Discrete optical unit on a substrate of an integrated photonics chip

    公开(公告)号:US11644618B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-05-09

    申请号:US17254810

    申请日:2019-06-21

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An integrated photonics device that emits light out towards a measured sample value is disclosed. The device can include a discrete optical unit that attaches to a supporting layer. The discrete optical unit can include mirror(s), optics, detector array(s), and traces. The supporting layer can include one or more cavities having facet walls. Light emitter(s) can emit light that propagate through waveguide(s). The emitted light can exit the waveguide(s) (via termination point(s)), enter the one or more cavities at the facet walls, and be received by receiving facets of the discrete optical unit. The mirror(s) of the discrete optical unit can redirect the received light towards collimating optics, which can direct the light out of the device through the system interface. The discrete optical unit can be formed separately from the supporting layer or bonded to the supporting layer after the mirror, optics, detector arrays, and traces are formed.

    Off-cut wafer with a supported outcoupler

    公开(公告)号:US11525958B1

    公开(公告)日:2022-12-13

    申请号:US17015877

    申请日:2020-09-09

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Configurations for a photonics device with a vertical outcoupler and fabrication operations thereof are disclosed. The photonics device may include an off-cut substrate with a cavity. The cavity may be coated with a buffer layer, which may form the vertical outcoupler. The cavity may be filled with a fill material that provides structural integrity to the cavity. The off-cut substrate may have a first and a second cladding layer above and below it, to provide cladding for the waveguide structure. In some examples, light may propagate through the off-cut substrate and may be received by the outcoupler. The outcoupler may reflect and redirect the light out of the waveguide structure and toward one or more optical elements. The optical element(s) may provide the light to a launch region in a system interface and/or to a sample.

    Connected Epitaxial Optical Sensing Systems

    公开(公告)号:US20220011157A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-01-13

    申请号:US17484994

    申请日:2021-09-24

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: A device including a plurality of epitaxial chips is disclosed. An epitaxial chip can have one or more of a light source and a detector, where the detector can be configured to measure the optical properties of the light emitted by a light source. In some examples, one or more epitaxial chips can have one or more optical properties that differ from other epitaxial chips. The epitaxial chips can be dependently operable. For example, the detector located on one epitaxial chip can be configured for measuring the optical properties of light emitted by a light source located on another epitaxial chip by way of one or more optical signals. The collection of epitaxial chips can also allow detection of a plurality of laser outputs, where two or more epitaxial chips can have different material and/or optical properties.

    MACH-ZEHNDER INTERFEROMETER DEVICE FOR WAVELENGTH LOCKING

    公开(公告)号:US20240094592A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-03-21

    申请号:US18526269

    申请日:2023-12-01

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: G02F1/21 G02F1/212

    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an integrated photonics device including an on-chip wavelength stability monitor. The wavelength stability monitor may include one or more interferometric components, such as Mach-Zehnder interferometers and can be configured to select among the output signals from the interferometric components for monitoring the wavelength emitted by a corresponding photonic component, such as a light source. The selection may be based on a slope of the output signal and in some examples may correspond to a working zone at or around a wavelength or wavelength range. In some examples, the interferometric components can be configured with different phase differences such that the corresponding working zones have different wavelengths. In some examples, the slopes of the output signals may be weighted based on the steepness of the slope and all of the output signals may include information for wavelength locking the measured wavelength to the target wavelength.

    Compact Optical Coupler
    16.
    发明公开

    公开(公告)号:US20240077686A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-03-07

    申请号:US17903875

    申请日:2022-09-06

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: G02B6/4203 G02B6/42

    Abstract: Configurations for an optical coupler that includes waveguides that provide asymmetric mode confinement. The optical coupler may include first and second rib waveguides, and the width of the shoulder of at least one rib waveguide may taper to provide the asymmetric mode confinement. In some instances the shoulders of one or both rib waveguides may have different heights in a central region of the optical coupler.

    Discrete Optical Unit on a Substrate of an Integrated Photonics Chip

    公开(公告)号:US20210263216A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-08-26

    申请号:US17254810

    申请日:2019-06-21

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An integrated photonics device that emits light out towards a measured sample value is disclosed. The device can include a discrete optical unit that attaches to a supporting layer. The discrete optical unit can include mirror(s), optics, detector array(s), and traces. The supporting layer can include one or more cavities having facet walls. Light emitter(s) can emit light that propagate through waveguide(s). The emitted light can exit the waveguide(s) (via termination point(s)), enter the one or more cavities at the facet walls, and be received by receiving facets of the discrete optical unit. The mirror(s) of the discrete optical unit can redirect the received light towards collimating optics, which can direct the light out of the device through the system interface. The discrete optical unit can be formed separately from the supporting layer or bonded to the supporting layer after the mirror, optics, detector arrays, and traces are formed.

    Resolve Path Optical Sampling Architectures

    公开(公告)号:US20210199576A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-07-01

    申请号:US16650804

    申请日:2018-09-27

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Described here are optical sampling architectures and methods for operation thereof. An optical sampling architecture can be capable of emitting a launch sheet light beam towards a launch region and receiving a detection sheet light beam from a detection region. The launch region can have one dimension that is elongated relative to another dimension. The detection region can also have one dimension elongated relative to another dimension such that the system can selectively accept light having one or more properties (e.g., angle of incidence, beam size, beam shape, etc.). In some examples, the elongated dimension of the detection region can be greater than the elongated dimension of the launch region. In some examples, the system can include an outcoupler array and associated components for creating a launch sheet light beam having light rays with different in-plane launch positions and/or in-plane launch angles.

    Thermal isolation structure
    20.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US10788368B1

    公开(公告)日:2020-09-29

    申请号:US16144960

    申请日:2018-09-27

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Disclosed here is a system including a multi-wavelength integrated light source having one or more heaters. The system can comprise a substrate including a light source section, the heater(s), and a plurality of sections. The sections can include multiple materials, where the material for a given section can be based on one or more targeted criteria. For example, one section can have a targeted criteria of being optically transparent. Another section can have a targeted criteria of providing mechanical support, and another section can have a targeted criteria of being a thermal insulator. In some instances, openings in the substrate can be formed and filled with one or more materials to form a window (e.g., a section having a targeted criteria of being optically transparent) and a thermal isolator (e.g., a section having a targeted criteria of being thermally insulating).

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