US 11,960,192 B2Granted

Optical phase shifter device

AssigneeAnalog Photonics LLC

InventorsMichael Watts, Ehsan Hosseini, Christopher Poulton, Erman Timurdogan

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An optical phase shifter may include a waveguide core that has a top surface, and a semiconductor contact that is laterally displaced relative to the waveguide core and is electrically connected to the waveguide core. A top surface of the semiconductor contact is above the top surface of the waveguide core. The waveguide core may include a p-type core region and an n-type core region. A p-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the n-type core region of the waveguide core, and an n-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the p-type core region of the waveguide core. A phase shifter region and a light-emitting region may be disposed at different depth levels, and the light-emitting region may emit light from a phase shifter region that is in a position adjacent to the light-emitting region.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An integrated optical device, comprising:

a phase shifter layer comprising an array of phase shifter regions formed from one or more materials including at least a first material, each phase shifter region comprising a first plurality of waveguides and at least one phase shifter for at least a portion of the first plurality of waveguides, wherein each phase shifter region of the array of phase shifter regions is located at a respective position within the array of phase shifter regions;
a splitting network layer, located below the phase shifter layer, comprising a plurality of splitting distribution networks, wherein at least two different splitting distribution networks are configured to couple light provided from or to a different respective initial waveguide to or from a different respective phase shifter region of the array of phase shifter regions;
and
an antenna layer, located above the phase shifter layer at a light emitting/receiving portion of the integrated optical device, comprising an array of light-emitting regions formed from one or more materials including at least a second material, each light-emitting region comprising a second plurality of waveguides, wherein each light-emitting region of the array of light-emitting regions is located at a respective position within the array of light-emitting regions, and wherein each light-emitting region of the array of light-emitting regions is configured to emit light received from a phase shifter region located at a position adjacent to a position of the light-emitting region.

1 more element

A method for fabricating an integrated optical device, the method comprising:

forming a phase shifter layer comprising an array of phase shifter regions from one or more materials including at least a first material, each phase shifter region comprising a first plurality of waveguides and at least one phase shifter for at least a portion of the first plurality of waveguides, wherein each phase shifter region of the array of phase shifter regions is located at a respective position within the array of phase shifter regions;
forming a splitting network layer, located below the phase shifter layer, comprising a plurality of splitting distribution networks, wherein at least two different splitting distribution networks are configured to couple light provided from or to a different respective initial waveguide to or from a different respective phase shifter region of the array of phase shifter regions;
and
forming an antenna layer, located above the phase shifter layer at a light emitting/receiving portion of the integrated optical device, comprising an array of light-emitting regions from one or more materials including at least a second material, each light-emitting region comprising a second plurality of waveguides, wherein each light-emitting region of the array of light-emitting regions is located at a respective position within the array of light-emitting regions, and wherein each light-emitting region of the array of light-emitting regions is configured to emit light received from a phase shifter region located at a position adjacent to a position of the light-emitting region.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/977,075Filed 31 Oct 2022 · continuation
Priority: 28 Apr 2016
Published: US 2023/0058824 A123 Feb 2023
Granted: 16 Apr 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G02F 1/225
By interference: in an optical waveguide structure
G02B 6/1223
Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths: high refractive index type, i.e. high-contrast waveguides
G02B 6/29331
With wavelength selective means: operating by evanescent wave coupling
G02F 1/025
Based on semiconductor elements having potential barriers, e.g. having a PN or PIN junction: in an optical waveguide structure

Family

Application62/329,178Us provisional application · filed 28 Apr 2016
Application15/499,468Parent of this division · filed 27 Apr 2017
Application17/035,216Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Sep 2020
US 10,809,591 B2Parent of this division · filed 20 Oct 2020
US 2023/0058824 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Feb 2023
US 11,526,063 B2Parent of this continuation
Application17/035,216Parent of this division
US 2017/0315387 A1Published application
US 2021/0026216 A1Published application
US 11,960,192 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.