Granted Patent B2

US 12,554,084 · App. 17/898,473 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Inventors: Diedrik Rene Vermeulen (Cambridge, MA); Michael Zalmon Dubrovsky (Cambridge, MA); Michael Whitson (Cambridge, MA)

Assignee: SiPhox, Inc.

G02B6/4292G02B6/12004G02B6/4225G02B6/4231

Abstract

Claims (75)

1 . A system comprising:

a first assembly comprising a first integrated photonics assembly having a first functionality, the first assembly comprising:

a plurality of subcircuits comprising a plurality of modular photonic integrated subcircuits, wherein:

each subcircuit is pre-fabricated and is configured to transfer light to and receive light from another subcircuit based on the first functionality;

an output port of a first subset of the plurality of subcircuits is configured to be aligned with an input port of a second subset of the plurality of subcircuits;

the input port and the output port are optical ports wherein light is transferred from the output port to the input port with a coupling efficiency greater than 90%; and

at least one subcircuit is configured to be removed from the first integrated photonics assembly and connected to a second integrated photonics assembly having a second functionality, the first integrated photonics assembly different from the second integrated photonics assembly and the first functionality different from the second functionality.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each subcircuit of a subset of the plurality of subcircuits is configured to be optically coupled to at least two other subcircuits of the plurality of subcircuits.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of subcircuits is arranged in a two-dimensional array such that a first dimension of the two-dimensional array includes at least two subcircuits and a second dimension of the two-dimensional array includes at least two subcircuits.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each subcircuit has a first length in a first dimension of the subcircuit and a second length in a second dimension of the subcircuit.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a first subcircuit is disposed relative to a second subcircuit such that at least one of:

(a) the first subcircuit is disposed immediately adjacent to and co-planar with the second subcircuit; or

(b) the first subcircuit overlaps with the second subcircuit.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an optical fiber configured to carry optical signals between a subcircuit of the plurality of subcircuits and an external device.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least two subcircuits are configured to transfer and receive light via butt-coupling.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein at least one additional subcircuit is configured to transfer and receive light to one of the at least two subcircuits via at least one of:

(i) one or more optical fibers;

(ii) one or more photonic wirebonds;

(iii) a free-space optical train;

(iv) adiabatic coupling; or

(v) out-of-plane coupling.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least two subcircuits are configured to transfer and receive light via at least one of:

(i) butt-coupling;

(ii) one or more optical fibers;

(iii) one or more photonic wirebonds;

(iv) a free-space optical train;

(v) adiabatic coupling; or

(vi) out-of-plane coupling.

10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of monitoring circuits, wherein:

each monitoring circuit is coupled to a respective one of a subset of the plurality of subcircuits, each monitoring circuit comprises a first light path between an input and an output of the subcircuit, and each monitoring circuit is configured to monitor optical loss in the first light path.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein, based on the monitored optical loss, at least one monitoring circuit of the plurality of monitoring circuits is configured to determine at least one of (i) a coupling efficiency or (ii) a degree of alignment between a respective subcircuit and another subcircuit immediately adjacent to the respective subcircuit.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein each monitoring circuit comprises a second light path configured to monitor light transferred in an opposite direction from light transferred in the first light path.

13 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a second plurality of monitoring circuits, wherein:

each second monitoring circuit is coupled to the respective one of the subset of the plurality of subcircuits, each second monitoring circuit comprises a light path between an input and an output of the subcircuit, and each second monitoring circuit is configured to monitor optical loss in the light path.

14 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a fiber optic array configured to transfer light via an optical path to at least one monitoring circuit of the plurality of monitoring circuits.

15 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a receptacle configured align at least two subcircuits of the plurality of subcircuits.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein a surface of the receptacle comprises at least one alignment feature, the at least one alignment feature configured to effectuate alignment between a first subcircuit and a second subcircuit of the at least two subcircuits.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one alignment feature effectuates at least one of (a) a lateral alignment, (b) a vertical alignment, or (c) an angular alignment between a first subcircuit and a second-subcircuit of the at least two subcircuits.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein a surface of each of the at least two subcircuits forms a cavity configured to receive the at least one alignment feature of the receptacle.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the cavity is a deep etch, a V-groove, or an oxide open.

