Patent ID: 7599596

Claim:
An optical device, comprising: a waveguide defined in a layer of silicon positioned on a base, the waveguide being immobilized relative to the base along the length of the waveguide, the waveguide being unbranched, and the waveguide being a multi-mode waveguide; a groove configured to receive an optical fiber, the groove positioned such that when the optical fiber is positioned in the groove the waveguide receives a light signal that exits a facet of the optical fiber; a light sensor configured to receive the light signal from the waveguide after the light signal is received by the waveguide, is guided through the waveguide, and exits the waveguide, the light sensor configured to convert the light signal to an electrical signal; a tunable optical attenuator configured to attenuate the light signal as the light signal travels along the waveguide; and wherein the base includes an optical insulator on a substrate, the optical insulator including silica and the substrate including silicon.