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US 2003/0117681 A1Published application
Asymmetric fabry-perot modulator with a micromechanical phase compensating cavity
AssigneeCoreTek, Inc.
InventorParviz Tayebati
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator is disclosed having an adjustable resonant cavity length. A preferred embodiment of the invention includes an asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator having a first reflector adjustably mounted to another portion of the modulator containing a second reflector. The length of the resonant cavity is adjusted by microelectomechanically changing the distance from the first reflector to the second reflector. In turn, this change of the resonant cavity length may tune the modulator to an optimal wavelength corresponding to the electro-absorptance material in the modulator.
Claims9
An asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator, comprising:
- a first reflector and a second reflector in said asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator forming a resonant cavity therebetween;
- electro-absorption material disposed between said first reflector and said second reflector, the absorption of said electro-absorption material being varied in response to an external modulating signal;
- and
- means for adjusting the length of said resonant cavity formed between said first reflector and said second reflector, said cavity length adjustment means include changing the position of said first reflector relative to said second reflector, wherein the magnitude of light output from said first reflector is determined by the reflectivity of said first reflector, the reflectivity of said second reflector, the absorption in said electro-absorption material and the length of said resonant cavity as defined by said cavity length adjustment means.
1 more element
A method for tuning an asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator, comprising:
- reflecting laser light between a first reflector and a second reflector in said asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator, said first reflector and said second reflector forming a resonating cavity therebetween;
- positioning said first reflector to change the length of said resonating cavity to an optimal wavelength as defined by the properties of electro-absorption material contained in said modulator;
- and
- monitoring the output of said first reflector as the length of said resonating cavity is tuned whereby to tune said asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator to the optimal wavelength.
1 more element
A method for tuning an asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator, comprising:
- reflecting laser light between a first reflector and a second reflector in said asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator, said first reflector and said second reflector forming a resonating cavity therebetween;
- applying an external modulating signal to electro-absorption material disposed between said first reflector and said second reflector, the absorption of said electro-absorption material being varied in response to said external modulating signal;
- and
- adjusting the length of said resonant cavity formed between said first reflector and said second reflector, wherein the magnitude of light output from said first reflector is determined by the reflectivity of said first reflector, the reflectivity of said second reflector, the absorption of said electro-absorption material and the length of said resonant cavity as defined by said cavity length adjustment means.
1 more element
A method for tuning a laser, comprising:
- providing an asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator, said modulator comprising:
- a first reflector and a second reflector in said asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator forming a resonant cavity therebetween;
- electro-absorption material disposed between said first reflector and said second reflector, the absorption of said electro-absorption material being varied in response to an external modulating signal;
- and
- means for adjusting the length of said resonant cavity formed between said first reflector and said second reflector, said cavity length adjustment means include changing the position of said first reflector relative to said second reflector, wherein the magnitude of light output from said first reflector is determined by the reflectivity of said first reflector, the reflectivity of said second reflector, the absorption in said electro-absorption material and the length of said resonant cavity as defined by said cavity length adjustment means;
- applying said external modulating signal to said electro-absorption material;
- monitoring said magnitude of light output from said first reflector;
- and
- adjusting the length of said resonant cavity based upon said monitored light output to tune said asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator to an optimal wavelength.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.