Electro-Optic Crystal-Based Structures and Method of Their Fabrication

• US 20100040340A1
• Filed: 10/23/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), University of Jerusalem
• Original Assignee: Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), University of Jerusalem
• Inventors: Agranat, Aharon
• Application Number:
  US12/605,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20100040340A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/141
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/48 Ion implantation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/02 made of crystals, e.g. rock-salt, semi-conductors G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1347 using ion implantation ion implantation in glass C03C23/0055; ion implantation in general C23C
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/225 in an optical waveguide structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/31 Digital deflection, i.e. optical switchingG02F1/33 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/307 Reflective grating, i.e. Bragg grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/20 LiNbO3, LiTaO3
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/32 Photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/15 involving resonance effects, e.g. resonantly enhanced interaction

Abstract

A structure is presented for use in optic and electro-optic devices. The structure comprises at least one region of an amorphous KLTN-based material in a KLTN-based material. Also provided is a method of processing a KLTN-based material, comprising at least one of the following: bombarding said KLTN-based material with light ions: and etching said KLTN-based material when in amorphous state by an acid; thereby allowing fabrication of one or more optical components within the KLTN-based material.

Claims

1. A structure for use in optic and electro-optic devices, the structure comprising amorphous KLTN-based material regions in a KLTN-crystal, said amorphous regions being buried inside the KTLN-crystal and laterally and vertically distributed in said KLTN-crystal in the form of a complex multi-layer structure comprising an arrangement of the amorphous regions within each layer having a preselected shape and predetermined pattern which is formed by spaced-apart amorphous regions, such as to define one or more optical devices.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein at least some of the amorphous regions have different refractive indices being different from a refractive index of the KLTN-crystal.

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of said amorphous regions define a predetermined refractive index distribution within the KLTN-crystal.

4. The structure of claim 1, wherein said amorphous regions are arranged to form complex integrated photonic circuits interconnected by waveguide pathways, the complex integrated photonic circuits defining a plurality of optical components to perform complex functions of light manipulations.

5. The structure of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of the amorphous regions define at least one volumetric optical component.

6. The structure of claim 1, comprising a plurality of the regions of said amorphous KLTN-based material arranged in at least two patterned layers, accommodated at different depths from the surface of said KLTN-crystal.

7. The structure of claim 1, wherein said complex structure comprises one or more waveguides arranged to substantially confine light in one and/or two dimensions.

8. The structure of claim 1, wherein said complex structure comprises one or more waveguides, at least one of the waveguides being arranged to allow propagation of light of a single mode.

9. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least one optical device includes at least one of an electro-optic device, a modulator, a resonator, a volume grating, an electroholographic device, a cross bar switch, a waveguide.

10. The structure of claim 9, wherein said at least one cross bar switch is constructed as an array of multilevel ring resonators in which input and output waveguides are orthogonal to each other and are located at different layers above, below or above and below the rings.

11. The structure of claim 1, wherein said KLTN-crystal is patterned to form at least one photonic crystal being a 1D, 2D or 3D photonic crystal.

14. A method of fabricating the structure of claim 1, the method comprising applying a refractive index engineering to the KLTN-based material by bombarding said KLTN-crystal with light ions, said bombarding being performed through a patterned ion stopping mask thereby forming a corresponding pattern of the amorphous regions buried inside the KLTN-crystal, thereby allowing fabrication of one or more optical components within the KLTN-crystal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said bombarding is performed with ions of various kinetic energy ranges, the ions thereby stopping at various depths presenting the stopping mask.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said pattern in the ion stopping mask is in the form of the mask regions of different thicknesses.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising applying a selective etching by acid of a region of said KLTN-based material when in amorphous state in KLTN-crystal resulted from said bombarding.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the selective etching comprises etching by a mixture of HF and HNO₃.

12. A structure for use in optic and electro-optic devices, the structure comprising a plurality of regions of an amorphous KLTN-based material arranged in at least two patterned layers, accommodated in a KTLN-crystal at different depths from a surface of said KLTN-based material.

13. A structure for use in optic and electro-optic devices, the structure comprising amorphous KLTN-based material regions in a KLTN-crystal, at least some of the amorphous regions having different refractive indices being different from a refractive index of the KLTN-based material.