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US 2004/0056243 A1Published application
Devices with optical gain in silicon
AssigneeTranslucent, Inc.
InventorsPeter B. Atanackovic, Larry R. Marshall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photonic device includes a silicon semiconductor based superlattice. The superlattice has a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units. At least one of the layers in the repeating unit is an optically active layer with at least one species of rare earth ion.
Claims110
A photonic device, comprising:
- a silicon semiconductor based superlattice that includes a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, wherein at least one of the layers in the repeating unit is an optically active layer with at least one species of rare earth ion.
A wavelength selective optical device, comprising
- a silicon based superlattice including a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, wherein at least one of the layers is an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- and
- a filter coupled to the superlattice.
An optical switch, comprising:
- a silicon based superlattice including a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, wherein at least one of the layers is an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- and
- an optical waveguide.
An optical device, comprising:
- a silicon based superlattice including a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, wherein at least one of the layers is an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- a silicon containing layer positioned on a surface of the superlattice;
- and
- at least one transistor positioned on a surface of the silicon containing layer.
1 more element
A nonlinear optical device comprising:
- a plurality of adjacent silicon based superlattice structures including a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, wherein at least one of the layers is an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- wherein each adjacent superlattice structure is gown in an alternating fashion to create a periodic variation in a refractive index
A tunable laser system, comprising:
- first and second reflectors defining a resonator;
- a silicon based superlattice positioned between the first and second reflectors, the silicon based superlattice including a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, wherein at least one of the layers is an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- wherein the repeating units are periodic and a period of the repeating units is selected to produce a desired output wavelength.
- a wavelength tuning member coupled to the laser;
- a temperature sensor coupled to the laser;
- and
- a control loop coupled to the temperature sensor and the tuning member, wherein in response to a detected change in temperature the control loop sends an adjustment signal to the tuning member and the tuning member adjusts a voltage or current supplied to the laser to provide a controlled output beam of selected wavelength.
4 more elements
An optical receiver, comprising:
- at least one p-doped layer;
- at least one n-doped layer;
- a silicon based superlattice positioned between the at least one p-doped layer and the at least one n-doped layer;
- the silicon based superlattice including a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, wherein at least one of the layers is an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- and
- at least two electrodes coupled to the at least one p-doped layer and the at least one n-doped layer of p-doped layer.
3 more elements
A semiconductor edge-emitting laser,
- first and second reflectors defining a resonator;
- a silicon based superlattice positioned between the first and second reflectors, the silicon based superlattice including a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, wherein at least one of the layers is an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- a confinement region that includes at least two electrodes.
A laser assembly, comprising:
- first and second reflectors defining a laser resonator;
- a silicon based superlattice positioned between the first and second reflectors, the silicon based superlattice including a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, wherein at least one of the layers is an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- wherein the repeating units are periodic, and a period and composition of the repeating units is selected to produce a desired output wavelength.
A vertical cavity surface emitting semiconductor laser, comprising:
- first and second reflectors defining a resonator;
- a silicon based superlattice positioned between the first and second reflectors and confined to a substantially circular region whose diameter matches a single mode diameter of the laser, the silicon based superlattice including a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion and the repeating units are periodic, with a period and composition of the repeating units selected to produce a desired output wavelength.
An optical switch, comprising:
- a first optical waveguide with biasing electrodes;
- a second optical waveguide with biasing electrodes, at least one of the first and second optical waveguides including a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- a coupling member that couples the first and second waveguides;
- and
- control circuitry coupled to the first and second waveguides.
2 more elements
A modulator, comprising:
- a first optical waveguide with biasing electrodes;
- a second optical waveguide with biasing electrodes, at least one of the first and second optical waveguides including a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion, the first and second waveguides having equal light paths;
- a coupling member that couples the first and second waveguides;
- at least one output coupled to the first and second waveguides;
- and
- control circuitry coupled to the first and second waveguides to induce a refractive index change in one of the light paths and cause destructive interference between the light paths upon recombination of light at the output.
3 more elements
An add/drop multiplexer, comprising:
- a first waveguide;
- a second waveguide;
- a ring waveguide including a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- and
- control circuitry coupled to ring waveguide, the control circuitry configured to couple light from the first waveguide to the ring waveguide and then to the second waveguide.
2 more elements
An all optical N-to-N cross-connect comprising:
- a first plurality of parallel waveguides;
- a second plurality of planar parallel waveguides, positioned substantially orthogonal to the first plurality of waveguides;
- a third plurality of curved waveguides positioned at overlap intersection points between the first and second pluralities of waveguides, each of a waveguide of the third plurality of curved waveguides including a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- and
- control circuitry coupled to selectively bias gain or loss in the superlattices of the third plurality of curved waveguides to couple light from one of the first plurality of waveguides into one of the second plurality of waveguides.
2 more elements
An optical wavelength converter, comprising:
- a first optical waveguide;
- a second optical waveguide, each of the first and second optical waveguides including a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion, superlattice including biasing electrodes to induce optical gain or loss within the first and second waveguides;
- at least one coupling member coupling the first and second waveguides;
- a first optical input signal and a second optical input signal coupled to the first and second optical waveguides;
- and
- wherein the superlattices of the first and second optical waveguides are biased to provide gain for the first optical signal and transfer a modulation from the first optical input signal to the second optical input signal by at least one of cross-phase or cross-gain modulation.
