Rapidly tunable wavelength selective ring resonator

US7961988B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Boeing Company · US

Inventors

• William P. Krug · Bellevue, US
• Jocelyn Y. Takayesu · Tacoma, US
• Michael J. Hochberg · New York, US
• Thomas Wetteland Baehr-Jones · Arcadia, US
• Eric Y. Chan · Mercer Island, US
• Larry R. Dalton · Silverdale, US
• Axel Scherer · Laguna Beach, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 4, 2007
• Grant date: Jun 14, 2011
• Expiry date: Jan 11, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F2203/585
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for a rapidly tunable wavelength selective ring resonator. An embodiment of a voltage-tunable wavelength selective ring resonator includes a ring-shaped waveguide formed on a semiconductor substrate, an electro-optic cladding layer formed over the ring-shaped waveguide, and voltage applying means for applying a voltage across the electro-optic cladding layer. The ring-shaped waveguide is configured to propagate optical signals having predetermined resonant wavelengths, the electro-optic cladding layer has a voltage-controlled variable refractive index, and the means for applying is configured to apply a wavelength-specific control voltage to the electro-optic cladding layer. The wavelength-specific control voltage will shift or tune the predetermined resonant wavelengths for the ring-shaped waveguide.