Optical modulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10295849-B2
Application number	US-201715796170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2017
Priority date	Dec 16, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

An optical modulator may include at least one ground electrode. The optical modulator may include at least one signal electrode parallel to the at least one ground electrode. The optical modulator may include at least one waveguide parallel to the at least one ground electrode and the at least one signal electrode. The optical modulator may include a first substrate disposed underneath the at least one ground electrode and the at least one signal electrode relative to a surface of the optical modulator. The optical modulator may include a second substrate disposed underneath at least a portion of the first substrate relative to the surface of the optical modulator. The optical modulator may include a floating conductor disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical modulator, comprising:
at least one ground electrode;
at least one signal electrode parallel to the at least one ground electrode;
at least one waveguide parallel to the at least one ground electrode and the at least one signal electrode;
a first substrate disposed underneath the at least one ground electrode and the at least one signal electrode relative to a surface of the optical modulator;
a second substrate disposed underneath at least a portion of the first substrate relative to the surface of the optical modulator; and
a floating conductor grid including a plurality of floating conductor segments disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate,
where the plurality of floating conductor segments includes one or more first floating conductor segments extending in a first direction and one or more second floating conductor segments extending in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

2. The optical modulator of claim 1 , where
the one or more first floating conductor segments intersect with the one or more second floating conductor segments at an acute angle or an obtuse angle, and
where the floating conductor grid is a non-orthogonal grid.

3. The optical modulator of claim 1 , where
the one or more first floating conductor segments intersect with the one or more second floating conductor segments at a right angle, and
where the floating conductor grid is an orthogonal grid.

4. The optical modulator of claim 1 , where the floating conductor grid extends longitudinally perpendicular to and laterally parallel to the at least one ground electrode and the at least one signal electrode.

5. The optical modulator of claim 1 , where the floating conductor grid is disposed offset to the at least one ground electrode and the at least one signal electrode, such that the floating conductor grid is aligned to be non-perpendicular and non-parallel to the at least one ground electrode and the at least one signal electrode.

6. The optical modulator of claim 1 , where the first substrate, the second substrate, and the floating conductor grid form a laminated substrate.

7. The optical modulator of claim 1 , where the at least one ground electrode includes a first set of ground electrodes corresponding to a first set of waveguides of the at least one waveguide and a second set of ground electrodes corresponding to a second set of waveguides of the at least one waveguide; and
where the floating conductor grid includes a first section disposed underneath the first set of ground electrodes relative to the surface of the optical modulator and a second section disposed underneath the second set of ground electrodes relative to the surface of the optical modulator,
where the first section and the second section are separated.

8. The optical modulator of claim 1 , where
at least one floating conductor segment, of the plurality of floating conductor segments, extends perpendicular to a fundamental mode propagation direction for the at least one waveguide.

9. The optical modulator of claim 1 , where
at least one floating conductor segment, of the plurality of floating conductor segments, extends parallel to a fundamental mode propagation direction for the at least one waveguide.

10. The optical modulator of claim 1 , where
at least one floating conductor segment, of the plurality of floating conductor segments, extends non-perpendicular and non-parallel to a fundamental mode propagation direction for the at least one waveguide.

11. An optical modulator, comprising:
a laminated substrate including a plurality of waveguides disposed a threshold distance from a surface of the laminated substrate,
the laminated substrate including a conductor layer to suppress radio frequency (RF) dielectric modes and parallel-plate modes within the laminated substrate,
where the conductor layer is a floating conductor grid of floating conductor segments and the floating conductor segments are connected by a conductor;

a plurality of ground electrodes disposed on the surface of the laminated substrate; and
a plurality of signal electrodes disposed on the surface of the laminated substrate.

12. The optical modulator of claim 11 , where the laminated substrate is a partially laminated substrate, and
where a portion of the laminated substrate is non-laminated.

13. The optical modulator of claim 11 , where the laminated substrate is a completely laminated substrate.

14. The optical modulator of claim 11 , where the floating conductor grid prevents propagation of dielectric radio frequency modes or parallel-plate substrate radio frequency modes.

15. The optical modulator of claim 11 , where the floating conductor segments include a first floating conductor segment oriented in a first direction and a second floating conductor segment oriented in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

16. The optical modulator of claim 11 , where the laminated substrate includes a substrate layer and a carrier layer; and
where the conductor layer is disposed onto the carrier layer, and
where the conductor layer and the carrier layer are adhered to the substrate layer such that an adhesive is between the conductor layer and the substrate layer.

17. The optical modulator of claim 11 , where the laminated substrate includes a substrate layer and a carrier layer; and
where the conductor layer is disposed onto the substrate layer, and
where the conductor layer and the substrate layer are adhered to the carrier layer such that an adhesive is between the conductor layer and the carrier layer.

18. An optical modulator, comprising:
a set of ground electrodes;
a signal electrode corresponding to and parallel to the set of ground electrodes;
a set of waveguides corresponding to and parallel to the set of ground electrodes,
where a first waveguide, of the set of waveguides, is disposed underneath a ground electrode, of the set of ground electrodes, relative to a surface of the optical modulator, and
where a second waveguide, of the set of waveguides, is disposed underneath the signal electrode relative to the surface of the optical modulator;

a first substrate disposed underneath the set of ground electrodes and the signal electrode relative to the surface of the optical modulator;
a second substrate disposed underneath at least a portion of the first substrate relative to the surface of the optical modulator; and
a floating grid conductor layer including a plurality of intersecting floating conductor segments disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

19. The optical modulator of claim 18 , where the floating grid conductor layer is not connected to a radio frequency (RF) ground.

20. The optical modulator of claim 18 , where the floating grid conductor layer is associated with a ground path for a direct current or an alternating current associated with less than a threshold frequency.

Assignees

• Lumentum Operations Llc

Inventors

• Kissa Karl
• Cheung Siu Kwan
• Shemo David M
• Glassner David
• Wooten Ed L

Classifications

• G02F1/035

  in an optical waveguide structure · CPC title

• G02F1/0356

  controlled by a high-frequency electromagnetic wave component in an electric waveguide structure · CPC title

• G02F1/225

  in an optical waveguide structure · CPC title

• G02F1/0305

  Constructional arrangements (G02F1/0327 - G02F1/05 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/2255

  controlled by a high-frequency electromagnetic component in an electric waveguide structure · CPC title