Apparatus and method for differential thermal optical switch control
First Claim
1. An apparatus for an optical device based on differential thermal control, the apparatus comprising:
- a dielectric base;
a pair of waveguides on the dielectric base, the waveguides having substantially similar lengths and extending in parallel for their lengths;
on the dielectric base, a single continuous layer of a thermo-electric material in contact with the pair of waveguides, wherein the continuous layer of the thermo-electric material is extended at least between outer sides of the waveguides across both waveguides, and along the length of the waveguides; and
on the thermo-electric material, a pair of electrodes extended next to the waveguides and along the length of the waveguides.
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Abstract
Embodiments are provided for an apparatus and method for differential thermal optical switch control. The optical switch is operated based on the interferometric principle by modifying the optical phase between waves propagating in waveguides via refractive index change in the waveguides using the thermo-optic effect. A heat pump designed as part of the optical switch is used to generate a temperature difference across the waveguides based on the thermo-electric effect. The thermo-electric effect is obtained using thermo-electric material or elements, also referred to as Peltier elements. An embodiment apparatus includes a dielectric base, a pair of waveguides extended in parallel on the dielectric base, and on the dielectric base a thermo-electric material in contact with the pair of waveguides. Additionally, a pair of electrodes extended, on the thermo-electric material, next to and along the length of the waveguides.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for an optical device based on differential thermal control, the apparatus comprising:
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a dielectric base; a pair of waveguides on the dielectric base, the waveguides having substantially similar lengths and extending in parallel for their lengths; on the dielectric base, a single continuous layer of a thermo-electric material in contact with the pair of waveguides, wherein the continuous layer of the thermo-electric material is extended at least between outer sides of the waveguides across both waveguides, and along the length of the waveguides; and on the thermo-electric material, a pair of electrodes extended next to the waveguides and along the length of the waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for an optical switch based on differential thermal control, the apparatus comprising:
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a dielectric base; on the dielectric base, a pair of waveguides winding, into multiple parallel segments, each of the multiple parallel segments having substantially similar lengths; on the dielectric base in each of the segments, a single continuous layer of a thermo-electric material in contact with the waveguides, wherein the continuous layer of the thermo-electric material is extended at least between outer sides of the waveguides across both waveguides, and along the length of the multiple parallel segments; and on the thermo-electric material in each of the segments, a pair of electrodes extended next to and along the length of the multiple parallel segments. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of differential thermal control for an optical device, the method comprising:
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applying a voltage to a pair of electrodes across a single continuous layer of a thermo-electric material in contact with a pair of optical waveguides of the optical device, the thermo-electric material extending at least between outer sides of the waveguides across both waveguides;
wherein applying the voltage to the electrodes provides a current flow and a heat flow through the continuous layer of the thermo-electric material and across the optical waveguides; andadjusting the voltage across the electrodes according to an optical operation for the optical device, wherein adjusting the voltage across the electrodes controls the current flow and heat flow between the optical waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification