Slot waveguide for a phase shifter based on ferroelectric materials

US11988904B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• IHP GMBH—INNOVATIONS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE MICROELECTRONICS / LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FÜR INNOVATIVE MIKROELEKTRONIK · DE

Inventors

• Andreas Mai · Guben, DE
• Patrick Steglich · Berlin, DE
• Christian Mai · Großostheim, DE
• Catherine A. Dubourdieu · New York, US
• Veeresh V. Deshpande · Zürich, CH
• Dong-Jik Kim · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 21, 2021
• Grant date: May 21, 2024
• Expiry date: Dec 21, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F2202/103
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The present invention relates to a slot waveguide formed by a vertical material stack comprising a top layer with a first refractive index, a center layer including a ferroelectric material and with a second refractive index, and a Si1-xGex pseudosubstrate layer with 0<x≤1 and with a third refractive index. The center layer is grown on the Si1-xGex pseudosubstrate layer. The second refractive index is lower than the first refractive index and lower than the third refractive index. The slot waveguide can be included in a phase-shifter including two vertically arranged electrodes configured for providing a vertical electrical field (Ev) extending between the top layer and the bottom layer of the slot waveguide and for providing a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor compatible driver voltage. The phase-shifter can be configured for providing a linear electro-optical effect inside the center layer of the slot waveguide.