Optical waveguides containing quantum dot guiding layers and methods of manufacture

• US 20060245710A1
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Borrelli, Nicholas Francis, Sen, Sabyasachi
• Granted Patent: US 7,817,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/129
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12104 Mirror; Reflectors or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1345 using ion exchange ion exchange in glass C03C21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/169 Nanoparticles, e.g. doped nanoparticles acting as a gain material
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/17 amorphous, e.g. glass

Abstract

Planar waveguides having quantum dots and methods of manufacture of the planar waveguide are described.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a waveguide containing quantum dots, the method comprising:

providing a glass material;

selectively introducing a first type of ions to the glass material, wherein the first type of ions are exchanged with a second type of ions present in the glass to increase the index of refraction in selected regions of the glass material.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected

region is the guiding region of the waveguide.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the introducing further comprises:

forming a mask over a surface of the glass material; and

thermally diffusing the first type of ions through an opening in the mask.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the quantum dots are lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dots.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the first type of ions are potassium ions.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the first type of ions are silver ions.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the glass material is a NaCa-boroaluminosilicate glass.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to the selective introducing, the quantum dots are nucleated and grown.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selective introduction further comprises immersing the glass material in a bath containing the first type of ions.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, after selectively introducing the first type of ions, selectively reintroducing the second type of ions.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the quantum dots are one or more selected from the group consisting of:

CuCl quantum dots, CuBr₂ quantum dots, Cu₂O quantum dots, AgCl quantum dots, CdS quantum dots, CdSe quantum dots, CdTe quantum dots, ZnO quantum dots, ZnS quantum dots, In₂O3 quantum dots, PbSe quantum dots and PbTe quantum dots.

12. A planar waveguide, comprising:

a cladding layer having a first type of component and quantum dots; and

an active layer having the quantum dots and a second type of component, which at least partially replaced the first component.

13. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 12, wherein the first component includes a glass material and the first type of component is sodium.

14. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 13, wherein the second component is selected from the group consisting of:

silver, potassium, rubidium and cesium.

15. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 12, wherein the glass material is NaCa-boroaluminosilicate.

16. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 12, wherein the quantum dots are PbS quantum dots.

17. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 12, wherein the quantum dots are one or more selected from the group consisting of:

CuCl quantum dots, CuBr₂ quantum dots, Cu₂O quantum dots, AgCl quantum dots, CdS quantum dots, CdSe quantum dots, CdTe quantum dots, ZnO quantum dots, ZnS quantum dots, In₂O3 quantum dots, PbSe quantum dots and PbTe quantum dots.

18. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 15, wherein the NaCa-boroaluminosilicate glass material is of a composition of:

approximately 56 mole % to approximately 60 mole % SiO₂;

approximately 4 mole % to approximately 6 mole % Al₂O₃;

approximately 16% to approximately 18% B₂O₃ mole %;

approximately 10 mole % to approximately 15 mole % Na₂O;

approximately 9 mole % to approximately 10 mole % CaO; and

0.5 mole % PbS.

19. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 12, wherein the quantum dots provide a wavelength tuning range of approximately 1000 nm to approximately 2500 nm.

20. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 15, wherein the quantum dots provide a wavelength tuning range of approximately 1300 nm to approximately 1550 nm.