Phase shifter for optical communications systems
AssigneeTaara Connect, Inc.
InventorsSimon Bilodeau, Tymon Barwicz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure provide phase shifters as well as systems and methods in which those phase shifters may be utilized. For instance, a first phase shifter may consist of silicon material and may have a first electrode, a strip waveguide, and a second electrode. The strip waveguide may be arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode such that there is a first gap between the first electrode and the strip waveguide and a second gap between the second electrode and the strip waveguide such that there is no physical contact between the electrodes and the strip waveguide. The first electrode may be hole-doped, the strip waveguide may have no doping, and the second electrode may be electron-doped.
Claims20
A phase shifter consisting of a silicon material, the phase shifter having:
- a first electrode;
- a strip waveguide;
- and
- a second electrode, wherein the strip waveguide is arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode such that there is a first gap between the first electrode and the strip waveguide such that there is no physical contact between the first electrode and the strip waveguide and there is a second gap between the second electrode and the strip waveguide such that there is no physical contact between the second electrode and the strip waveguide, wherein the first electrode is hole-doped, the strip waveguide has no doping, and the second electrode is electron-doped.
A system comprising:
- a first communications terminal comprising:
- an optical phased array (OPA) architecture including a plurality of phase shifters configured to receive an optical communications beam from a second communications terminal, wherein the plurality of phase shifters includes a first phase shifter consisting of silicon material, the first phase shifter having:
- a first electrode;
- a strip waveguide;
- and
- a second electrode, wherein the strip waveguide is arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode such that there is a first gap between the first electrode and the strip waveguide such that there is no physical contact between the first electrode and the strip waveguide and there is a second gap between the second electrode and the strip waveguide such that there is no physical contact between the second electrode and the strip waveguide, wherein the first electrode is hole-doped, the strip waveguide has no doping, and the second electrode is electron-doped.
A method comprising:
- receiving, at a first communications terminal, light through an aperture;
- passing the received light to a phase shifter of an OPA architecture, the phase shifter consisting of silicon material, the phase shifter having:
- a first electrode;
- a strip waveguide;
- and
- a second electrode, wherein the strip waveguide is arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode such that there is a first gap between the first electrode and the strip waveguide such that there is no physical contact between the first electrode and the strip waveguide and there is a second gap between the second electrode and the strip waveguide such that there is no physical contact between the second electrode and the strip waveguide, wherein the first electrode is hole-doped, the strip waveguide has no doping, and the second electrode is electron-doped;
- providing, using the phase shifter, the received light to receiver components including a sensor;
- receiving, using the phase shifter, light to be transmitted;
- and
- transmitting the light to be transmitted through the aperture and to a second communications terminal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.