Nano-cavity modulator device and method of manufacture and use
AssigneeOregon State University
InventorsAlan Wang, Erwen Li
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Abstract
Compact electro-optic modulator with integrated voltage-switched transparent conductive oxide capacitor with one-dimensional silicon photonic crystal nano-cavity.
Claims16
An electro-optic modulator, comprising a semiconductor photonic crystal nano-cavity, and a semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor (SIS) capacitor disposed in contact with the nano-cavity, wherein the semiconductor photonic crystal nano-cavity comprises a one-dimensional nano-cavity and comprises two photonic crystal mirror segments placed back-to-back with the nano-cavity disposed therebetween.
An electro-optic modulator, comprising:
- a strip waveguide comprising a semiconductor material, the waveguide having a height, length, and width;
- two photonic crystal mirror segments placed back-to-back along the length of the waveguide to define a one-dimensional photonic crystal nano-cavity therebetween;
- a layer of oxide material conformally disposed in contact with an upper surface of the waveguide at the location of the nano-cavity;
- and
- a layer of transparent conductive oxide disposed in contact with the layer of oxide material.
A method for modulating light, comprising:
- providing an electro-optic modulator having a semiconductor photonic crystal nano-cavity, and a semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor (SIS) capacitor disposed in contact with the nano-cavity, wherein the semiconductor photonic crystal nano-cavity comprises a one-dimensional nano-cavity and comprises two photonic crystal mirror segments placed back-to-back with the nano-cavity disposed therebetween;
- injecting light into the photonic crystal nano-cavity;
- and
- applying a time-varying voltage across the SIS capacitor to effect modulation of the light within the photonic crystal nano-cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.