Method and apparatus for adding/droping optical signals in a semiconductor substrate
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- splitting a first optical beam having multiple wavelengths into second and third optical beams with a first 3 db optical coupler disposed in a semiconductor substrate;
reflecting portions of the second and third optical beams having a tunable wavelength back to the first 3 db optical coupler with first and second pluralities of silicon and polysilicon interfaces, respectively, disposed along the semiconductor substrate;
directing portions of the second and third optical beams not reflected by the first and second pluralities of silicon and polysilicon interfaces to a second 3 db optical coupler disposed in the semiconductor substrate; and
combining the portions of the second and third optical beams not reflected by the first and second pluralities of silicon and polysilicon interfaces into a fourth optical beam with the second 3 db optical coupler.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A semiconductor-based tunable add/drop method and apparatus. In one aspect of the present invention, a method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes splitting a first optical beam having multiple wavelengths into second and third optical beams with a first 3 dB optical coupler disposed in a semiconductor substrate. Portions of the second and third optical beams having a tunable wavelength are reflected back to the first 3 dB optical coupler with first and second pluralities of silicon and polysilicon interfaces, respectively, disposed along the semiconductor substrate. In another embodiment, the portions of the second and third optical beams having a tunable wavelength are reflected back to the first 3 dB optical coupler with first and second pluralities of modulated charged regions. Portions of the second and third optical beams not reflected are directed to a second 3 dB optical coupler disposed in the semiconductor substrate. The portions of the second and third optical beams not reflected are combined into a fourth optical beam with the second 3 dB optical coupler.
33 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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splitting a first optical beam having multiple wavelengths into second and third optical beams with a first 3 db optical coupler disposed in a semiconductor substrate;
reflecting portions of the second and third optical beams having a tunable wavelength back to the first 3 db optical coupler with first and second pluralities of silicon and polysilicon interfaces, respectively, disposed along the semiconductor substrate;
directing portions of the second and third optical beams not reflected by the first and second pluralities of silicon and polysilicon interfaces to a second 3 db optical coupler disposed in the semiconductor substrate; and
combining the portions of the second and third optical beams not reflected by the first and second pluralities of silicon and polysilicon interfaces into a fourth optical beam with the second 3 db optical coupler. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method, comprising:
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splitting a first optical beam having multiple wavelengths into second and third optical beams with a first 3 db optical coupler disposed in a semiconductor substrate;
reflecting portions of the second and third optical beams having a tunable wavelength back to the first 3 db optical coupler with first and second pluralities of charge modulated regions, respectively, disposed along the semiconductor substrate;
directing portions of the second and third optical beams not reflected by the first and second pluralities of charge modulated regions to a second 3 db optical coupler disposed in the semiconductor substrate; and
combining the portions of the second and third optical beams not reflected by the first and second pluralities of charged modulated regions into a fourth optical beam with the second 3 db optical coupler. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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16. An apparatus, comprising:
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first and second 3 db optical couplers disposed in a semiconductor substrate, the first 3 db optical coupler optically coupled to receive a first optical beam and split the first optical beam into second and third optical beams having an approximately π
/2 phase difference, the second optical coupler optically coupled to receive the second and third optical beams and output a fourth optical beam; and
first and second tunable Bragg gratings disposed in the semiconductor substrate having respective optical paths through which the second and third optical beams are optically coupled to propagate between the first and second 3 db optical couplers, the first and second tunable Bragg gratings each including a plurality of silicon and polysilicon interfaces along the respective optical paths such that there are a plurality of perturbations of a refractive index of the semiconductor substrate along the respective optical paths, the first and second tunable Bragg gratings optically coupled to reflect back to the first 3 db optical coupler a portion of the second and third optical beams having a tunable wavelength.
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24. An apparatus, comprising:
first and second 3 db optical couplers disposed in a semiconductor substrate, the first 3 db optical coupler optically coupled to receive a first optical beam and split the first optical beam into second and third optical beams having an approximately π
/2 phase difference, the second optical coupler optically coupled to receive the second and third optical beams and output a fourth optical beam; and
first and second tunable Bragg gratings disposed in the semiconductor substrate having respective optical paths through which the second and third optical beams are optically coupled to propagate between the first and second 3 db optical couplers, the first and second tunable Bragg gratings each including a plurality of charge modulated regions along the respective optical paths such that there are a plurality of perturbations of a refractive index of the semiconductor substrate along the respective optical paths, the first and second tunable Bragg gratings optically coupled to reflect back to the first 3 db optical coupler a portion of the second and third optical beams having a tunable wavelength.
Specification