Optical amplifier including multi-section gain waveguide
First Claim
1. An optical amplifier, comprising:
- a silicon layer forming a silicon waveguide; and
a gain waveguide positioned on the silicon layer, the gain waveguide comprising;
an input end configured to receive light from the silicon waveguide;
a gain region configured to amplify the light to produce amplified light;
an output end configured to deliver the amplified light to the silicon waveguide;
a first confinement region positioned proximate the input end and configured to provide a first confinement factor; and
a second confinement region positioned proximate the output end and configured to provide a second confinement factor, the first confinement factor being greater than the second confinement factor.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein are methods, systems, and apparatuses to utilize a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) comprising a silicon layer including a silicon waveguide, a non-silicon layer disposed on the silicon layer and including a non-silicon waveguide, first and second mode transition region comprising tapers in the silicon waveguide and/or the non-silicon waveguide for exchanging light between the waveguide, and a plurality of regions disposed between the first and second mode transition regions comprising different cross-sectional areas of the silicon waveguide and the non-silicon waveguide such that confinement factors for the non-silicon waveguide in each of the plurality of regions differ.
24 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An optical amplifier, comprising:
-
a silicon layer forming a silicon waveguide; and a gain waveguide positioned on the silicon layer, the gain waveguide comprising; an input end configured to receive light from the silicon waveguide; a gain region configured to amplify the light to produce amplified light; an output end configured to deliver the amplified light to the silicon waveguide; a first confinement region positioned proximate the input end and configured to provide a first confinement factor; and a second confinement region positioned proximate the output end and configured to provide a second confinement factor, the first confinement factor being greater than the second confinement factor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for amplifying light, the method comprising:
-
directing first light in a silicon waveguide; coupling the first light from the silicon waveguide to a gain region of a gain waveguide via a first transition region; amplifying the first light in the gain region to form second light; coupling the second light from the gain region to the silicon waveguide via a second transition region; and applying current to the gain region to vary an optical gain of the gain region; wherein; the gain waveguide has a confinement factor at each location along a length of the gain waveguide, the confinement factor is defined by a width of a ridge of III-V semiconductor material in the gain region and a cross-sectional area of the gain waveguide, and the confinement factor decreases from the first transition region to the second transition region. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
-
17. An optical amplifier, comprising:
-
a silicon layer forming a silicon waveguide; a gain waveguide positioned on the silicon layer, the gain waveguide comprising; an input end configured to receive light from the silicon waveguide; a gain region configured to amplify the light to produce amplified light; and an output end configured to deliver the amplified light to the silicon waveguide, the input end of the gain waveguide and the output end of the gain waveguide each tapering with a decreasing cross-sectional size away from the gain region. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification