234 results about "Silicon photonics" patented technology

Optical waveguide and coupler devices and methods include a trench formed in a bulk semiconductor substrate, for example, a bulk silicon substrate. A bottom cladding layer is formed in the trench, and a core region is formed on the bottom cladding layer. A reflective element, such as a distributed Bragg reflector can be formed under the coupler device and/or the waveguide device. Because the optical devices are integrated in a bulk substrate, they can be readily integrated with other devices on a chip or die in accordance with silicon photonics technology. Specifically, for example, the optical devices can be integrated in a DRAM memory circuit chip die.

A sensor is described for sensing a substance such as for example glucose. The sensor is implantable in the body of a living creature. The sensor comprises a photonic integrated circuit, e.g. silicon-photonics, based radiation processor for spectrally processing radiation interacting with the sample. A continuous monitoring system also is described using such a sensor.

Methods and systems for silicon photonics wavelength division multiplexing transceivers are disclosed and may include, in a transceiver integrated in a silicon photonics chip: generating a first modulated output optical signal at a first wavelength utilizing a first electrical signal, generating a second modulated output optical signal at a second wavelength utilizing a second electrical signal, communicating the first and second modulated output optical signals into an optical fiber coupled to the chip utilizing a multiplexing grating coupler in the chip. A received input optical signal may be split into a modulated input optical signal at the first wavelength and a modulated input optical signal at the second wavelength utilizing a demultiplexing grating coupler in the chip. The first and second modulated input optical signals may be converted to first and second electrical input signals utilizing first and second photodetectors in the chip.

An optical module includes a waveguide interconnect that transports light signals; a Silicon Photonics chip that modulates the light signals, detects the light signals, or both modulates and detects the light signals; a coupler chip attached to the Silicon Photonics chip and the waveguide interconnect so that the light signals are transported along a light path between the Silicon Photonics chip and the waveguide interconnect; and one of the Silicon Photonics chip and the coupler chip includes first, second, and third alignment protrusions. The other of the coupler chip and the Silicon Photonics chip includes a point contact, a linear contact, and a planar contact. The point contact provides no movement for the first alignment protrusion. The linear contact provides linear movement for the second alignment protrusion. The planar contact provides planar movement for the third alignment protrusion.

A method of forming an integrated photonic semiconductor structure having a photonic device and adjacent CMOS devices may include depositing a first silicon nitride layer over the adjacent CMOS devices and depositing an oxide layer over the first silicon nitride layer, wherein the oxide layer conformally covers the first silicon nitride layer and the underlying adjacent CMOS devices to form a substantially planarized surface over the adjacent CMOS devices. A second silicon nitride layer is then deposited over the oxide layer and a region corresponding to forming the photonic device. A germanium layer is deposited over the oxide layer and the region corresponding to forming the photonic device. The germanium layer deposited over the adjacent CMOS devices is etched to form a germanium active layer within the photonic region, whereby the oxide layer and the second silicon nitride layer protect the adjacent CMOS devices during the etching of the germanium.

An coherent transceiver includes a single silicon photonics substrate configured to integrate a laser diode chip flip-mounted and coupled with a wavelength tuning section to provide a laser output with tuned wavelengths which is split in X:Y ratio partly into a coherent receiver block as local-oscillator signals and partly into a coherent transmitter block as a light source. The coherent receiver includes a polarization-beam-splitter-rotator to split a coherent input signal to a TE-mode signal and a TM*-mode signal respectively detected by two 90-deg hybrid receivers and a flip-mounted TIA chip assisted by two local-oscillator signals from the tunable laser device. The coherent transmitter includes a driver chip flip-mounted on the silicon photonics substrate to drive a pair of Mach-Zehnder modulators with 90-degree shift in quadrature-phase branches to modulate the laser output to two polarized signals with I/Q modulation and uses a polarization-beam-rotator-combiner to combine them as a coherent output signal.

