Optical Switches Based on Induced Optical Loss

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024361663-A1
Application number	US-202418763346-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 3, 2024
Priority date	Jul 5, 2019
Publication date	Oct 31, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method includes propagating light in a first waveguide of a 1×2 optical switch. The first waveguide is adjacent to a second waveguide in a coupling region. The 1×2 optical switch comprising an input to receive the light and couple the light to the first waveguide. The 1×2 optical switch further comprising a first output to output light from the first waveguide and a second output to output the light from the second waveguide. The method further includes coupling the light to the first output and the second output based on absorption values of the second waveguide in the coupling region; adjusting absorption values of the second waveguide in the coupling region such that light is directed from the input to only the first output; and coupling light to only the first output based on the adjusted absorption values of the second waveguide in the coupling region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
propagating light in a first waveguide of a 1×2 optical switch, the first waveguide being adjacent to a second waveguide in a coupling region, the 1×2 optical switch comprising an input to receive the light and couple the light to the first waveguide, the 1×2 optical switch further comprising a first output to output light from the first waveguide and a second output to output the light from the second waveguide; coupling the light to the first output and the second output based on absorption values of the second waveguide in the coupling region; adjusting absorption values of the second waveguide in the coupling region such that light is directed from the input to only the first output; and coupling light to only the first output based on the adjusted absorption values of the second waveguide in the coupling region.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the absorption values of the second waveguide in the coupling region comprises adjusting a voltage applied to the second waveguide.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein coupling the light to the first output and the second output comprises optically coupling the first waveguide to the second waveguide with a first coupling efficiency.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a coupling ratio between the first waveguide and the second waveguide.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein adjusting the coupling ratio comprises applying heat, via a resistive heater, to at least one of: the first waveguide and the second waveguide.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising supplying a set of photons to the first waveguide.

7 . An optical switch device, comprising:
a switching region with an input, a first output, and a second output; a first waveguide that is coupled to the input to receive light and coupled to the first output to output light that is in the first waveguide; a second waveguide that is adjacent to the first waveguide in a coupling region, the second waveguide coupled to the second output to output light that is coupled to the second waveguide, the light being coupled to the first output and second output based on absorption values of the second waveguide in the coupling region being below a threshold level, the light being coupled to only the first output based on upon increased absorption values of the second waveguide in the coupling region, the increased absorption values being above the threshold level.

8 . The optical switch device of claim 7 , wherein a first end of the second waveguide is located adjacent to the coupling region.

9 . The optical switch device of claim 8 , wherein the first end is tapered.

10 . The optical switch device of claim 7 , wherein the first waveguide includes a first set of regions doped with first dopants.

11 . The optical switch device of claim 10 , wherein the first waveguide includes a second set of regions doped with second dopants.

12 . The optical switch device of claim 10 , wherein the second waveguide includes a third set of regions doped with the first dopants, and wherein at least a subset of the third set of regions is positioned adjacent to at least a subset of the first set of regions.

13 . The optical switch device of claim 7 , further comprising a voltage source configured to apply a voltage to at least a portion of the second waveguide, the voltage configured to adjust the absorption values of the second waveguide.

14 . The optical switch device of claim 7 , further comprising a heat source configured to supply heat to at least one of the first waveguide and the second waveguide so as to adjust a coupling ratio between the first waveguide and the second waveguide.

15 . The optical switch device of claim 7 , wherein the first waveguide is composed of a different material than the second waveguide.

16 . The optical switch device of claim 15 , wherein the first waveguide or the second waveguide is composed of silicon nitride.

17 . The optical switch device of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first waveguide and the second waveguide is a multi-mode waveguide.

18 . The optical switch device of claim 7 , wherein the first waveguide is vertically stacked with the second waveguide in the coupling region.

19 . The optical switch device of claim 7 , wherein the optical switch device is a 1×2 optical switch.

Assignees

• Psiquantum Corp

Inventors

• Vidrighin Mihai
• Kumar Nikhil
• Gibson Gary

Classifications

• G02F1/3132

  of directional coupler type · CPC title

• G02B6/12007

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

• G02B2006/12145

  Switch · CPC title

• G02B2006/12147

  Coupler · CPC title

• G02B6/354

  Switching arrangements, i.e. number of input/output ports and interconnection types · CPC title