Low-noise and high bandwidth electric field sensing with silicon-polymer integrated photonics and low drive voltage modulator fiber-based antenna link

• US 8,909,003 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2010
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University of Washington
• Original Assignee: University of Washington
• Inventors: Hochberg, Michael J., Baehr-Jones, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen Chau N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Chad
• Application Number:
  US12/690,070
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: 385/2, 385/12
• US Class Current: 385/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/241 using electro-optical modulators, e.g. electro-absorption probes containing electro-optic elements G01R1/071
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0885 using optical probes, e.g. electro-optical, luminescent, glow discharge, or optical interferometers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/011 in optical waveguides, not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/065 in an optical waveguide structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/105 single crystal Si

Abstract

An optical low drive voltage modulator electric field sensor device includes an electric field antenna. A low drive voltage modulator has an electrical voltage input electrically coupled to the electric field antenna, a light input, and a modulated light output. The optical low drive voltage modulator electric field sensor is configured to provide an optical output signal at the modulated light output having an optical parameter responsive to an electric field at the electric field antenna. The optical low drive voltage modulator electric field sensor device can also be configured to provide an RF output signal at a location physically remote from said antenna, where the RF output signal is responsive to an electromagnetic wave received at a remote antenna.

Claims

1. An electric field sensor device comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) antenna configured to receive an RF signal;

an optical splitter having a first input and a second input, wherein an output of the optical splitter is coupled to an input of a balanced photodetector;

a first voltage modulator having an input electrically coupled to said RF antenna, said first voltage modulator including;

a first slot waveguide, the first slot waveguide comprising;

a first plurality of silicon strips defining at least one first slot;

a first cladding comprising an electrooptic polymer;

a first light input; and

a first modulated light output coupled to the first input of the optical splitter; and

a second voltage modulator having an input electrically coupled to said RF antenna, said second voltage modulator including;

a second slot waveguide, the second slot waveguide comprising;

a second plurality of silicon strips defining at least one second slot;

a second cladding comprising an electrooptic polymer;

a second light input; and

a second modulated light output coupled to the second input of the optical splitter,

wherein said first slot waveguide is configured to provide a first optical output signal at said first modulated light output having a first optical parameter indicative of an electric field at said RF antenna, and wherein the first modulated light output corresponds to an enhanced electric field associated with an optical mode of the first slot,

wherein said second slot waveguide is configured to provide a second optical output signal at said second modulated light output having a second optical parameter indicative of an electric field at said RF antenna, and wherein the second modulated light output corresponds to an enhanced electric field associated with an optical mode of the second slot, and

wherein said balanced photodetector has an RF output terminal and said balanced location physically remote from said RF antenna, and said RF output signal is responsive to the RF signal received at said RF antenna.

2. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein said first optical parameter is a first intensity of said first optical output signal, and said second optical parameter is a second intensity of said second optical output signal.

3. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein said first and second voltage modulators are integrated with said RF antenna.

4. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein said first and second voltage modulators each comprise Mach-Zehnder interferometers.

5. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein said first and second voltage modulators each have a drive voltage of about 0.25 V or less.

6. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein a bandwidth of the electric field sensor device is equal to or greater than 1 GHz.

7. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein said electric field sensor device is configured for a non-contact sensing of an electric field.

8. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein said non-contact sensing of an electric field comprises a non-contact probing of RF transmission lines on a printed circuit board.

9. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein said electric field sensor device is integrated onto a single substrate.

10. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of optical voltage modulator electric field sensors.

11. The electric field sensor device of claim 10, wherein said plurality of optical voltage modulator electric field sensors is integrated onto a single substrate.

12. The electric field sensor device of claim 10, wherein said optical voltage modulator electric field sensors are configured as neural sensors to receive mammalian neural signals.

13. The electric field sensor device of claim 10, wherein said optical voltage modulator electric field sensors are configured as elements of a phased array antenna.

14. The electric field sensor device of claim 10, wherein said optical voltage modulator electric field sensors are configured as elements of a multicore central processing unit architecture.

15. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a laser optically coupled to said first light input via a first optical fiber and optically coupled to said second light input via a second optical fiber.

16. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein said first voltage modulator comprises a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and said second voltage modulator comprises a Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

17. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein the width of the first slot and the width of the second slot are each 20 nanometers or less and the width of the second slot is 20 nanometers or less.

18. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein the width of the first slot and the width of the second slot are each between 1 nanometer and 5 nanometers.

19. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein the balanced photodetector is further configured to eliminate second order non-linearities from the RF output signal.

20. The electric field sensor device of claim 1, wherein each of the first slot waveguide and second slot waveguide are configured to minimize Johnson noise levels.

21. The electric field sensor device of claim 20, wherein each of the first slot waveguide and second slot waveguide are made from highly doped semiconductors.