Electro-optical modulator using waveguides with overlapping ridges
First Claim
1. An optical device, comprising:
- a first silicon waveguide disposed on a dielectric substrate, the first silicon waveguide comprising a first ridge projecting in a first direction from the dielectric substrate and extending in a second direction of an optical path;
a dielectric layer having a lower surface disposed on an upper surface of the first ridge;
a second silicon waveguide defining a first surface disposed on an upper surface of the dielectric layer opposite the lower surface of the dielectric layer, the second silicon waveguide defining a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the second surface comprises a second ridge disposed thereon, the second ridge projecting in the first direction from the second surface and extending in the second direction of the optical path, wherein the second ridge at least partially overlaps both the dielectric layer and the first ridge, and wherein the first silicon waveguide is doped a first conductivity type and the second silicon waveguide is doped a second, different conductivity type;
a first electrical contact coupled to the first silicon waveguide; and
a second electrical contact coupled to the second silicon waveguide.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical modulator may include a lower waveguide, an upper waveguide, and a dielectric layer disposed therebetween. When a voltage potential is created between the lower and upper waveguides, these layers form a silicon-insulator-silicon capacitor (also referred to as SISCAP) guide that provides efficient, high-speed optical modulation of an optical signal passing through the modulator. In one embodiment, at least one of the waveguides includes a respective ridge portion aligned at a charge modulation region which may aid in confining the optical mode laterally (e.g., in the width direction) in the optical modulator. In another embodiment, ridge portions may be formed on both the lower and the upper waveguides. These ridge portions may be aligned in a vertical direction (e.g., a thickness direction) so that ridges overlap which may further improve optical efficiency by centering an optical mode in the charge modulation region.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An optical device, comprising:
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a first silicon waveguide disposed on a dielectric substrate, the first silicon waveguide comprising a first ridge projecting in a first direction from the dielectric substrate and extending in a second direction of an optical path; a dielectric layer having a lower surface disposed on an upper surface of the first ridge; a second silicon waveguide defining a first surface disposed on an upper surface of the dielectric layer opposite the lower surface of the dielectric layer, the second silicon waveguide defining a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the second surface comprises a second ridge disposed thereon, the second ridge projecting in the first direction from the second surface and extending in the second direction of the optical path, wherein the second ridge at least partially overlaps both the dielectric layer and the first ridge, and wherein the first silicon waveguide is doped a first conductivity type and the second silicon waveguide is doped a second, different conductivity type; a first electrical contact coupled to the first silicon waveguide; and a second electrical contact coupled to the second silicon waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An optical device, comprising:
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a first waveguide disposed on a substrate, the first waveguide comprising a first ridge extending in a direction of an optical path; a second waveguide defining a first surface facing an upper surface of the first ridge opposite a lower surface of the first waveguide-contacting the substrate, the second waveguide defining a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the second surface comprises a second ridge extending in the direction of the optical path, wherein the second ridge at least partially overlaps the first ridge in a first direction perpendicular to the direction of the optical path, and wherein the first waveguide is doped a first conductivity type and the second waveguide is doped a second, different conductivity type; a first electrical contact coupled to the first waveguide; and a second electrical contact coupled to the second waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification