UNIT-CELL ARRAY OPTICAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR
First Claim
1. A unit cell comprising an optical microdisk, a separate optical phase shifter, and at least two input/output optical waveguides, wherein said microdisk and said phase shifter are both optically connected to a first input/output optical waveguide, and wherein said microdisk is optically connected to a second input/output optical waveguide.
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Abstract
This invention provides a versatile unit cell as well as programmable and reconfigurable optical signal processors (such as optical-domain RF filters) that are constructed from arrays of those unit cells interconnected by optical waveguides. Each unit cell comprises an optical microdisk, an optical phase shifter, and at least one input/output optical waveguide, wherein the microdisk and the phase shifter are both optically connected to a common waveguide.
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Citations
33 Claims
- 1. A unit cell comprising an optical microdisk, a separate optical phase shifter, and at least two input/output optical waveguides, wherein said microdisk and said phase shifter are both optically connected to a first input/output optical waveguide, and wherein said microdisk is optically connected to a second input/output optical waveguide.
- 13. An optical filter comprising a plurality of unit cells, wherein each unit cell includes an optical microdisk, a separate optical phase shifter, a first input/output optical waveguide, and a second input/output optical waveguide, wherein said microdisk and said phase shifter are both optically connected to said first input/output optical waveguide, and wherein said second input/output optical waveguide is optically connected to said microdisk.
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25. A method of constructing an optical signal processor comprising a plurality of unit cells, said method comprising:
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(i) providing a plurality of unit cells, wherein each unit cell includes an optical microdisk including a circular path, an optical phase shifter, a first input/output optical waveguide, and a second input/output optical waveguide, wherein said microdisk and said phase shifter are optically connected by means of said first input/output optical waveguide, and wherein said second input/output optical waveguide is optically connected to said microdisk; and (ii) interconnecting at least some of said plurality of unit cells with a plurality of optical waveguides, said plurality of optical waveguides being connected to said unit cells by means of said first and second input/output optical waveguides in said unit cells. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification