Optical modulating device and apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10921618-B2
Application number	US-201816170573-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2018
Priority date	Oct 31, 2017
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

An optical modulating device may include a plurality of quantum dot (QD)-containing layers having QDs and a plurality of refractive index change layers. The QD-containing layers may be disposed between the refractive index change layers, respectively. The optical modulating device may be configured to modulate light-emission characteristics of the plurality of QD-containing layers. At least two of the QD-containing layers may have different central emission wavelengths. At least two of the plurality of refractive index change layers may include different materials or have different carrier densities.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical modulating device comprising:
a plurality of refractive index change layers; and
a plurality of quantum dot (QD)-containing layers disposed between the plurality of refractive index change layers, respectively,
wherein the optical modulating device is configured to modulate light-emission characteristics of the plurality of QD-containing layers, and
wherein each of the plurality of QD-containing layers comprises an insulating layer and a plurality of quantum dots embedded in the insulating layer.

2. The optical modulating device of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of QD-containing layers have central emission wavelengths that are different from each other.

3. The optical modulating device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of QD-containing layers comprise a first QD-containing layer and a second QD-containing layer, the first QD-containing layer comprising first quantum dots and the second QD-containing layer comprising second quantum dots, and
the first quantum dots and the second quantum dots comprise materials that are different from each other and/or have sizes that are different from each other.

4. The optical modulating device of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of QD-containing layers have thicknesses that are different from each other.

5. The optical modulating device of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of refractive index change layers comprise materials that are different from each other.

6. The optical modulating device of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of refractive index change layers have carrier densities that are different from each other.

7. The optical modulating device of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of refractive index change layers have thicknesses that are different from each other.

8. The optical modulating device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of refractive index change layers comprise at least one of a transparent conductive oxide and a transition metal nitride.

9. The optical modulating device of claim 1 , further comprising a signal application device configured to apply an electrical signal to the plurality of refractive index change layers,
the optical modulating device being configured to change refractive indexes of the plurality of refractive index change layers based on the electrical signal applied by the signal application device.

10. The optical modulating device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of refractive index change layers and the plurality of QD-containing layers form a stack structure, and
wherein the optical modulating device further comprises:
a reflector provided on a first surface of the stack structure; and
a band-stop mirror provided on a second surface, opposite to the first surface, of the stack structure.

11. The optical modulating device of claim 10 further comprising a light source provided between the stack structure and the reflector and configured to emit light to optically excite quantum dots included in the plurality of QD-containing layers, or an optical waveguide disposed between the stack structure and the reflector and configured to guide light to optically excite the quantum dots included in the plurality of QD-containing layers.

12. The optical modulating device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of refractive index change layers and the plurality of QD-containing layers form a stack structure,
the optical modulating device further comprising a light source provided on a surface of the stack structure and configured to emit light to optically excite quantum dots included in the plurality of QD-containing layers, or an optical waveguide provided on the surface of the stack structure and configured to guide light to optically excite the quantum dots included in the plurality of QD-containing layers.

13. The optical modulating device of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of refractive index change layers and the plurality of QD-containing layers form a stack structure,
the optical modulating device further comprising a nano-antenna structure provided on a first surface of the stack structure.

14. The optical modulating device of claim 13 , wherein the nano-antenna structure comprises one of a metallic antenna, a dielectric antenna, and a slit-containing structure.

15. The optical modulating device of claim 13 , wherein the nano-antenna structure comprises one of a multi-patch antenna structure and a fishbone shaped antenna structure.

16. The optical modulating device of claim 13 , wherein the nano-antenna structure comprises an output coupler.

17. The optical modulating device of claim 13 further comprising a light source provided at a second surface, opposite to the first surface, of the stack structure and configured to emit light to optically excite quantum dots included in the plurality of QD-containing layers, or an optical waveguide provided at the second surface of the stack structure and configured to guide light to optically excite the quantum dots included in the plurality of QD-containing layers,
wherein the stack structure is disposed between the nano-antenna structure and the light source or the optical waveguide.

18. The optical modulating device of claim 17 , further comprising:
a reflector provided on the light source or the optical waveguide; and
a band-stop mirror provided between the stack structure and the nano-antenna structure.

19. An optical apparatus comprising the optical modulating device of claim 1 .

20. The optical modulating device of claim 16 , wherein the nano-antenna structure further comprises an input coupler.

21. An optical modulating device comprising:
a plurality of refractive index change layers; and
a plurality of quantum dot (QD)-containing layers disposed between the plurality of refractive index change layers, the plurality of QD-containing layers comprising quantum dots (QDs), and at least two of the plurality of QD-containing layers having central emission wavelengths that are different from each other,
wherein the optical modulating device is configured to modulate, based on a refractive index change of the plurality of refractive index change layers, light emission characteristics of the plurality of QD-containing layers to have characteristics of emitting light of a plurality of wavelength regions.

22. The optical modulating device of claim 21 , wherein at least two of the plurality of refractive index change layers comprise materials that different from each other or have carrier densities that are different from each other.

23. The optical modulating device of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of refractive index change layers and the plurality of QD-containing layers form a stack structure,
the optical modulating device further comprises a light source provided on a surface of the stack structure and configured to emit light to optically excite quantum dots included in the plurality of QD-containing layers, or an optical waveguide provided on the surface of the stack structure and configured to guide light to optically excite the quantum dots included in the plurality of QD-containing layers.

24. The optical modulating device of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of refractive index change layers and the plurality of QD-containing layers form a stack structure,
wherein the optical modulating device further comprises:
a reflector provided on a first surface of the stack structure; and

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• California Inst Of Techn

Inventors

• Lee Duhyun
• Sokhoyan Ruzan
• Lu Yu-Jung
• Kafaie Shirmanesh Ghazaleh
• Atwater Harry
• PALA Ragip
• Baik Chanwook

Classifications

• G02F1/0152

  using free carrier effects, e.g. plasma effect · CPC title

• G02F1/0156

  using free carrier absorption · CPC title

• H01S5/18302

  comprising an integrated optical modulator · CPC title

• G02F1/01791

  Quantum boxes or quantum dots · CPC title

• G02F1/01716

  Optically controlled superlattice or quantum well devices · CPC title