An on-chip optical switch based on an echelle grating and a phase tuning element is described herein. The phase tuning element may change a refractive index of the material through which an optical signal propagates, thereby causing a change in the angle of propagation of the optical signal. By dynamically tuning the phase change element, the refractive index change may be controlled such that the deviation of the optical signal causes the optical signal to be focused on a particular coupling waveguide out of an array of coupling waveguides. The echelle grating with the active phase change element form a configurable optical switch capable of switching an optical signal between two or more coupling waveguides, that may be respectively connected to different optical signal processing pathways.

Configurations for a tunable Echelle grating are disclosed. The tunable Echelle grating may include an output waveguide centered in a waveguide array, with input waveguides on both sides of the output waveguide. A metal tuning pad may be located over the slab waveguide and may be heated to induce a temperature change in the slab waveguide. By increasing the temperature of the propagation region of the slab waveguide, the index of refraction may shift, thus causing the peak wavelength of the channel to shift. This may result in an optical component capable of multiplexing multiple light sources in an energy efficient manner while maintaining a small form factor.

Methods and systems concerning demultiplexing and multiplexing light in optical multiplexing systems are disclosed herein. An optical multiplexing system may include a number of light emitters and a number of associated waveguides. Light emitted from each of the number of light emitters may travel through the associated waveguide and may enter a multiplexer, where a multiplexing operation may occur. At least one of the number of light emitters may be configured to emit light with multiple wavelengths. Such a light emitter may further be associated with a demultiplexer to demultiplex the light with multiple wavelengths before the light reaches a multiplexer. After a demultiplexing operation, the demultiplexed light may be directed to multiple waveguides and the multiple waveguides may guide the demultiplexed light to a multiplexer.

An optical device. In some embodiments, the optical device includes a first interface; a second interface; a first plurality of waveguides, at the first interface; a second plurality of waveguides, at the second interface; and a free propagation region. A first waveguide of the first plurality of waveguides has a width at least 20% greater than a second waveguide of the first plurality of waveguides.

Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) has enabled telecommunication service providers to fully exploit the transmission capacity of optical fibers. State of the art systems in long-haul networks now have aggregated capacities of terabits per second. Moreover, by providing multiple independent multi-gigabit channels, WDM technologies offer service providers with a straight forward way to build networks and expand networks to support multiple clients with different requirements. In order to reduce costs, enhance network flexibility, reduce spares, and provide re-configurability many service providers have migrated away from fixed wavelength transmitters, receivers, and transceivers, to wavelength tunable transmitters, receivers, and transceivers as well as wavelength dependent add-drop multiplexer, space switches etc. However, to meet the competing demands for improved performance, increased integration, reduced footprint, reduced power consumption, increased flexibility, re-configurability, and lower cost it is desirable to exploit/adopt monolithic optical circuit technologies, hybrid optoelectronic integration, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) has enabled telecommunication service providers to fully exploit the transmission capacity of optical fibers. State of the art systems in long-haul networks now have aggregated capacities of terabits per second. Moreover, by providing multiple independent multi-gigabit channels, WDM technologies offer service providers with a straight forward way to build networks and expand networks to support multiple clients with different requirements. In order to reduce costs, enhance network flexibility, reduce spares, and provide re-configurability many service providers have migrated away from fixed wavelength transmitters, receivers, and transceivers, to wavelength tunable transmitters, receivers, and transceivers as well as wavelength dependent add-drop multiplexer, space switches etc. However, to meet the competing demands for improved performance, increased integration, reduced footprint, reduced power consumption, increased flexibility, re-configurability, and lower cost it is desirable to exploit/adopt monolithic optical circuit technologies, hybrid optoelectronic integration, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

Provided are a diffraction grating device, a method of manufacturing the diffraction grating device, and an optical apparatus including the diffraction grating device. The diffraction grating device includes a diffraction grating arranged on a light reflection substrate. The diffraction grating includes a plurality of diffraction elements, each diffraction element from among the plurality of diffraction elements having a height that causes a destructive interference between first light rays reflected by a top surface therefore and second light rays reflected by a bottom surface thereof, the first and second light rays being incident on the top and bottom surfaces, respectively, at an incidence angle greater than 45.

Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) has enabled telecommunication service providers to fully exploit the transmission capacity of optical fibers. State of the art systems in long-haul networks now have aggregated capacities of terabits per second. Moreover, by providing multiple independent multi-gigabit channels, WDM technologies offer service providers with a straight forward way to build networks and expand networks to support multiple clients with different requirements. In order to reduce costs, enhance network flexibility, reduce spares, and provide re-configurability many service providers have migrated away from fixed wavelength transmitters, receivers, and transceivers, to wavelength tunable transmitters, receivers, and transceivers as well as wavelength dependent add-drop multiplexer, space switches etc. However, to meet the competing demands for improved performance, increased integration, reduced footprint, reduced power consumption, increased flexibility, re-configurability, and lower cost it is desirable to exploit/adopt monolithic optical circuit technologies, hybrid optoelectronic integration, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

Methods and systems concerning demultiplexing and multiplexing light in optical multiplexing systems are disclosed herein. An optical multiplexing system may include a number of light emitters and a number of associated waveguides. Light emitted from each of the number of light emitters may travel through the associated waveguide and may enter a multiplexer, where a multiplexing operation may occur. At least one of the number of light emitters may be configured to emit light with multiple wavelengths. Such a light emitter may further be associated with a demultiplexer to demultiplex the light with multiple wavelengths before the light reaches a multiplexer. After a demultiplexing operation, the demultiplexed light may be directed to multiple waveguides and the multiple waveguides may guide the demultiplexed light to a multiplexer.

An optical assembly includes a first grating device configured to: receive a light beam that includes an optical signal with a particular wavelength from a fiber; and change a propagation direction of the optical signal according to the particular wavelength of the optical signal. The optical assembly also includes a second grating device configured to: receive the optical signal outputted from the first grating device; change the propagation direction of the optical signal according to the particular wavelength of the optical signal; and direct the optical signal onto a grating coupler. The first grating device and the second grating device are configured to satisfy a plurality of configuration constraints.