Integratable Optical Isolator in a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer Configuration
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsMichael Salib, Dmitri Nikonov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical isolator includes first and second optical splitter-combiners disposed within a semiconductor die. The optical splitter-combiners are coupled together into an interferometer configuration by first and second waveguide sections also disposed in the semiconductor die. A non-reciprocal optical phase shift element is disposed within the semiconductor die and includes the first waveguide section passing through the non-reciprocal optical phase shift element. The optical isolator is configured such that forward propagating waves are constructively recombined by the second optical splitter-combiner while reverse propagating wave are destructively recombined by the first optical splitter-combiner.
Claims20
An optical isolator, comprising:
- first and second optical splitter-combiners disposed within a semiconductor die;
- first and second waveguide sections disposed within the semiconductor die coupling the first and second optical splitter-combiners in an interferometer configuration;
- and
- a non-reciprocal optical phase shift element disposed within the semiconductor die, the first waveguide section passing through the non-reciprocal optical phase shift element, wherein a forward propagating wave is constructively recombined by the second optical splitter-combiner while a reverse propagating wave is destructively recombined by the first optical splitter-combiner.
A method, comprising:
- splitting forward and backward propagating optical waves into first and second portions propagating along first and second waveguide sections of a waveguide structure disposed within a semiconductor die;
- injecting first and second charge carriers having opposite spin polarizations into the first waveguide section;
- constructively recombining the first and second portions of the forward propagating optical wave;
- and
- destructively recombining the first and second portions of the reverse propagating optical wave.
A system, comprising:
- an optical source coupled to generate an optical signal responsive to an electronic processing device;
- an optical fiber;
- and
- an optical isolator coupled between the optical source and the optical fiber, the optical isolator including:
- first and second optical splitter-combiners disposed within a semiconductor die;
- first and second waveguide sections having different lengths disposed within the semiconductor die coupling the first and second optical splitter-combiners in an interferometer configuration;
- and
- a non-reciprocal optical phase shift element disposed within the semiconductor die, the first waveguide section passing through the non-reciprocal optical phase shift element, wherein a forward propagating wave is constructively recombined by the second optical splitter-combiner while a reverse propagating wave is destructively recombined by the first optical splitter-combiner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.