3 more elements
A dynamic gain equalizer, comprising:
- an arrayed waveguide grating including at least two resonant cavities coupled by a plurality of curved waveguides, each of a waveguide including a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion, wherein lengths of the waveguides vary by a fraction of a wavelength of light propagating within the waveguides;
- and
- control electronics to selectively bias each waveguide and produce a predetermined gain or loss to each wavelength in a spectrum of wavelengths exiting the arrayed waveguide grating.
An integrated transponder, comprising:
- a substrate;
- at least one a p-doped layer and an n-doped layer
- a silicon based superlattice including a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion and the superlattice is formed on the substrate;
- and
- electronic components integrated in the substrate and superlattice, the electronic components configured to provide at least one of control, filtering, clock recovery, signal detection, noise suppression and electronic signal processing of electrical signals generated by interaction between an optical input signal and superlattice and producing an optical output signal.
2 more elements
A dynamic optical multiplexer/demultiplexer, comprising of:
- a photonic band gap region forming dispersive member that spatially separates an input wavelength division multiplexed signal into a plurality of spatially separated individual wavelengths;
- a plurality of outputs;
- a plurality of waveguides coupled to the plurality of outputs, at least a portion of the plurality of waveguides having a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion, the superlattice including electrical circuitry to selectively bias the superlattice for gain or loss;
- a coupling device that combines the spatially separated waveguides into a single optical waveguide.
1 more element
A photonic integrated circuit, comprising:
- a plurality of waveguides, at least a portion of the plurality of waveguides having a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- at least one optical switch;
- electronics coupled to the plurality of waveguides;
- and
- a substrate, wherein the plurality of waveguides, at least one optical switch and electronics are all integrated on the substrate.
2 more elements
An optical intensity modulator, comprising:
- a plurality of waveguides, at least a portion of the plurality of waveguides having a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- and
- electronics coupled to the plurality of waveguides, the electronics and plurality of waveguides being configured to modulate an input optical signal and produce a modulated output optical signal.
An optical modulator, comprising:
- a plurality of waveguides, at least a portion of the plurality of waveguides having a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- and
- electronics coupled to the plurality of waveguides, the electronics and plurality of waveguides being configured to vary at least one of refractive index and loss of the waveguide to modulate a phase of an input optical signal and produce a modulated output optical signal.
An optical transistor comprising:
- a modulator, including
- a waveguide, at least a portion of the waveguide having a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion,
- electronics coupled to the waveguide, the electronics and waveguide being configured to modulate an input optical signal and produce a modulated output optical signal, and
- an optical receiver coupled to the modulator, the optical receiver including,
- at least one p-doped layer,
- at least one n-doped layer,
- a silicon based superlattice positioned between the at least one p-doped layer and the at least one n-doped layer;
- the silicon based superlattice including a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion, and
- at least two electrodes coupled to the at least one p-doped layer and the at least one n-doped layer of p-doped layer;
- wherein the receiver converts said optical signals received from the modulator into electrical signals and drives the modulator.
7 more elements
An optical amplifier, comprising:
- a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- a semiconductor laser diode that produces an output signal with a wavelength in the range of 700 nm and 1700 nm;
- and
- at least two electrodes coupled to the at least one p-doped layer and the at least one n-doped layer of p-doped layer
- a laser coupled to the optical receiver, including,
- first and second reflectors defining a resonator;
- a silicon based superlattice positioned between the first and second reflectors, the silicon based superlattice including a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, wherein at least one of the layers is an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion;
- electrical circuitry coupled to the laser and the optical receiver;
- and
- electronics coupled to the laser and the optical receiver configured to provide at least one of control, filtering and clock recovery, signal detection, noise suppression and electronics signal processing of electrical signals generated by an interaction with an optical input signal and the superlattice of the laser.
7 more elements
A silicon semiconductor based superlattice, comprising:
- a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion, wherein the superlattice forms a portion of a heterojunction bipolar transistor.
A silicon semiconductor based superlattice, comprising:
- a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of layers are interleaved with a plurality of quantum wells.
An electrically pumped amplifier, comprising:
- a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion, wherein the layers are ultra-thin epitaxial layers.
An optically pumped amplifier, comprising:
- a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion, wherein the layers are epitaxial layers;
- and
- an optical pump source coupled to the superlattice to optically excite gain within the superlattice.
A bipolar transistor, comprising:
- a collector including a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion, wherein the superlattice has a miniband injector as an emitter region.
A reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexer, comprising:
- an optical demultiplexer that separates an input optical signal into discrete wavelengths that each propagating in its own waveguide;
- an optical multiplexer;
- a first plurality of waveguides that couple the demultiplexer and the multiplexer, each of a waveguide of the first plurality including a 1-to-2 optical switch, each switch including a silicon based superlattice with a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units, at least one of the layers being an active region layer with at least one rare earth ion,
- a second plurality of waveguides connected to the outputs of the 1-to-2 optical switches;
- and
- electrical control circuitry configured to bias the superlattices and switch light into one of the first or second waveguides.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.