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US 8,340,478 B2Granted
Resonant optical modulators
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorMilos Popovic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are optical modulators that have two coupling paths or structures between an input port to an output port, at least one of which includes an optical resonator.
Claims17
An optical modulator, comprising:
- a first optical waveguide comprising an input port and a through port, the input port for receiving an input signal;
- a first optical resonator optically coupled to the first optical waveguide, the first optical resonator being optically active and interfacing with a driver that continuously optically modulates the input signal between a first modulation state and a second modulation state;
- a second optical waveguide optically coupled to the first optical resonator and comprising a drop port;
- and
- a coupling structure optically coupling the first optical waveguide to the second optical waveguide,
- wherein (i) in the first modulation state, a transfer function from the input port to the through port comprises a transmission zero at a frequency of the input signal, and (ii) in the second modulation state, a transfer function from the input port to the drop port comprises a transmission zero at the frequency of the input signal.
3 more elements
An optical modulator, comprising:
- an optical input port for receiving an input signal;
- an optical through port;
- an optical drop port;
- and
- an optical resonator structure coupling the input port to the through port and the drop port, the optical resonator structure comprising an optically active resonator that interfaces with a driver that continuously optically modulates the input signal between a first modulation state and a second modulation state,
- wherein (i) in the first modulation state, a transfer function from the input port to the through port comprises a transmission zero at a frequency of the input signal, and (ii) in the second modulation state, a transfer function from the input port to the drop port comprises a transmission zero at the frequency of the input signal.
3 more elements
A wavelength-selective optical modulator, comprising:
- an optical input port for receiving an input signal;
- an optical output port;
- a first path connecting the optical input port to the optical output port, the first path comprising at least two optical resonators, at least one of the optical resonators being optically active and interfacing with a driver that continuously optically modulates the input signal between a first modulation state and a second modulation state;
- and
- a second path connecting the optical input port to the optical output port via a structure outside of the first path,
- wherein the at least two optical resonators are resonant at substantially the same wavelength in at least one state during the continuous optical modulation between the first modulation state and the second modulation state.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.