Integrated optical multiplexer and demultiplexer for wavelength division transmission of information

An integrated circuit optical demultiplexer for wavelength division transmission of information, said demultiplexer comprising:

• an integrated circuit substrate;
• an array of optical detectors formed on said integrated circuit substrate;
• signal conditioning electronics formed on said integrated circuit substrate and coupled to said array of optical detectors;
• a first layer of optically transparent material on said substrate overlying said array of optical detectors, said first layer of optically transparent material having a first index of refraction;
• a second layer of optically transparent material overlying and forming an interface with said first layer of optically transparent material and having a second index of refraction;
• said second layer of optically transparent material being selected from a group consisting of LiNbO3, silicon nitride, silica, a polymer, silicon, or polysilicon;
• a binary blazed grating formed at the interface between said first and said second layers of optically transparent materials;
• said binary blazed grating being positioned and configured to diffract the discrete wavelength components of a wavelength division multiplexed light beam from said second layer of optically transparent material through said first layer of optically transparent material and onto respective ones of said photo detectors.

An integrated circuit optical multiplexer for combining light beams of discrete wavelength into a single polychromatic beam for wavelength division multiplexed transmission of information, said multiplexer comprising:

• an integrated circuit substrate;
• an array of optical emitters formed on said integrated circuit substrate, each of said optical emitters for emitting one of said light beams of discrete wavelengths;
• signal conditioning electronics formed on said integrated circuit substrate and coupled to said array of optical emitters;
• a first layer of optically transparent material on said substrate overlying said array of optical emitters,
• said first layer of optically transparent material having a first index of refraction;
• a second layer of optically transparent material overlying and forming an interface with said first layer of optically transparent material, said second layer of optically transparent material having a second index of refraction and forming an optical waveguide overlying said first layer of optically transparent material for transmitting multiplexed optical signals;
• and
• a binary blazed grating formed at the interface between said first and said second layers of optically transparent materials;
• said binary blazed grating being positioned and configured to intercept said light beams of discrete wavelength and to combine said light beams into a single polychromatic light beam for transmission.

An integrated circuit having optical data interconnects, said integrated circuit comprising:

• an integrated circuit substrate;
• electronic components formed on said integrated circuit substrate;
• a first layer of optically transparent material overlying at least a portion of said substrate and having a first index of refraction;
• a second layer of optically transparent material overlying said first layer of optically transparent material and having a second index of refraction, said second layer of optically transparent material forming a waveguide;
• a binary blazed grating at an interface of said first and second layers of optically transparent material for demultiplexing the wavelength division multiplexed optical signals into their discrete wavelength components;
• photo detectors on said integrated circuit substrate for intercepting and detecting the demultiplexed discrete wavelength components;
• and
• signal conditioning electronics on said integrated circuit substrate coupled to said photo detectors for converting the output of said photo detectors to electrical signals for communication with said electronic components.