COUPLED OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE RESONATORS WITH HEATERS FOR THERMO-OPTIC CONTROL OF WAVELENGTH AND COMPOUND FILTER SHAPE

• US 20080175538A1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brent Little, Frederick G. Johnson, Marcus Schuetz, Oliver King, Sai Chu
• Original Assignee: Brent Little, Frederick G. Johnson, Marcus Schuetz, Oliver King, Sai Chu
• Inventors: King, Oliver, Schuetz, Marcus, Chu, Sai, Johnson, Frederick G., Little, Brent
• Granted Patent: US 7,903,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/30
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12007 forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0147 based on thermo-optic effects G02F1/132 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3132 of directional coupler type

Abstract

An integrated optical device is disclosed comprising a substrate, optical waveguide, and compound optical resonator having a temperature sensor, at least two coupled optical resonators, and a heater localized to each optical resonator. An optical input signal is coupled to one of the resonators making up the compound resonator to form an optical output signal. The center wavelength and shape of the output signal is optimized with a feedback loop using the temperature sensor to control the power dissipated in at least one of the localized heaters. The power dissipated in the remaining resonator heaters is set according to a predetermined function having as an input variable the power dissipated in the resonant heater under control of the said feedback loop

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a substrate;

a compound optical resonator formed on the substrate, the compound optical resonator comprising at least two coupled optical resonators; and

a heater being substantially coextensive with and localized to one of the at least two coupled optical resonators.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor localized to two or more of the at least two coupled optical resonators of the compound optical resonator.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the compound optical resonator is positioned between the substrate and the heater.

4. A device comprising:

a substrate;

at least two optical waveguides on the substrate;

a compound optical resonator optically coupled to the at least two waveguides, wherein the compound optical resonator comprises a first optical resonator and a second optical resonator coupled to the first optical resonator;

a first heater which is coextensive with the first optical resonator;

a second heater which is coextensive with the second optical resonator; and

a control system configured to sense a first power dissipated by the first heater and control a second power dissipated by the second heater in response to the sensed first power.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the control system includes a temperature sensor localized to the first and second heaters.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the control system includes a control loop, such that the control system is further configured to control the first power.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein

the first heater is one of a first set of heaters and the second heater is one of a second set of heaters, the first and second sets of heaters collectively constituting N heaters, where N is an integer, the first power is maintained at a substantially constant value;

and

power dissipated in the remaining (N−

1) heaters is adjusted based on the first power.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the power dissipated in each of the remaining (N−

1) heaters is a linear function of the first power.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the power dissipated in each of the remaining (N−

1) heaters is a polynomial function of the first power.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the power dissipated in each of the remaining (N−

1) heaters is a second order polynomial function of the first power.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein an electrical power is applied to each of the N heaters, the electrical power being pulse width modulated

12. A device comprising:

a substrate;

at least two optical waveguides on the substrate;

a compound optical resonator optically coupled to the at least two waveguides, wherein the compound optical resonator comprises a first optical resonator and a second optical resonator coupled to the first optical resonator;

a first heater which is coextensive with the first optical resonator;

a second heater which is coextensive with the second optical resonator; and

a control system including a feedback loop to control a power dissipated by the first and second heaters.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a temperature sensor localized to the first and second heaters, and wherein the control system receives signals from the temperature sensor to control the power dissipated in the first and second heaters.