The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to non-planar waveguide structures and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a first waveguide structure; and a non-planar waveguide structure spatially shifted from the first waveguide structure and separated from the first waveguide structure by an insulator material.

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.

Configurations for an optical device used for light splitting and wavelength locking are disclosed. The optical device may be a two by three coupler with a first waveguide coupled to a second waveguide, and a third waveguide coupled to the second waveguide. The first and third waveguides may receive input light and optically couple light to the second waveguide. The output signals of the first, second, and third waveguides may have a constant phase difference from one another over a broadband wavelength range, which may allow for phase unwrapping. By phase unwrapping the output signals over an FSR and performing further phase unwrapping over the broadband wavelength range, a continuous signal may be produced and used to sequentially lock each wavelength of light emitted by light sources over the broadband wavelength range.

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.

An optical interferometer device is provided including a waveguide interferometer. The waveguide interferometer includes first and second waveguide arms in a waveguide plane, each waveguide arm including a n-type region and a p-type region forming a junction. The n-type region and the p-type region of the second waveguide arm are translationally symmetric with respect to the n-type region and the p-type region, respectively, of the first waveguide arm in the waveguide plane.

An optical bandpass filter includes an optical splitter having at least four ports, one of the ports being designated as an input port and one of the ports being designated as an output port. First and second reflectors couple with respective third and fourth ones of the ports. The splitter directs portions of the input light from the input port, into the third and fourth ports, such that the portions of the input light propagate toward the respective first and second reflectors. The first and second reflectors reflect light having wavelengths within a predetermined wavelength range, back toward the splitter, as wavelength-selected light, and transmit light having wavelengths that are outside of the predetermined wavelength range, away from the splitter. The splitter directs at least a portion of the wavelength-selected light that propagates back toward the splitter, into the output port, as output light.

An optical assembly for optical signal processing: including a first input for coupling in a first light signal; a second input for coupling in a second light signal; a first beam splitter for splitting the first light signal into a first part and a second part; a second beam splitter for splitting the second light signal into a first part and a second part; a superposing unit; a detector; an electronic signal processing unit; at least one actuating unit; and a delay line for generating a delay of the running time of the first part of the first light signal and of the first part of the second light signal up to the superposing unit. The delay line is configured such that the first part of the first light signal and the first part of the second light signal pass through the delay line in opposite directions.

A photonic integrated circuit including a semiconductor substrate having integrate a semiconductor light source configured to emit coherent light of at least the first wavelength and the second wavelength, the semiconductor light source having a first factor; a waveguide structure optically coupled to the semiconductor light source, the waveguide structure having a second Q factor that is higher than the first Q factor, the waveguide structure configured to form an optical cavity for at least the light of the first wavelength and the second wavelength; an optical output structure configured to optically couple the waveguide structure with a plurality of optical channels to transmit light of the first wavelength and the second wavelength from the waveguide structure to the plurality of optical channels.

An optoelectronic circuit used with signal light comprises photonic devices disposed on a platform. The photonic devices are configured to condition the signal light and are fabricated with an optical characteristic being electronically tunable. A fabricated performance of the optical characteristic can be varied from a target performance due to a difference (e.g., alteration, change, error, or discrepancy) in the process used to fabricate the device. A ground bus, a power bus, and banks of electronic components are disposed on the platform in electrical communication with the photonic devices. The electronic components in a given bank are selectively configurable to tune the optical characteristic of the associated device so a variance can be diminished between the fabrication and target performances of the device's optical characteristic due to the difference in the fabrication process.

A method includes etching a silicon layer to form a silicon slab and an upper silicon region over the silicon slab, and implanting the silicon slab and the upper silicon region to form a p-type region, an n-type region, and an intrinsic region between the p-type region and the n-type region. The method further includes etching the p-type region, the n-type region, and the intrinsic region to form a trench. The remaining portions of the upper silicon region form a Multi-Mode Interferometer (MMI) region. An epitaxy process is performed to grow a germanium region in the trench. Electrical connections are made to connect to the p-type region and the n-type region.