18526985. ELECTRO-OPTICAL MODULATOR USING WAVEGUIDES WITH OVERLAPPING RIDGES simplified abstract (Cisco Technology, Inc.)

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ELECTRO-OPTICAL MODULATOR USING WAVEGUIDES WITH OVERLAPPING RIDGES

Organization Name

Cisco Technology, Inc.

Inventor(s)

Donald J. Adams of San Jose CA (US)

Prakash B. Gothoskar of Allentown PA (US)

Vipulkumar J. Patel of Breinigsville PA (US)

Mark J. Webster of Bethlehem PA (US)

ELECTRO-OPTICAL MODULATOR USING WAVEGUIDES WITH OVERLAPPING RIDGES - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18526985 titled 'ELECTRO-OPTICAL MODULATOR USING WAVEGUIDES WITH OVERLAPPING RIDGES

Simplified Explanation

An optical modulator described in the patent application includes a lower waveguide, an upper waveguide, and a dielectric layer between them. When a voltage potential is applied between the waveguides, they form a silicon-insulator-silicon capacitor (SISCAP) guide for efficient optical modulation of a signal passing through.

  • Lower and upper waveguides
  • Dielectric layer
  • Voltage potential creates SISCAP guide
  • Efficient optical modulation

Potential Applications

The technology can be used in telecommunications, data transmission, optical networking, and high-speed communication systems.

Problems Solved

The optical modulator solves the problem of efficiently modulating optical signals at high speeds with improved optical efficiency.

Benefits

The modulator provides high-speed optical modulation, efficient signal processing, and improved optical efficiency.

Potential Commercial Applications

The technology can be applied in telecommunications equipment, data centers, fiber optic networks, and high-speed communication systems.

Possible Prior Art

Prior art may include other optical modulators using different materials or structures for optical signal modulation.

Unanswered Questions

How does this technology compare to existing optical modulators in terms of speed and efficiency?

The article does not provide a direct comparison with existing optical modulators in terms of speed and efficiency. Further research or testing may be needed to determine the performance differences between this technology and others on the market.

What are the potential challenges in scaling up this technology for commercial production?

The article does not address the potential challenges in scaling up this technology for commercial production. Factors such as cost, manufacturing processes, and scalability may need to be considered and evaluated for successful commercialization.


Original Abstract Submitted

An optical modulator may include a lower waveguide, an upper waveguide, and a dielectric layer disposed therebetween. When a voltage potential is created between the lower and upper waveguides, these layers form a silicon-insulator-silicon capacitor (also referred to as SISCAP) guide that provides efficient, high-speed optical modulation of an optical signal passing through the modulator. In one embodiment, at least one of the waveguides includes a respective ridge portion aligned at a charge modulation region which may aid in confining the optical mode laterally (e.g., in the width direction) in the optical modulator. In another embodiment, ridge portions may be formed on both the lower and the upper waveguides. These ridge portions may be aligned in a vertical direction (e.g., a thickness direction) so that ridges overlap which may further improve optical efficiency by centering an optical mode in the charge modulation region.