Photonic input/output port

A photonic input/output port, comprising:

• (a) a layered structure comprising an unpatterned superstrate having at least one layer, an unpatterned substrate having at least one layer and at least one intermediate layer sandwiched between the unpatterned superstrate and the unpatterned substrate,
• (b) a coupling region that is within the at least one intermediate layer and that comprises an arrangement of at least one optical scattering element, and
• (c) at least one output waveguide;
• and
• wherein the at least one optical scattering element has an index contrast that is greater than or equal to approximately 1 and has a geometrical shape chosen from the group comprising cylinders, ellipsoids, hemispheres, rectilinear trenches or solids, cones, angled cylinders, angled hemispheres, angled ellipsoids, angled rectilinear trenches or solids and angled cones.

A method of designing a photonic input/output device of predetermined material composition comprising the steps:

• a) determining a power loss parameter profile;
• b) determining an effective index of refraction;
• c) determining an operating frequency;
• d) determining a coupling angle;
• e) calculating a pitch of optical scattering elements with a mathematical model;
• f) calculating a volume of optical scattering elements with a mathematical model;
• g) adjusting said pitch and volume of said optical scattering elements within a coupling region;
• and
• h) repeating steps (e), (f) and (g) to optimize said power loss parameter profile and said operating frequency for said coupling angle wherein said photonic input/output device comprises a multi-layered structure.

A method for generating an electronic design file for a multi-layered photonic input/output device comprising the steps:

• applying design rules comprising parameters chosen from a group comprising power loss parameter profile, effective index of refraction, operating feature, coupling angle, pitch of optical scattering elements, volume of optical scattering elements, minimum feature size and composition of multi-layers;
• determining pitch and volume of said optical scattering elements wherein the optical scattering elements are elements having geometrical shapes chosen from the group comprising cylinders, ellipsoids, hemispheres, rectilinear trenches or solids, cones, angled cylinders, angled hemispheres, angled ellipsoids, angled rectilinear trenches or solids and angled cones;
• generating a design file comprising computer drawn images for said input-output device;
• and
• storing said design file on computer readable media.

A photonic input/output port comprising:

• a layered structure comprising an unpatterned superstrate having at least one layer, an unpatterned substrate having at least one layer and at least one intermediate layer sandwiched between the unpatterned superstrate and the unpatterned substrate;
• a coupling region that is within the at least one intermediate layer and that comprises an arrangement of at least one optical scattering element, wherein the at least one optical scattering element has an index contrast that is greater than or equal to approximately 1 and the at least one optical scattering element is an element having geometrical shape chosen from the group comprising cylinders, ellipsoids, hemispheres, rectilinear trenches or solids, cones, angled cylinders, angled hemispheres, angled ellipsoids, angled rectilinear trenches or solids and angled cones and wherein the spacing element to element may be uniform;
• an output boundary;
• an output region;
• an output waveguide;
• and
• wherein output waveguide couples to the output region which couples to the output boundary which couples to the coupling region.

A photonic input/output port comprising:

• a layered structure comprising an unpatterned superstrate having at least one layer, an unpatterned substrate having at least one layer and at least one intermediate layer sandwiched between the unpatterned superstrate and the unpatterned substrate;
• a coupling region that is within the at least one intermediate layer comprising an arrangement of at least one optical scattering element, wherein the at least one optical scattering element has an index contrast that is greater than or equal to approximately 1;
• a first and second output boundary;
• a first and second output region;
• a first and second output waveguide;
• and
• wherein the coupling region couples to first and second output boundary and first output boundary couples to first output region which couples to first output waveguide and second output boundary couples to second output region which couples to second output waveguide.

A photonic input/output port comprising:

• a layered structure comprising an unpatterned superstrate having at least one layer, an unpatterned substrate having at least one layer and at least one intermediate layer sandwiched between the unpatterned superstrate and the unpatterned substrate;
• a first and second coupling region that is within the at least one intermediate layer and that comprises an arrangement of at least one optical scattering element, wherein the at least one optical scattering element has an index contrast that is greater than or equal to approximately 1;
• a first and second output boundary;
• a first and second output region;
• a first output waveguide;
• and
• wherein first coupling region couples to first output boundary and first output boundary couples to first output region which couples to first output waveguide which couples to second output region which couples second output boundary which couples to second coupling region.

