Tunable reflectors based on multi-cavity interference

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10126501-B2
Application number	US-201715797871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2017
Priority date	Sep 8, 2011
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A reflective structure includes an input/output port and an optical splitter coupled to the input/output port. The optical splitter has a first branch and a second branch. The reflective structure also includes a first resonant cavity optically coupled to the first branch of the optical splitter. The first resonant cavity comprises a first set of reflectors and a first waveguide region disposed between the first set of reflectors. The reflective structures further includes a second resonant cavity optically coupled to the second branch of the optical splitter. The second resonant cavity comprises a second set of reflectors and a second waveguide region disposed between the second set of reflectors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reflective structure comprising:
an input/output port; and
a Y-junction waveguide optically coupled to the input/output port, wherein the Y-junction waveguide comprises:
a primary arm including a primary propagation section, a first primary reflector coupled to the primary propagation section, a primary Y-junction waveguide coupled to the primary propagation section, and a second primary reflector coupled to the primary Y-junction waveguide, wherein the first primary reflector and the second primary reflector form a resonant cavity; and
a secondary arm including a secondary propagation section, a first secondary reflector coupled to the secondary propagation section, a secondary Y-junction waveguide coupled to the secondary propagation section, and a second secondary reflector coupled to the secondary Y-junction waveguide.

2. The reflective structure of claim 1 wherein at least one of the primary propagation section or the secondary propagation section comprises a variable index of refraction region.

3. The reflective structure of claim 2 wherein both the primary propagation section and the secondary propagation section comprise a variable index of refraction region.

4. The reflective structure of claim 1 wherein the first primary reflector, the second primary reflector, the first secondary reflector, and the second secondary reflector comprise sidewall modulated waveguide reflectors.

5. The reflective structure of claim 1 wherein the first primary reflector, the second primary reflector, the first secondary reflector, and the second secondary reflector comprise DFB grating reflectors.

6. The reflective structure of claim 1 wherein a length of the primary propagation section and a length of the secondary propagation section differ.

Assignees

• Skorpios Tech Inc

Inventors

• Van Orden Derek
• Mizrahi Amit
• Creazzo Timothy
• Krasulick Stephen B

Classifications

• G02B2006/12104

  Mirror; Reflectors or the like · CPC title

• H01S5/4068

  with lateral coupling by axially offset or by merging waveguides, e.g. Y-couplers · CPC title

• G02F1/0147

  based on thermo-optic effects (G02F1/132 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/29359

  Cavity formed by light guide ends, e.g. fibre Fabry Pérot [FFP] · CPC title

• H01S3/08027

  by a filter, e.g. a Fabry-Perot filter is used for wavelength setting · CPC title