Mechanically actuated evanescent-wave coupled optical devices

• US 6,909,824 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clareo Photonics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Avi Messica
• Inventors: Messica, Avi, Messica, Asnat
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, TINA MEI SENG
• Application Number:
  US10/093,369
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 385 12- 13, 385 15- 17, 385/27, 385/30, 385/39
• US Class Current: 385/30
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12007 forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29343 Cascade of loop resonators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29352 in a light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3508 Lateral or transverse displacement of the whole waveguides, e.g. by varying the distance between opposed waveguide ends, or by mutual lateral displacement of opposed waveguide ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3536 involving evanescent coupling variation, e.g. by a moving element such as a membrane which changes the effective refractive index mode converters G02B6/14; adjustable lateral coupling between waveguides G02B6/283; electro- optical refractive index variations G02F1/0118
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3546 NxM switch, i.e. a regular array of switches elements of matrix type constellation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3548 1xN switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of N possible outputs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/357 Electrostatic force electrostatic forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/0841
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3594 Characterised by additional functional means, e.g. means for variably attenuating or branching or means for switching differently polarized beams

Abstract

Apparatus using mechanically-actuated evanascent wave coupling. At least a portion of an optical waveguide is integrated onto a substrate, and an optically active element is physically moved relatively to each other, with the result that propagation parameters for the waveguide are substantially altered. The optically active element may be a resonator or another waveguide. Altered propagation parameters can be used to cause an optical wave to be transformed in response to an electromagnetic signal. Physical parts of the apparatus can vary widely in both size and tolerance. The optically active element is mechanically actuated relative to a position of the optical waveguide.

Claims

1. Apparatus including

a substrate having at least a first region and a second region of optical medium thereon;

a moving part coupled to an element on said substrate; and

an optical energy wave being at least sometimes evanescent wave coupled between said first region, said moving part, and said second region, a degree of said evanescent wave coupling being response to said moving part.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein optical energy in said first region propagates using multi-mode propagation.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein optical energy in said second region propagates using multi-mode propagation.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein optical energy in said first region propagates using single-mode propagation.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein optical energy in said second region propagates using single-mode propagation.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said optical medium includes at least one of:

a doped waveguide structure, a ridge waveguide structure, a slab waveguide structure, an induced waveguide structure using an electro-optic effect or thermo-optic effect.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said moving part includes at least one of:

a semiconducting material, a dielectric material, an electro-optic material, a ferroelectric material, a ferromagnetic material, a piezoelectric material, a polymer, a thermoelectric material.

8. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said substrate includes at least one of:

a semiconductor material, a dielectric material, an electro-optic material a ferroelectric material, a ferromagnetic material, a piezoelectric material, a polymer, a thermoelectric material.

9. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said substrate includes a monolithic substrate having circuits integrated thereon.

10. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein changing a position of said moving part has an effect on a distance between at least two of:

said first region, said second region, an optical element separate from said first region and said second region.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10, wherein changing a position of said moving part includes at least one of:

angular motion of said optical element, linear motion of said optical element.

12. Apparatus as in claim 10, wherein changing a position of said moving part includes at least one of:

moving said first region, moving said second region, moving said optical element.

13. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said moving part is responsive to an actuator.

14. Apparatus as in claim 13, wherein said actuator includes at least one of:

an electrostatic effect, an electro-magnetic effect, a magnetic effect, a piezoelectric effect, a thermal effect.

15. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

optical energy is transferred between said first region and said second region;

and

said transfer is responsive to a position of said moving part.

16. Apparatus as in claim 15, wherein a passband of said transfer is tunable responsive to said position to be substantially restricted to a range of wavelengths.

17. Apparatus as in claim 15, wherein a passband of said transfer is tunable responsive to said position to be substantially wideband.

18. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said optical medium includes a waveguide.

19. Apparatus as in claim 18, wherein said waveguide includes at least one of:

silicon-on-insulator, gallium arsenide, aluminum arsenide, indium phosphide and compounds thereof, gallium nitride, glass, lithium, niobate, and polymers.

20. Apparatus as in claim 18, wherein said waveguide includes ternary or quaternary compounds comprised of elements from the III-V family in the periodic chart.

21. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said moving part includes an optical element responsive to said optical energy wave.

22. Apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said moving part includes at least one of:

a portion of a waveguide, a resonator.

23. Apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said optical element includes at least one of:

a disk, a ring, a segment of a waveguide.

24. Apparatus including

a monolithic semiconductor substrate having at least a first region and a second region of optical medium integrated thereon;

a moving part coupled to an element integrated onto said substrate; and

an optical energy wave being at least sometimes evanescent wave coupled between said first region, said moving part, and said second region, a degree of said evanescent wave coupling being responsive to said moving part.

25. Apparatus as in claim 24, wherein

a propagation parameter of optical energy in said first region is responsive to said degree of coupling;

and

said propagation parameter is at least one of;

amplitude or intensity, phase group velocity, wave-vector properties, energy distribution across frequencies.

26. Apparatus as in claim 25, wherein

optical energy in said first region is manipulated responsive to said propagation parameter;

and

said manipulation is at least one of;

modulation, sensing, switching, filtering, attenuation, amplification.

27. Apparatus as in claim 25, wherein said propagation parameter has an effect on at least one of:

an interferometer, a Mach-Zehnder device.

28. A method including steps of

disposing at least a first region and a second region of optical medium on a substrate;

and

physically moving a moving part coupled to an element on said substrate;

wherein an optical energy wave is at least sometimes evanescent wave coupled between said first region, said moving part, and said second region in response to said moving part.

