ELECTRO-OPTIC MODULATOR

• US 20140064653A1
• Filed: 09/05/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gill, Douglas M., Green, William M., Valdes Garcia, Alberto
• Granted Patent: US 9,042,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/2
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0121 Operation of devices; Circuit arrangements, not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0356 controlled by a high-frequency electromagnetic wave component in an electric waveguide structure

Abstract

An electro-optical modulator device includes an optical signal path partially defined by a waveguide portion, a radio frequency (RF) signal path partially defined by a conductive line portion, an interaction region where an RF signal propagating in the RF signal path interacts with an optical signal propagating in the optical signal path to modulate the optical signal, and a first tuning portion arranged proximate to the conductive line portion, the first tuning portion including a conductive portion and a switch portion operative to connect the conductive portion to ground.

Claims

1. An electro-optical modulator device comprising:

an optical signal path partially defined by a waveguide portion;

a radio frequency (RF) signal path partially defined by a conductive line portion;

an interaction region where an RF signal propagating in the RF signal path interacts with an optical signal propagating in the optical signal path to modulate the optical signal; and

a first tuning portion arranged proximate to the conductive line portion, the first tuning portion including a conductive portion and a switch portion operative to connect the conductive portion to ground.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first tuning portion includes a first switch portion connected to the conductive portion and ground.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first tuning portion includes a second switch portion connected to the conductive portion and ground.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive portion is disposed in an arrangement overlapping the conductive line portion.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive portion of the first tuning portion is electrically isolated from the conductive line portion.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second tuning portion, the second tuning portion including a conductive portion and a switch portion operative to connect the conductive portion to ground.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a controller portion communicatively connected to the switch portion of the first tuning portion, the controller portion operative to control a state of the switch portion.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising a controller portion communicatively connected to the switch portion of the first tuning portion and the switch portion of the second tuning portion, the controller portion operative to control a state of the switch portion of the first tuning portion and a state of the switch portion of the second tuning portion.

18. The device of claim 2, wherein the first tuning portion includes a second switch portion connected to the conductive portion and ground.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive portion is disposed in an arrangement overlapping the conductive line portion.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductive portion of the first tuning portion is electrically isolated from the conductive line portion.

9. An electro-optical modulator device system comprising:

an optical signal path partially defined by a waveguide portion;

a radio frequency (RF) signal path partially defined by a conductive line portion;

an interaction region where an RF signal propagating in the RF signal path interacts with an optical signal propagating in the optical signal path to modulate the optical signal;

a first tuning portion arranged proximate to the conductive line portion, the first tuning portion including a conductive portion and a switch portion operative to connect the conductive portion to ground; and

a controller portion communicatively connected to the switch portion of the first tuning portion, the controller portion operative to control a state of the switch portion.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first tuning portion includes a first switch portion connected to the conductive portion and ground.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first tuning portion includes a second switch portion connected to the conductive portion and ground.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the conductive portion is disposed in an arrangement overlapping the conductive line portion.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the conductive portion of the first tuning portion is electrically isolated from the conductive line portion.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a second tuning portion, the second tuning portion including a conductive portion and a switch portion operative to connect the conductive portion to ground.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller portion is communicatively connected to the switch portion of the first tuning portion and the switch portion of the second tuning portion, the controller portion operative to control a state of the switch portion of the first tuning portion and a state of the switch portion of the second tuning portion.

16. An electro-optical modulator device comprising:

a substrate;

a radio frequency (RF) signal path partially defined by a conductive line portion arranged on the substrate;

an optical signal path partially defined by a waveguide portion arranged on the substrate;

an interaction region where an RF signal propagating in the RF signal path interacts with an optical signal propagating in the optical signal path to modulate the optical signal; and

a first tuning portion arranged on the substrate proximate to the conductive line portion, the first tuning portion including a conductive portion and a switch portion operative to connect the conductive portion to ground.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the first tuning portion includes a first switch portion connected to the conductive portion and ground.