An optical switching system comprising a switching cell having first and second fixed-position bus waveguides and a moveable shunt waveguide is disclosed. The first bus waveguide includes an input and a first output. The second bus waveguide includes a second output. When the switching cell is in its unswitched state, the shunt waveguide is not optically coupled with either bus waveguide and a light signal can pass from the input to the first output while remaining in the first bus waveguide. When the switching cell is in its switched state, the shunt waveguide is optically coupled with both bus waveguides such that the light signal is coupled out of the first bus waveguide and into the second bus waveguide via the shunt waveguide. As a result, the light signal can pass from the input to the second output while bypassing the first input.

Methods and systems for hybrid integration of optical communication systems are disclosed and may include receiving continuous wave (CW) optical signals in a silicon photonics die (SPD) from an optical source external to the SPD. The received CW optical signals may be processed based on electrical signals received from an electronics die bonded to the SPD via metal interconnects. Modulated optical signals may be received in the SPD from optical fibers coupled to the SPD. Electrical signals may be generated in the SPD based on the received modulated optical signals and communicated to the electronics die via the metal interconnects. The CW optical signals may be received from an optical source assembly coupled to the SPD and/or from one or more optical fibers coupled to the SPD. The received CW optical signals may be processed utilizing one or more optical modulators, which may comprise Mach-Zehnder interferometer modulators.

A switch module includes a switch integrated circuit (IC), a silicon photonics chips, and a planar lightwave circuits (PLCs).

Methods and systems for an optoelectronic built-in self-test (BIST) system for silicon photonics optical transceivers are disclosed and may include, in an optoelectronic transceiver having a transmit (Tx) path and a receive (Rx) path, where the Rx path includes a main Rx path and a BIST loopback path: generating a pseudo-random bit sequence (PRBS) signal, generating an optical signal in the Tx path by applying the PRBS signal to a modulator, communicating the optical signal to the BIST loopback path and converting to an electrical signal utilizing a photodetector, the photodetector being a replica of a photodetector in the main Rx path, and assessing the performance of the Tx and Rx paths by extracting a PRBS signal from the electrical signal. The transceiver may be a single complementary-metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) die or in two CMOS die, where a first comprises electronic devices and a second comprises optical devices.

An assembly of waveguide wavelength multiplexers and demultiplexers, together with continuous wave (CW) laser transmitters that interface to grating couplers on a silicon photonics chip, providing CW sources, multiplexed output and optionally multiplexed input, all using a single photonic lightwave circuit (PLC).

The apparatus includes a case having a base member, two partial side members, and a lid member to provide a spatial volume with an opening at a back end of the base member. Additionally, the apparatus includes a PCB installed inside the spatial volume over the base member with a pluggable connector at the back end. The apparatus includes one or more optical transmitting devices in transmit-optical-sub-assembly package, each being mounted upside-down on the PCB and including a built-in TEC module in contact with the lid member and a laser output port aiming toward the back end. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a silicon photonics chip including a fiber-to-silicon attachment module, mounted on the PCB and coupled to a modulation driver module and a trans-impedance-amplifier module. Moreover, the apparatus includes an optical input port and output port being back connected to the fiber-to-silicon attachment module.

Examples of systems and methods for integrated photonic broadband microwave transceivers are disclosed based on integrated coherent dual optical frequency combs. In some cases, when the system is configured as a transmitter, multiple radio frequency (RF) carriers can be generated, which can either be encoded independently, or used for broadcasting the same information into different bands. In some cases, when the system is configured as a receiver, the spectrum of the input signal can be sliced into several spectral segments for low-bandwidth detection and analysis. In some systems, the optics-related functionalities can be achieved via integrated optic technology, for example based on silicon photonics, providing tremendous possibilities for mass-production with significantly reduced system footprint.

