Ultrafast optical modulator
US4928076A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 23, 1989 |
| Grant date | May 22, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 23, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/0154
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An ultrafast traveling wave optical modulator capable of functioning at frequencies greater than 100 GHz having an optical waveguide parallel to a transmission line. The optical waveguide is in a substrate of electro-optic material (GaAs with GaAlAs layers forming the optical waveguide). The transmission line is a pair of coplanar electrodes on the substrate. A superstrate having an effective dielectric constant substantially equal to the square of the index of refraction of the substrate (a GaAs body in which the electric field on the line is substantially confined) eliminates the mismatch in velocity of propagation of the traveling electrical and optical signals thereby increasing the response time of the modulator so that it can function when the electrical modulating signal on the line exceeds 100 GHz in bandwidth.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.