Tunable silicon grating couplers
AssigneeOracle International Corporation
InventorsXuezhe Zheng, Jin Yao, Guoliang Li, Ying L. Luo, John E. Cunningham, Ashok V. Krishnamoorthy
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Abstract
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is described. This PIC includes a grating coupler for surface-normal coupling that has an alternating pattern of grating teeth and grating trenches, where the grating trenches are filled with an electro-optical material. By applying an electric potential to the grating teeth, the index of refraction of the electro-optical material can be modified.
Claims20
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a buried-oxide layer disposed on the substrate;
- a semiconductor layer, disposed on the buried-oxide layer, having a top surface;
- and
- a grating coupler, disposed on the semiconductor layer, having an alternating pattern of grating trenches and grating teeth adjacent to the grating trenches, wherein the grating trenches are etched at least partially from the top surface toward the buried-oxide layer;
- wherein the grating trenches are filled with an electro-optical material;
- and
- wherein the grating teeth are configured to apply an electric potential across the electro-optical material to modify an index of refraction of the electro-optical material.
A system, comprising an integrated circuit, wherein the integrated circuit includes:
- a substrate;
- a buried-oxide layer disposed on the substrate;
- a semiconductor layer, disposed on the buried-oxide layer, having a top surface;
- and
- a grating coupler, disposed on the semiconductor layer, having an alternating pattern of grating trenches and grating teeth adjacent to the grating trenches, wherein the grating trenches are etched at least partially from the top surface toward the buried-oxide layer;
- wherein the grating trenches are filled with an electro-optical material;
- and
- wherein the grating teeth are configured to apply an electric potential across the electro-optical material to modify an index of refraction of the electro-optical material.
A method for adjusting an operating wavelength of a grating coupler, the method comprising:
- measuring the operating wavelength of the grating coupler;
- determining an electric potential to apply to grating teeth of a grating coupler, disposed on a semiconductor layer, wherein the grating coupler includes an alternating pattern of grating trenches and the grating teeth adjacent to the grating trenches, wherein the grating trenches are etched at least partially from a top surface of the semiconductor layer toward a buried-oxide layer beneath the semiconductor layer;
- wherein the grating trenches are filled with an electro-optical material;
- and
- wherein the electric potential modifies an index of refraction of the electro-optical material;
- and
- applying the electric potential to the grating teeth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.