Low-voltage differentially-signaled modulators
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A photonic modulator comprising:
- at least one modulator section including a P-type layer and an N-type layer forming a PN junction in the modulator section; and
differential drive circuitry electrically coupled to the P-type layer and the N-type layer of the at least one modulator section and configured to drive the P-type layer out of phase with the N-type layer of the at least one modulator section.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Photonic modulators and methods of modulating an input optical signal are provided. A photonic modulator includes at least one modulator section and differential drive circuitry. The at least one modulator section includes a P-type layer and an N-type layer forming a PN junction in the modulator section. The differential drive circuitry is electrically coupled to the P-type layer and the N-type layer of the at least one modulator section.
20 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A photonic modulator comprising:
-
at least one modulator section including a P-type layer and an N-type layer forming a PN junction in the modulator section; and differential drive circuitry electrically coupled to the P-type layer and the N-type layer of the at least one modulator section and configured to drive the P-type layer out of phase with the N-type layer of the at least one modulator section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A differential Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM), comprising:
-
a Mach-Zehnder interferometer including; an input optical coupler, two waveguide arms optically coupled to the input optical coupler, each waveguide arm including a modulator section, each modulator section including a P-type layer and an N-type layer forming a PN junction in the modulator section, and an output optical coupler optically coupled to the two waveguide arms; and differential drive circuitry electrically coupled to the modulator section of each of the two waveguide arms of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer, the differential drive circuitry configured to differentially drive the P-type layer and the N-type layer of each modulator section out of phase with each other and to differentially drive the two waveguide arms. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
-
-
19. A method of modulating an input optical signal, the method comprising:
-
coupling the input optical signal to at least one modulator section, the at least one modulator section including a P-type layer and an N-type layer forming a PN junction in the modulator section; applying differential signaling to the at least one modulator section via differential drive circuitry electrically coupled to the P-type layer and the N-type layer of the at least one modulator section so as to drive the P-type and N-type layers out of phase with each other, to modulate the input optical signal by the at least one modulator section and to form an output optical signal; and transmitting the output optical signal.
-
Specification