Optical link circuit and method of making same
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsDavid William Vernooy, Samhita Dasgupta
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A circuit includes a flexible circuit having an optical waveguide embedded therein, a first device attached to the flexible circuit and configured to convert a first electrical signal to an optical signal, the first device positioned to emit the optical signal to an input end of the optical waveguide, and a second device attached to the flexible circuit and configured to convert the optical signal into a second electrical signal, the second device positioned to receive the optical signal from an output end of the optical waveguide.
Claims27
A circuit comprising:
- a flexible circuit having an optical waveguide embedded therein;
- a first device attached to the flexible circuit and configured to convert a first electrical signal to an optical signal, the first device positioned to emit the optical signal to an input end of the optical waveguide;
- and
- a second device attached to the flexible circuit and configured to convert the optical signal into a second electrical signal, the second device positioned to receive the optical signal from an output end of the optical waveguide.
A method of fabricating a circuit comprising:
- enclosing a first material in a second material, the first material having an index of refraction greater than the second material, the first material having an input end and an output end;
- attaching a photon emitter to the second material such that an output of the photon emitter is optically coupled to the input end of the first material;
- and
- attaching a photon receiver to the second material such that an input of the photon receiver is coupled to the output end of the first material.
A communication link configured to convey signals at the speed of light, the digital link comprising:
- an optical waveguide buried within a polymer, the optical waveguide having an input end and an output end;
- a first device attached to the communication link and coupled to the input end of the optical waveguide, the first device configured to emit photons into the optical waveguide;
- and
- a second device attached to the communication link, the second device coupled to the output end of the optical waveguide and configured to convert photons emitted into the optical waveguide into an electrical signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.