Optical amplifier including multi-section gain waveguide
First Claim
1. An optical amplifier, comprising:
- a silicon layer forming a silicon waveguide;
a gain waveguide positioned on the silicon layer, the gain waveguide comprising;
a first transition region to receive light from the silicon waveguide;
a gain region to amplify the light received from the first transition region, the first transition region tapering toward the gain region; and
a guide region to guide the amplified light into the silicon waveguide via a second transition region, the second transition region tapering toward the guide region; and
at least one electrical contact configured to apply current to the gain region to vary an optical gain of the gain region.
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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.
23 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An optical amplifier, comprising:
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a silicon layer forming a silicon waveguide; a gain waveguide positioned on the silicon layer, the gain waveguide comprising; a first transition region to receive light from the silicon waveguide; a gain region to amplify the light received from the first transition region, the first transition region tapering toward the gain region; and a guide region to guide the amplified light into the silicon waveguide via a second transition region, the second transition region tapering toward the guide region; and at least one electrical contact configured to apply current to the gain region to vary an optical gain of the gain region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for amplifying light, the method comprising:
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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 that tapers towards the gain 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 that tapers towards the gain region; and applying current to the gain region to vary an optical gain of the gain region. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. An optical amplifier, comprising:
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a silicon layer forming a silicon waveguide; a gain waveguide positioned on the silicon layer, the gain waveguide comprising; a first transition region to receive light from the silicon waveguide; a gain region to amplify the light received via the first transition, the first transition region tapering towards the gain region; and a guide region to guide the amplified light into the silicon waveguide via a second transition region, the second transition region tapering towards the guide region, the gain waveguide increasing in cross-sectional size from the first transition region to the second transition region; and at least one electrical contact configured to apply current to the gain region to vary an optical gain of the gain region, the at least one electrical contact extending along a path parallel to the gain waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification