Systems and methods are provided for measuring the mechanical properties of ocular tissue, such as the lens or corneal tissue, for diagnosis as well as treatment monitoring purposes. A laser locking feedback system is provided to achieve frequency accuracy and sensitivity that facilitates operations and diagnosis with great sensitivity and accuracy. Differential comparisons between eye tissue regions of a patient, either on the same eye or a fellow eye, can further facilitate early diagnosis and monitoring.

Narrow-optical linewidth laser generation devices and methods for generating a narrow-optical linewidth laser beam are provided. One narrow-optical linewidth laser generation devie includes a single-wavelength mirror or multiwavelength mirror (for comb lasers) formed from one or more optical ring resonators coupled with an optical splitter. The optical splitter may in turn be coupled with a quantum dot optical amplifier (QDOA), itself coupled with a phase-tuner. The phase tuner may be further coupled with a broadband mirror. The narrow-optical linewidth laser beam is generated by using a long laser cavity and additionally by using an integrated optical feedback.

A semiconductor laser is provided with: an active layer that excites a transverse electric (TE) mode and a transverse magnetic (TM) mode of light and constitutes at least a part of a resonator guiding the TE mode and the TM mode of light; and a diffraction grating as a frequency difference setting structure that sets the difference in oscillation frequency between the TE mode and the TM mode of light higher than a relaxation-oscillation frequency.

A semiconductor laser is provided with: an active layer that excites a transverse electric (TE) mode and a transverse magnetic (TM) mode of light and constitutes at least a part of a resonator guiding the TE mode and the TM mode of light; and a diffraction grating as a frequency difference setting structure that sets the difference in oscillation frequency between the TE mode and the TM mode of light higher than a relaxation-oscillation frequency.

A semiconductor device includes an electrode which is arranged on an organic material with an insulation film interposed therebetween and which does not easily peel away from the organic material along with the insulation film. An insulation film in a region including pad portions of a phase shift electrode and a modulation electrode has openings at the centers of the pad portions of the phase shift electrode and the modulation electrode, the edge portions of which are formed on the phase shift electrode and the modulation electrode. In this way, the adjoining edges of the phase shift electrode and modulation electrode and the insulation film are all covered by the insulation film so as not to be exposed to the atmosphere. By covering the cracks that occur in the insulation film in the production process with the insulation film made of SiO.sub.2, SiN.sub.X, SiON.sub.X or the like, an organic solvent such as acetone or ethanol used in the process can be prevented from seeping in between the insulation film and the organic material through the cracks in the insulation film.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include optical transmitters and transceivers with improved reliability. In some embodiments, the optical transmitters are used in network devices, such as in conjunction with a network switch. In one embodiment, lasers are operated at low power to improve reliability and power consumption. The output of the laser may be modulated by a non-direct modulator and received by integrated optical components, such as a modulator and/or multiplexer. The output of the optical components may be amplified by a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). Various advantageous configurations of lasers, optical components, and SOAs are disclosed. In some embodiments, SOAs are configured as part of a pluggable optical communication module, for example.

An optical package for providing efficient coupling between a photonic device and a silicon photonic integrated-circuit chip (Si PIC) edge couplers with low return loss, as well as variations thereof, is described. The optical package may include a photonic device, a Si PIC, a single mode fiber or fiber array assembly, a lens and a spacer. The Si PIC may an input edge coupler and an output edge coupler. The single mode fiber or fiber array assembly may be aligned to the output edge coupler. The lens may be disposed between the photonic device and the input edge coupler, and may be configured to minimize a mismatch between an output spot size of the photonic device and a spot size of the input edge coupler of the Si PIC. The spacer may be bonded to a facet of the input edge coupler with an index matching fluid.

An optical package for providing efficient coupling between a photonic device and a silicon photonic integrated-circuit chip (Si PIC) edge couplers with low return loss, as well as variations thereof, is described. The optical package may include a photonic device, a Si PIC, a single mode fiber or fiber array assembly, a lens and a spacer. The Si PIC may an input edge coupler and an output edge coupler. The single mode fiber or fiber array assembly may be aligned to the output edge coupler. The lens may be disposed between the photonic device and the input edge coupler, and may be configured to minimize a mismatch between an output spot size of the photonic device and a spot size of the input edge coupler of the Si PIC. The spacer may be bonded to a facet of the input edge coupler with an index matching fluid.

An optical device for a quantum random number generator comprising: a source of phase randomised pulses of light, the source of phase randomised pulses of light further comprising a plurality of gain-switched lasers, each gain-switched laser having an output, and each gain-switched laser being configured to emit a stream of pulses such that the phase of each pulse in the stream of pulses is randomised, and an optical pulse combiner, the optical pulse combiner being configured to receive streams of pulses from the output of each gain-switched laser, combine the streams of pulses with one another into a combined stream of pulses and direct the combined stream of pulses into at least one output of the optical pulse combiner, the at least one output of the optical pulse combiner being the output of the source of phase randomised pulses of light; wherein the source of phase randomised pulses of light is configured such that the streams of pulses of light emitted by the plurality of gain-switched lasers are temporally offset relative to one another, a phase measurement element, the phase measurement element being configured to receive the combined stream of pulses from the output of the source of phase randomised pulses of light; and an optical detector, the optical detector being optically coupled to the phase measurement element.

An optical device for a quantum random number generator comprising: a source of phase randomised pulses of light, the source of phase randomised pulses of light further comprising a plurality of gain-switched lasers, each gain-switched laser having an output, and each gain-switched laser being configured to emit a stream of pulses such that the phase of each pulse in the stream of pulses is randomised, and an optical pulse combiner, the optical pulse combiner being configured to receive streams of pulses from the output of each gain-switched laser, combine the streams of pulses with one another into a combined stream of pulses and direct the combined stream of pulses into at least one output of the optical pulse combiner, the at least one output of the optical pulse combiner being the output of the source of phase randomised pulses of light; wherein the source of phase randomised pulses of light is configured such that the streams of pulses of light emitted by the plurality of gain-switched lasers are temporally offset relative to one another, a phase measurement element, the phase measurement element being configured to receive the combined stream of pulses from the output of the source of phase randomised pulses of light; and an optical detector, the optical detector being optically coupled to the phase measurement element.