Three dimensional engineering of planar optical structures

An optical structure comprising a plurality of layers with at least two layers having composition variation within each layer, the at least two layers comprising a first layer and a second layer and the plurality of layers comprising a turning element being at least partially located within the first layer wherein the turning element comprises an optical taper forming an optical pathway of a higher index-of-refraction material surrounded by a cladding material with a lower index-of-refraction wherein the optical pathway involves a gradual turn from the first layer out of the plane of the first layer.

An optical device comprising a first cladding layer of optical material, a second cladding layer of optical material end a core of optical material, which is adjacent tile first cladding layer and the second cladding layer and which has a higher index-of-refraction than the cladding layers, wherein one of the cladding layers bus a localized band of tap material having an index-of-refraction intermediate between the core layer and the average index-of-refraction of the cladding layer with the localized band intersecting the core material, the tap material providing for the leakage of some light intensity into the tap material when light is transmitted through the core, wherein the core comprises an inorganic optical glass.

An integrated optical circuit comprising a vertical cavity surface emitting laser, a planer waveguide and a turning element optically connecting the planar waveguide and the vertical cavity surface emitting laser with emissions being directed approximately perpendicular to the plane of the waveguide.

A continuously variable optical attenuator comprising a first cladding layer;

• a second cladding layer that is thermally conductive;
• a third cladding layer;
• a pump-core adjacent to the second cladding layer and the third cladding layer, the pump core having an index-of-refraction higher than the second cladding layer and the third cladding layer and the pump-core comprising an absorption region that absorbs a selected region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and an active-core between the first cladding layer and the second cladding layer, the active core comprising a thermally sensitive region adjacent at least a portion of the absorption region, the thermally sensitive region comprising a material having an index-of-refraction that varies with temperature.

A planar optical circuit comprising a monolithic optical structure having a first optical device and a second optical device, the first optical device and second optical device being optically connected by a free space optical element embedded within the monolithic optical structure wherein the first optical device comprises an inorganic optical glass.