Methods and systems for partial integration of wavelength division multiplexing and bi-directional solutions are disclosed and may include, an optical transceiver on a silicon photonics integrated circuit coupled to a planar lightwave circuit (PLC). The silicon photonics integrated circuit may include a first modulator and first light source that operates at a first wavelength and a second modulator and second light source that operates at a second wavelength. The transceiver and PLC are operable to modulate a first continuous wave (CW) optical signal from the first light source utilizing the first modulator driven by a first electrical signal and modulate a second CW optical signal from the second light source utilizing the second modulator driven by a second electrical signal. The modulated signals may be communicated from the modulators to the PLC utilizing a first pair of grating couplers in the IC and combined in the PLC.

In an example, the present invention includes an integrated system on chip device. The device is configured on a single silicon substrate member. The device has a data input/output interface provided on the substrate member. The device has an input/output block provided on the substrate member and coupled to the data input/output interface. The device has a signal processing block provided on the substrate member and coupled to the input/output block. The device has a driver module provided on the substrate member and coupled to the signal processing block. In an example, the device has a driver interface provided on the substrate member and coupled to the driver module and configured to be coupled to a silicon photonics device. The device also has an interface configured to communicate between the silicon photonics device and the control block.

An apparatus for converting fiber mode to waveguide mode. The apparatus includes a silicon substrate member and a dielectric member having an elongated body. Part of the elongated body from a back end overlies the silicon substrate member and remaining part of the elongated body up to a front end is separated from the silicon substrate member by a second dielectric material at an under region. The apparatus also includes a waveguide including a segment from the back end to a tail end formed on the dielectric member at least partially overlying the remaining part of the elongated body. The segment is buried in a cladding overlying entirely the dielectric member. The cladding has a refractive index that is less than the waveguide but includes an index-graded section with decreasing index that is formed at least over the segment from the tail end toward the back end.

We have demonstrated a novel Sagnac loop and micro-ring based laser cavity which is simple and reliable, with accurately controlled reflectivity and negligible excess loss. The resonant wavelength of a 2 μm radius micro-ring is shown to be lithographically controlled to a standard deviation of 3.6 nm. Both C- and O-Band lasers based on Sagnac loop mirror and micro-ring cavity have been demonstrated. The lasers are shown to be able to be modulated at 40 Gb/s.

A hybrid external cavity multi-wavelength laser using a QD RSOA and a silicon photonics chip is demonstrated. Four lasing modes at 2 nm spacing and less than 3 dB power non-uniformity were observed, with over 20 mW of total output power. Each lasing peak can be successfully modulated at 10 Gb/s. At 10⁻⁹ BER, the receiver power penalty is less than 2.6 dB compared to a conventional commercial laser. An expected application is the provision of a comb laser source for WDM transmission in optical interconnection systems.

Provided are optical coupling devices and silicon photonics chips having the same. the optical coupling device may include a lower layer having a first region and a second region, a first core layer disposed on the lower layer, the first core layer including first and second waveguides disposed on the first and second regions, respectively, a clad layer covering the first waveguide, and a second core layer interposed between the clad layer and the lower layer to cover the second waveguide. The second waveguide has a width decreasing with increasing distance from the first region and a vertical thickness greater than that of the first waveguide.

A high density interconnect arrangement takes the form of a backplane-pluggable card, with electrical connections formed along a single (pluggable) edge and all remaining connections provided via optical fibers. An exemplary interconnect arrangement also includes on-board optical sources and silicon photonic-based circuitry for providing optical transceiver functionality. Passively aligned fiber arrays are utilized to provide I/O connections to external elements, as well as between laser sources and on-board silicon photonics.

The present invention details fabrication guidelines of integrated optoelectronic oscillators with frequency and phase stability, having higher frequency selectivity in a relatively small size (compared to the larger size of a higher order electrically realized RF filter), reduced temperature sensitivity, and minimized frequency drift. The integrated photonic components and RF oscillator may use Silicon photonics and microelectronic integration using CMOS and BiCMOS technology, eliminating the need for bulky and/or discrete optical and microwave components.