Distributed amplifier optical modulators
First Claim
1. An integrated optoelectronic device on a monolithic substrate comprising:
- a plurality of optical modulating elements coupled in series,where the plurality of optical modulating elements has an optical input port and an optical output port,each of the plurality of optical modulating elements has an electrical input port for modulating the propagation properties of a guided optical wave propagating in a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements, andat least one of the plurality of optical modulating elements comprises a two terminal silicon PN diode wherein a depletion region can be varied according to a bias voltage for varying a refractive index;
wherein the refractive index variation modulates the propagation properties of the guided optical wave;
and a plurality of amplifiers,where each of the plurality of amplifiers has an input port, an output port and each output port is coupled to the electrical input port of a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements.
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Abstract
High speed optical modulators can be made of k modulators connected in series disposed on one of a variety of semiconductor substrates. An electrical signal propagating in a microwave transmission line is tapped off of the transmission line at regular intervals and is amplified by k distributed amplifiers. Each of the outputs of the k distributed amplifiers is connected to a respective one of the k modulators. Distributed amplifier modulators can have much higher modulating speeds than a comparable lumped element modulator, due to the lower capacitance of each of the k modulators. Distributed amplifier modulators can have much higher modulating speeds than a comparable traveling wave modulator, due to the impedance matching provided by the distributed amplifiers.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An integrated optoelectronic device on a monolithic substrate comprising:
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a plurality of optical modulating elements coupled in series, where the plurality of optical modulating elements has an optical input port and an optical output port, each of the plurality of optical modulating elements has an electrical input port for modulating the propagation properties of a guided optical wave propagating in a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements, and at least one of the plurality of optical modulating elements comprises a two terminal silicon PN diode wherein a depletion region can be varied according to a bias voltage for varying a refractive index;
wherein the refractive index variation modulates the propagation properties of the guided optical wave;and a plurality of amplifiers, where each of the plurality of amplifiers has an input port, an output port and each output port is coupled to the electrical input port of a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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6. An optoelectronic device on a substrate comprising:
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a plurality of optical modulating elements coupled in series, where the plurality of optical modulating elements has an optical input port and an optical output port; and each of the plurality of optical modulating elements has an electrical input port for modulating the propagation properties of a guided optical wave propagating in a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements; a plurality of amplifiers, where each of the plurality of amplifiers has an input port, an output port and each output port is coupled to the electrical input port of a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements; and a multi-tap delay line comprised of a plurality of electrical delay elements coupled in series; where the multi-tap delay line has an input port and a plurality of output ports; each of the plurality of output ports comprises the output of a respective one of the plurality of delay elements; and each one of the output ports is coupled to a respective one of the input ports of the plurality of amplifiers; wherein the plurality of delay lines are transistor based. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. An optoelectronic device on a substrate comprising:
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a plurality of optical modulating elements coupled in series, where the plurality of optical modulating elements has an optical input port and an optical output port; and
each of the plurality of optical modulating elements has an electrical input port for modulating the propagation properties of a guided optical wave propagating in a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements;a plurality of amplifiers, where each of the plurality of amplifiers has an input port, an output port and each output port is coupled to the electrical input port of a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements; a multi-tap delay line comprised of a plurality of electrical delay elements coupled in series; where the multi-tap delay line has an input port and a plurality of output ports; where each of the plurality of output ports comprises the output of a respective one of the plurality of delay elements; where each one of the output ports is coupled to a respective one of the input ports of the plurality of amplifiers; and a plurality of buffer circuits; wherein the output of at least one of the plurality of delay lines is coupled to the input of a respective buffer circuit and the output of the buffer circuit is coupled to at least one other of the plurality of delay lines, and the output of the buffer circuit is coupled to a respective one of the input ports of the plurality of amplifiers.
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17. An optoelectronic device on a substrate comprising:
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a plurality of optical modulating elements coupled in series, where the plurality of optical modulating elements has an optical input port and an optical output port; and
each of the plurality of optical modulating elements has an electrical input port for modulating the propagation properties of a guided optical wave propagating in a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements;a plurality of amplifiers, where each of the plurality of amplifiers has an input port, an output port and each output port is coupled to the electrical input port of a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements; a multi-tap delay line comprised of a plurality of electrical delay elements coupled in series; where the multi-tap delay line has an input port and a plurality of output ports; where each of the plurality of output ports comprises the output of a respective one of the plurality of delay elements; where each one of the output ports is coupled to a respective one of the input ports of the plurality of amplifiers; and an optical splitter and an optical combiner, where the odd numbered modulating elements of the plurality of modulating elements are coupled in a first series with an optical input port and an optical output port, the even numbered modulating elements of the plurality of modulating elements are coupled in a second series with an optical input port and an optical output port, the optical splitter has an input port and first and second output ports, the optical combiner has first and second input ports and an output port, the first output port of the optical splitter is coupled to the optical input port of the first series, the second output port of the optical splitter is coupled to the optical input port of the second series, the optical output port of the first series is coupled to the first input port of the optical combiner, and the optical output port of the second series is coupled to the second input port of the optical combiner.
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22. An integrated optoelectronic device on a monolithic substrate comprising:
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a plurality of optical modulating elements coupled in series, where the plurality of optical modulating elements has an optical input port and an optical output port; and
each of the plurality of optical modulating elements has an electrical input port for modulating the propagation properties of a guided optical wave propagating in a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements;a plurality of amplifiers, where each of the plurality of amplifiers has an input port, an output port and each output port is coupled to the electrical input port of a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements; wherein at least one of the plurality of the optical modulating elements comprises a MOS capacitor.
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23. An integrated optoelectronic device on a monolithic substrate comprising:
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a plurality of optical modulating elements coupled in series, where the plurality of optical modulating elements has an optical input port and an optical output port; and
each of the plurality of optical modulating elements has an electrical input port for modulating the propagation properties of a guided optical wave propagating in a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements;a plurality of amplifiers, where each of the plurality of amplifiers has an input port, an output port and each output port is coupled to the electrical input port of a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements; wherein at least one of the plurality of optical modulating elements comprises a PIN diode; wherein at least one of the plurality of amplifiers comprises a current push-pull driver circuit.
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24. An integrated optoelectronic device on a monolithic substrate comprising:
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a plurality of optical modulating elements coupled in series, where the plurality of optical modulating elements has an optical input port and an optical output port, and each of the plurality of optical modulating elements has an electrical input port for modulating the propagation properties of a guided optical wave propagating in a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements, and a plurality of amplifiers, where each of the plurality of amplifiers has an input port, an output port and each output port is coupled to the electrical input port of a respective one of the plurality of optical modulating elements; wherein the monolithic substrate comprises; a first layer comprised of monocrystalline silicon, a second layer comprised of dielectric material disposed on the first layer, a third layer comprised of monocrystalline silicon disposed on the second layer, a fourth layer comprised of dielectric material disposed on the third layer, and a fifth layer comprised of monocrystalline silicon disposed on the fourth layer.
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Specification