29. A method as in claim 28, including steps of altering, in response to said steps of physically moving, a distance between at least two of:

said first region, said second region, an optical element separate from said first region and said second region.

30. A method as in claim 28, including steps of propagating optical energy in said first region using multi-mode propagation.

31. A method as in claim 28, including steps of propagating optical energy in said second region using multi-mode propagation.

32. A method as in claim 28, including steps of propagating optical energy in said first region using single-mode propagation.

33. A method as in claim 28, including steps of propagating optical energy in said second region using single-mode propagation.

34. A method as in claim 28, wherein said steps of physically moving include at least one of:

angular motion of said optical element, linear motion of said optical element.

35. A method as in claim 28, wherein said steps of physically moving include at least one of:

moving said first region, moving said second region, moving said optical element.

36. A method as in claim 28, wherein said moving part is responsive to an actuator.

37. A method as in claim 36, wherein said actuator includes at least one of:

an electrostatic effect, an electro-magnetic effect, a magnetic effect, a piezoelectric effect, a thermal effect.

38. A method as in claim 28, including steps of transferring optical energy between said first region and said second region in response to a position of said moving part.

39. A method as in claim 38, including steps of filtering said optical energy in a range of wavelengths.

40. A method as in claim 38, wherein said moving part includes an optical element responsive to said optical energy wave.

41. A method as in claim 40, wherein said moving part includes at least one of:

a portion of a waveguide, a resonator.

42. A method as in claim 40, wherein said optical element includes at least one of:

a ring, a segment of a waveguide.

43. Apparatus including

a substrate having at least a region of optical medium thereon;

a moving part coupled to an element on said substrate; and

an optical energy wave being at least sometimes evanescent wave coupled between said region and said moving part;

wherein a passband for said optical medium is tunable responsive to a position of said moving part.

44. Apparatus as in claim 43, wherein said passband is tunable to be substantially restricted to a range of wavelengths.

45. Apparatus as in claim 43, wherein said passband is tunable to be substantially wideband.

46. Apparatus as in claim 43, wherein said optical medium includes at least one of:

a doped waveguide structure, a ridge waveguide structure, a slab waveguide structure, an induced waveguide structure using an electro-optic effect or thermo-optic effect.

47. Apparatus as in claim 43, wherein said moving part includes at least one of:

a semiconducting material, a dielectric material, an electro-optic material, a ferroelectric material, a ferromagnetic material, a piezoelectric material, a polymer, a thermoelectric material.

48. Apparatus as in claim 43, wherein said substrate includes a monolithic substrate having circuits integrated thereon.

49. Apparatus as in claim 43, wherein changing a position of said moving part has an effect on a distance between said region and an optical element separate from said region.

50. Apparatus as in claim 49, wherein changing a position of said moving part includes at least one of:

angular motion of said optical element, linear motion of said optical element.

51. Apparatus as in claim 43, wherein said moving part is responsive to an actuator.

52. Apparatus as in claim 51, wherein said actuator includes at least one of:

an electrostatic effect, an electro-magnetic effect, a magnetic effect, a piezoelectric effect, a thermal effect.

53. Apparatus as in claim 43, wherein said optical medium includes a waveguide.

54. Apparatus as in claim 43, wherein said moving part includes an optical element responsive to said optical energy wave.

55. Apparatus as in claim 54, wherein said moving part includes at least one of:

a portion of a waveguide, a resonator.

56. Apparatus as in claim 54, wherein said optical element includes at least one of:

a disk, a ring, a segment of a waveguide.

57. Apparatus as in claim 43, wherein a phase of said optical energy wave in said optical medium is responsive to said moving part.

58. A method including steps of

disposing at least a region of optical medium on a substrate;

and

physically moving an moving part coupled to an element on said substrate;

wherein an optical energy wave is at least sometimes evanescent wave coupled between said region and said moving part in response to said moving part; and

wherein a passband for said optical medium is tunable responsive to a position of said moving part.

59. Method as in claim 58, wherein said passband is tunable to be substantially restricted to a range of wavelengths.

60. Method as in claim 58, wherein said passband is tunable to be substantially wideband.

61. Method as in claim 58, wherein said optical medium includes at least one of:

a doped waveguide structure, a ridge waveguide structure, a slab waveguide structure, an induced waveguide structure using an electro-optic effect or thermo-optic effect.

62. Method as in claim 58, wherein said moving part includes at least one of:

a semiconducting material, a dielectric material, an electro-optic material, a ferroelectric material, a ferromagnetic material, a piezoelectric material, a polymer, a thermoelectric material.

63. Method as in claim 58, wherein said substrate includes a monolithic substrate having circuits integrated thereon.

64. Method as in claim 58, wherein changing a position of said moving part has an effect on a distance between said region and an optical element separate from said region.

65. Method as in claim 64, wherein changing a position of said moving part includes at least one of:

angular motion of said optical element, linear motion of said optical element.

66. Method as in claim 58, wherein said moving part is responsive to an actuator.

67. Method as in claim 66, wherein said actuator includes at least one of:

an electrostatic effect, an electro-magnetic effect, a piezoelectric effect, a thermal effect.

68. Method as in claim 58, wherein said optical medium includes a waveguide.

69. Method as in claim 58, wherein said moving part includes an optical element responsive to said optical energy wave.

70. Method as in claim 69, wherein said moving part includes at least one of:

a portion of a waveguide, a resonator.

71. Method as in claim 69, wherein said optical element includes at least one of:

a disk, a ring, a segment of a waveguide.

72. Method as in claim 58, wherein a phase of said optical energy wave in said optical medium is responsive to said moving part.