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US 12,422,624 B2Granted
Tunable silicon nitride waveguide structure
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsMatthew J. Traverso, Donald J. Adams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments herein describe using an actuator to tune a waveguide. In one embodiment, the tunable waveguide includes a gap between the waveguide and cladding. The actuator can compress the cladding to shrink this air, bringing the cladding closer to the waveguide. Doing so changes the effective refractive index of the waveguide. Alternatively or additionally, the actuator can increase the gap.
Claims20
An optical device, comprising:
- a cladding material;
- a waveguide spaced apart from the cladding material by a gap;
- and
- a capacitive actuator comprising a first conductive plate embedded in the cladding material and a second conductive plate embedded in the cladding material, the second conductive plate positioned relative to the first conductive plate such that the gap is positioned between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate, the capacitive actuator configured to move the cladding material relative to the waveguide to vary the gap and change an effective refractive index of the waveguide.
1 more element
A method for adjusting a thickness of a gap defined between a cladding material and a waveguide, the method comprising:
- adjusting, using a capacitive actuator comprising a first conductive plate embedded in the cladding material and a second conductive plate embedded in the cladding material and positioned relative to the first conductive plate such that the gap defined between the waveguide and the cladding material is positioned between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate, the thickness of the gap proximate to the waveguide to move the cladding material closer to the waveguide.
A method comprising:
- providing a capacitive actuator in a relaxed state in which a gap separating a waveguide from a cladding material has a maximum thickness, the capacitive actuator comprising a first conductive plate embedded in the cladding material and a second conductive plate embedded in the cladding material and positioned relative to the first conductive plate such that the gap is positioned between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate;
- and
- operating the capacitive actuator in an actuated state to move the cladding material closer to the waveguide to decrease a thickness of the gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.