Heterogeneously integrated electro-optic modulator

DWPI Title: Electro-optical modulator utilizing materials having high electro-optical coefficients, has input/output waveguiding structure to guide input light toward modulation zone waveguide and guide output light away from modulation zone waveguide
Abstract: In an electro-optical modulator, an electro-optical modulation layer is bonded to a cladding layer that overlies a substrate. A modulation zone waveguide is optically coupled to the electro-optical modulation layer and optically coupled to an I/O waveguiding structure embedded in the cladding layer. The I/O waveguiding structure is conformed to guide input light toward the modulation zone waveguide and to guide output light away from the modulation zone waveguide.
Use: Electro-optical modulator utilizing materials having high electro-optical coefficients, such as lithium niobate.
Advantage: The design of hybrid devices is made more amenable to hetero-integration without substantially sacrificing the potential gains in modulation bandwidth.
Novelty: The electro-optical (EO) modulator has a cladding layer (106) that overlies a substrate (104). An EO modulation layer is bonded to the cladding layer. A modulation zone waveguide is optically coupled to the EO modulation layer. An input/output (I/O) waveguiding structure is embedded in the cladding layer at a separation from the EO modulation layer such that the EO modulation layer is nearer to the modulation zone waveguide than it is to the I/O waveguiding structure. The I/O waveguiding structure is optically coupled to the modulation zone waveguide. The I/O waveguiding structure is conformed to guide input light toward the modulation zone waveguide and to guide output light away from the modulation zone waveguide.
Filed: 10/18/2019
Application Number: US16656922A
Tech ID: SD 14821.0
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate
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