Monolithic optical transmitter and receiver apparatus incorporating hollow waveguides

A transmitter apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of lasers,
• modulation means for information modulating radiation output by each of said plurality of lasers,
• output means for outputting the modulated radiation produced by the modulation means;
• and
• hollow core optical waveguides formed in a substrate for guiding radiation from the plurality of lasers to the modulation means and from the modulation means to the output means, wherein said substrate comprises a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer.

A transmitter apparatus comprising:

• one or more lasers,
• modulation means for information modulating radiation output by each of said one or more lasers,
• output means for outputting the modulated radiation produced by the modulation means;
• hollow core optical waveguides formed in a substrate for guiding radiation from the one or more lasers to the modulation means and from the modulation means to the output means;
• and
• one or more beam shaping means are provided, wherein at least one of said beam shaping means comprises a tapered hollow core optical waveguide, wherein said substrate comprises a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer.

A transmitter apparatus comprising:

• at least one laser for producing information modulated radiation;
• output means for coupling the radiation produced by the laser into at least one output optical fibre;
• and
• hollow core optical waveguides formed in a substrate for guiding radiation from the at least one laser to the at least one output optical fibre, wherein said modulation means comprises one or more electro-optic modulators, wherein said substrate comprises a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer.

An information modulated radiation receiver apparatus comprising:

• at least one hollow core optical waveguide formed in a substrate;
• one or more detectors;
• and
• one or more optical fibre attachment means, the one or more optical fibre attachment means adapted to receive one or more optical fibres, wherein said radiation is guided from the one or more optical fibres to the one or more detectors by said at least one hollow core optical waveguide, said at least one hollow core waveguide guiding said radiation in two transverse directions, wherein said substrate comprises a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer and further comprising at least one variable optical attenuator arranged to provide controllable attenuation of the radiation received from said at least one optical fibre.

A transmitter apparatus comprising:

• one or more lasers,
• at least one electro-optic modulator for information modulating radiation output by each of said one or more lasers,
• a transmitter for outputting the modulated radiation produced by the modulator;
• and
• hollow core optical waveguides formed in a substrate for guiding radiation from the one or more lasers to the modulator and from the modulator to the transmitter, wherein said substrate comprises a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer.