Optical waveguides containing quantum dot guiding layers and methods of manufacture

• US 7,817,896 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Borrelli, Nicholas Francis, Sen, Sabyasachi
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Uyen-Chau N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bedtelyon; John M
• Application Number:
  US11/404,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20060245710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 385/131, 385/142, 385/144
• US Class Current: 385/142
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12104 Mirror; Reflectors or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1345 using ion exchange ion exchange in glass C03C21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/169 Nanoparticles, e.g. doped nanoparticles acting as a gain material
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/17 amorphous, e.g. glass

Abstract

Planar waveguides having quantum dots and methods of manufacture of the planar waveguide are described.

Claims

1. A planar waveguide comprising an NaCa-boroaluminosilicate glass material having a composition of:

approximately 56 mole % to approximately 60 mole % SiO₂;

approximately 4 mole % to approximately 6 mole % Al₂O₃;

approximately 16% to approximately 18% B₂O₃ mole %;

approximately 10 mole % to approximately 15 mole % Na₂O;

approximately 9 mole % to approximately 10 mole % CaO; and

0.5 mole % PbS, the waveguide further comprising;

a cladding layer having a first ionic component and quantum dots; and

an active layer having quantum dots and a second ionic component, the second ionic component being present within the active layer at a greater concentration than in the cladding layer.

2. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 1, wherein the first ionic component includes sodium.

3. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 2, wherein the second ionic component is selected from the group consisting of:

silver, potassium, rubidium and cesium.

4. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 1, wherein the quantum dots are PbS quantum dots.

5. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 1, wherein the quantum dots are in the form of a precipitate within a glass, the quantum dots comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of:

CuCl quantum dots, CuBr₂ quantum dots, Cu₂O quantum dots, AgCl quantum dots, CdS quantum dots, CdSe quantum dots, CdTe quantum dots, ZnO quantum dots, ZnS quantum dots, In₂O3 quantum dots, PbSe quantum dots and PbTe quantum dots.

6. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 1, wherein the quantum dots provide a wavelength tuning range of approximately 1000 nm to approximately 2500 nm.

7. A planar waveguide as recited in claim 1, wherein the quantum dots provide a wavelength tuning range of approximately 1300 nm to approximately 1550 nm.