating coupler includes a substrate comprising a silicon wafer, a first grating region etched into the substrate, wherein the first grating region comprises a first plurality of gratings having a first predetermined height, and a second grating region etched into the substrate, wherein the second grating region comprises a second plurality of gratings having a second predetermined height and wherein the first and second predetermined heights are not identical.

A mirror and method of fabricating the mirror, the method comprising: providing a silicon-on-insulator substrate, the substrate comprising: a silicon support layer; a buried oxide (BOX) layer on top of the silicon support layer; and a silicon device layer on top of the BOX layer; creating a via in the silicon device layer, the via extending to the BOX layer; etching away a portion of the BOX layer starting at the via and extending laterally away from the via in a first direction to create a channel between the silicon device layer and silicon support layer; applying an anisotropic etch via the channel to regions of the silicon device layer and silicon support layer adjacent to the channel; the anisotropic etch following an orientation plane of the silicon device layer and silicon support layer to create a cavity underneath an overhanging portion of the silicon device layer; the overhanging portion defining a planar underside surface for vertically coupling light into and out of the silicon device layer; and applying a metal coating to the underside surface.