Optically controlled integrated optical switch
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsRichard A. Soref, Joseph P. Lorenzo
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Abstract
An optically controlled integrated optical switch having a body made up of entirely crystalline silicon. More specifically, the body has a pair of channel waveguides intersecting at an X-like configuration forming therein an intersection crossover region. An electrically controlled optical source is positioned over the crossover region to shine intense, short wavelight on the crossover region in order to generate numerous electron-hole pairs in the waveguide material. These charge carriers alter the refractive index of the intersection region. A controllable current source is used to adjust the optical output power of the optical source. This, in turn, changes the amount of optical cross coupling of light between the intersecting waveguides.
Claims19
An optically-controlled integrated optical switch, comprising:
- a body made up entirely of crystalline silicon:
- an X-like channel waveguide structure having a first leg and a second leg formed within said silicon body, said first and said second legs intersecting to form an intersection crossover region of predetermined size;
- and
- means for providing a beam of light impinging on said intersection crossover region in order to alter the index of refraction of said silicon body and therefore changing the cross-coupling of light between said first leg and said second leg of said X-like channel waveguide structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.