A photonic input/output port, comprising:

• (a) a layered structure comprising an unpatterned superstrate having at least one layer, an unpatterned substrate having at least one layer and at least one intermediate layer sandwiched between the unpatterned superstrate and the unpatterned substrate;
• (b) a coupling region that is within the at least one intermediate layer and that comprises an arrangement of at least one optical scattering element;
• (c) at least one output waveguide, wherein the at least one optical scattering element has an index contrast that is greater than or equal to approximately 1;
• and wherein the at least one unpatterned substrate layer is located above at least one pair of additional substrate layers, which alternate between a layer comprising InP and a layer comprising an alloy comprising AlGaAsP or InGaAsP.

A photonic input/output port, comprising:

• (a) a layered structure comprising an unpatterned superstrate having at least one layer, an unpatterned substrate having at least one layer and at least one intermediate layer sandwiched between the unpatterned superstrate and the unpatterned substrate;
• (b) a coupling region that is within the at least one intermediate layer and that comprises an arrangement of at least one optical scattering element;
• (a) at least one output waveguide, wherein the at least one optical scattering element has an index contrast that is greater than or equal to approximately 1;
• and wherein the at least one intermediate layer is located above at least one pair of additional substrate layers, which alternate between a layer comprising InP and a layer comprising an alloy comprising AlGaAsP or InGaAsP.

A random polarization linearizer comprising:

• first photonic input/output device;
• second photonic input/output device;
• first output waveguide;
• second output waveguide;
• third output waveguide;
• fourth output waveguide;
• fifth output waveguide;
• first optical element;
• second optical element;
• and
• optical combiner;
• wherein light of random polarization from said first output waveguide from said first photonic input/output device is processed by said first optical element and light of random polarization from said second output waveguide from said first photonic input/output device is processed by said second optical element and said third output waveguide couples said first optical element to said optical combiner and said fourth output waveguide couples said second optical element to said optical combiner and said fifth output waveguide couples said combiner to said second photonic input/output device and whereby said processing produces an optical signal of known polarization at the output of said second photonic input/output device.

A random polarization linearizer for processing incident light comprising:

• first photonic input/output device;
• second photonic input/output device;
• first output waveguide;
• second output waveguide;
• third output waveguide;
• fourth output waveguide;
• fifth output waveguide;
• first optical element;
• second optical element;
• optical combiner;
• and
• wherein light incident on said first photonic input/output device is comprised of randomly polarized light, further comprising two orthogonal linearly polarized components of light, wherein said first photonic input/output device separates said light from each linear polarization into said first output waveguide and said second output waveguide such that light from said first photonic input/output device is processed by said first optical element and light from said second output waveguide from said first photonic input/output device is processed by said second optical element and said third output waveguide couples said first optical element to said optical combiner and said fourth output waveguide couples said second optical element to said optical combiner and said fifth output waveguide couples said combiner to said second photonic input/output device and whereby said processing produces an optical signal of known polarization at the output of said second photonic input/output device.

A balanced photonic circuit for regulating phase of first and second optical signals, comprising:

• (a) a first photonic input/output port and a second photonic input/output port comprising:
• a layered structure comprising an unpatterned superstrate having at least one layer, an unpatterned substrate having at least one layer and at least one intermediate layer sandwiched between the unpatterned superstrate and the unpatterned substrate, and a coupling region that is within the at least one intermediate layer and that comprises an arrangement of at least one optical scattering element, wherein the at least one optical scattering element has an index contrast that is greater than or equal to approximately one;
• (b) first output waveguide;
• (c) second output waveguide;
• (d) third output waveguide;
• (e) fourth output waveguide;
• (f) first optical element;
• (g) second optical element;
• and
• wherein the first output waveguide transmits said first optical signal from the first input/output port to the first optical element, the second output waveguide transmits second optical signal from the first input/output port to the second optical element, the third output waveguide transmits the first optical signal from the first optical element to the second input/output port, the fourth output waveguide transmits second optical signal from the second optical element to the second input/output port and said first and second optical elements are used to control phase between the first and second optical signals in said third output waveguide and said fourth output waveguide.