Opto-acoustic signal processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11378741-B2
Application number	US-201916537229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2019
Priority date	Aug 10, 2018
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

Devices and systems for opto-acoustic signal processing are described herein. In one embodiment, the device may include a structure configured to laterally confine travelling acoustic phonons (hypersound) throughout, a first multimode optical waveguide embedded within the structure, and an acoustic phonon emitter within the structure, where the first multimode optical waveguide is selected to couple to the acoustic phonons (hypersound) confined within the structure. In one embodiment, the system may include a first light source optically coupled to a proximal end of the first multimode optical waveguide, the first light source emitting a probe wave having a frequency ωp(1), and a driver configured to drive the acoustic phonon emitter to emit acoustic phonons (hypersound).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a structure configured to laterally confine travelling acoustic phonons (hypersound) throughout;
a first multimode optical waveguide embedded within the structure;
an acoustic phonon emitter within the structure;
a first spatial-mode multiplexer in communication with a first end of the first multimode optical waveguide; and
a second spatial-mode multiplexer in communication with a second end of the first multimode optical waveguide;
wherein the first multimode optical waveguide is selected to couple to the acoustic phonons (hypersound) confined within the structure.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic phonon emitter is a piezoelectric or electromechanical device.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the structure configured to laterally confine travelling acoustic phonons (hypersound) throughout is a trench adjacent to the first multimode optical waveguide and the acoustic phonon emitter.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the acoustic phonon emitter is a second multimode optical waveguide; and
the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide are optically isolated from each other as a result of different widths.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide are optically isolated from each other as a result of a sufficient lateral distance between the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the sufficient lateral distance is at least a width of the first multimode optical waveguide.

7. The device of claim 4 , wherein the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide are optically isolated from each other as a result of additional optical features between the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide.

8. The device of claim 4 , wherein the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide are parallel.

9. A system comprising:
the device of according to claim 1 ;
a first light source optically coupled to the first end of the first multimode optical waveguide via the first multiplexer, the first light source emitting a probe wave having a frequency ω p (2) ; and
a driver configured to drive the acoustic phonon emitter to emit acoustic phonons (hypersound).

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the acoustic phonons (hypersound) are induced through stimulated inter-modal Brillouin scattering (SIMS).

11. A system comprising:
a device comprising:
a structure configured to laterally confine travelling acoustic phonons (hypersound) throughout;
a first multimode optical waveguide embedded within the structure; and
an acoustic phonon emitter within the structure;
wherein:
the first multimode optical waveguide is selected to couple to the acoustic phonons (hypersound) confined within the structure;
the acoustic phonon emitter is a second multimode optical waveguide; and
the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide are optically isolated from each other as a result of different widths;

a first light source optically coupled to a proximal end of the first multimode optical the first light source emitting a probe wave having a frequency ω p (2) ;
a driver configured to drive the acoustic phonon emitter to emit acoustic phonons (hypersound);
a second light source optically coupled to a proximal end of the second optical waveguide, the first light source emitting a pump wave having a frequency ω p (1) ;
a third light source optically coupled to the proximal end of the second optical waveguide, the second light source emitting a signal wave having a frequency ω s (1) ;
wherein the third light source is coupled into a different optical mode or polarization from the second light source.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the pump wave and the signal wave induce the acoustic phonon around a difference frequency Ω=ω p (2) −ω s (2) .

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the acoustic phonon produces mode conversion and a frequency shift to ω s (1) =ω p (1) −Ωor ω as (1) =ω p (1) +Ω.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the mode conversion is unidirectional.

15. A device comprising:
a structure configured to laterally confine travelling acoustic phonons (hypersound) throughout;
a first multimode optical waveguide embedded within the structure; and
an acoustic phonon emitter within the structure;
wherein:
the first multimode optical waveguide is selected to couple to the acoustic phonons (hypersound) confined within the structure;
the acoustic phonon emitter is a second multimode optical waveguide; and
the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide are optically isolated from each other as a result of different widths.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide are optically isolated from each other as a result of a sufficient lateral distance between the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the sufficient lateral distance is at least a width of the first multimode optical waveguide.

18. The device of claim 15 , wherein the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide are optically isolated from each other as a result of additional optical features between the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide.

19. The device of claim 15 , wherein the first multimode optical waveguide and the second multimode optical waveguide are parallel.

Assignees

• Univ Yale

Inventors

• Kittlaus Eric
• Otterstrom Nils
• Kharel Prashanta
• Gertler Shai
• Rakich Peter

Classifications

• G02B6/12004

  Combinations of two or more optical elements · CPC title

• G02B6/12007

  forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer · CPC title

• G02F1/125 Primary

  in an optical waveguide structure · CPC title

• G02B6/1225 Primary

  comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices · CPC title

• G02B6/105

  having optical polarisation effects · CPC title