20 . A system comprising:

a first assembly comprising a first integrated photonics assembly having a first functionality, the first assembly comprising:

a plurality of subcircuits comprising a plurality of modular photonic integrated subcircuits, wherein:

each subcircuit is pre-fabricated and is configured to transfer light to and receive light from another subcircuit based on the first functionality;

an output port of a first subset of the plurality of subcircuits is configured to be aligned with an input port of a second subset of the plurality of subcircuits;

for the first subset of the plurality of subcircuits, the output port is configured at a particular position along a first edge of the first subset, and for the second subset of the plurality of subcircuits, the input port is configured at a particular position along a second edge of the second subset; and

at least one subcircuit is configured to be removed from the first integrated photonics assembly and connected to a second integrated photonics assembly having a second functionality, the first integrated photonics assembly different from the second integrated photonics assembly and the first functionality different from the second functionality.

21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein each subcircuit of a subset of the plurality of subcircuits is configured to be optically coupled to at least two other subcircuits of the plurality of subcircuits.

22 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of subcircuits is arranged in two-dimensional array such that a first dimension of the two-dimensional array includes at least two subcircuits and a second dimension of the two-dimensional array includes at least two subcircuits.

23 . The system of claim 20 , wherein each subcircuit has a first length in a first dimension of the subcircuit and a second length in a second dimension of the subcircuit.

24 . A system comprising:

a first assembly comprising a first integrated photonics assembly having a first functionality, the first assembly comprising:

a plurality of subcircuits comprising a plurality of modular photonic integrated subcircuits, wherein:

each subcircuit is pre-fabricated and is configured to transfer light to and receive light from another subcircuit based on the first functionality;

an output port of a first subset of the plurality of subcircuits is configured to be aligned with an input port of a second subset of the plurality of subcircuits;

at least two subcircuits are configured to transfer and receive light via butt-coupling; and

at least one subcircuit is configured to be removed from the first integrated photonics assembly and connected to a second integrated photonics assembly having a second functionality, the first integrated photonics assembly different from the second integrated photonics assembly and the first functionality different from the second functionality.

25 . The system of claim 24 , wherein each subcircuit of a subset of the plurality of subcircuits is configured to be optically coupled to at least two other subcircuits of the plurality of subcircuits.

26 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the plurality of subcircuits is arranged in two-dimensional array such that a first dimension of the two-dimensional array includes at least two subcircuits and a second dimension of the two-dimensional array includes at least two subcircuits.

27 . The system of claim 24 , wherein each subcircuit has a first length in a first dimension of the subcircuit and a second length in a second dimension of the subcircuit.

28 . A system comprising:

a first assembly comprising a first integrated photonics assembly having a first functionality, the first assembly comprising:

a plurality of subcircuits comprising a plurality of modular photonic integrated subcircuits, wherein:

each subcircuit is pre-fabricated and is configured to transfer light to and receive light from another subcircuit based on the first functionality;

an output port of a first subset of the plurality of subcircuits is configured to be aligned with an input port of a second subset of the plurality of subcircuits; and

at least one subcircuit is configured to be removed from the first integrated photonics assembly and connected to a second integrated photonics assembly having a second functionality, the first integrated photonics assembly different from the second integrated photonics assembly and the first functionality different from the second functionality; and

a plurality of monitoring circuits, wherein:

each monitoring circuit is coupled to a respective one of a subset of the plurality of subcircuits;

each monitoring circuit comprises a first light path between an input and an output of the subcircuit; and

each monitoring circuit is configured to monitor optical loss in the first light path.

29 . The system of claim 28 , wherein each subcircuit of a subset of the plurality of subcircuits is configured to be optically coupled to at least two other subcircuits of the plurality of subcircuits.

30 . The system of claim 28 , wherein the plurality of subcircuits is arranged in two-dimensional array such that a first dimension of the two-dimensional array includes at least two subcircuits and a second dimension of the two-dimensional array includes at least two subcircuits.

31 . The system of claim 28 , wherein each subcircuit has a first length in a first dimension of the subcircuit and a second length in a second dimension of the subcircuit.

Assignments (5)

Continuity (5)

References Cited (16)