Electro-optical switch or optical attenuator

Abstract

The invention discloses an electro-optical switch or an optical attenuator, comprising an MZI (Mach-Zehnder Interferometer) structure, wherein the MZI structure consists of a first waveguide arm and a second waveguide arm; each of the first waveguide arm and the second waveguide arm comprises a waveguide capacitor structure; the first waveguide arm is externally connected with a first electric signal source; the second waveguide arm is externally connected with a second electric signal source; under the actions of the external electric signal sources, a great number of carriers are injected into an intrinsic region of ridge waveguide of the first waveguide arm, while no carriers or a small number of carriers are injected into an intrinsic region of ridge waveguide of the second waveguide arm; the connected electric signal sources simultaneously cause temperature change to the two waveguide arms; and the temperature change caused to the second waveguide arm is the same with or infinitely close to the temperature change caused to the first waveguide arm. The electro-optical switch or the optical attenuator disclosed by the invention can decrease the change difference of a refractive index under a heat effect caused by the temperature difference between the two waveguide arms, and improve the component efficiency.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to an integrated optoelectronic device, in particular to an electro-optical switch or an optical attenuator. Background technique [0002] It is a common technology to use a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI for short) structure to form an optical waveguide switch. By performing phase modulation on one of the waveguide arms of the MZI structure, that is, the first waveguide arm, a phase difference is generated between the two waveguide arms, thereby realizing the function of an electro-optical switch or optical attenuation. In US Pat. No. 7,817,881, the concept of a waveguide container is introduced. Free carriers can be stored in the waveguide core of this waveguide container to modulate the refractive index of the waveguide material. The phase modulation of the first waveguide arm is based on the free carrier dispersion effect. Driven by the electrical signal source, the first waveguide arm of the MZI structure has free carrier...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, to provide an electro-optic switch or optical attenuator, to solve the large difference in operating temperature between the two waveguide arms of the MZI structure in the electro-optic switch or optical attenuator with silicon-on-insulator SOI as the substrate The problem is to offset or reduce the influence of the temperature difference (ie thermal effect) on the refractive index of the two waveguide arms, so that the difference in the refractive index change of the two waveguide arms is caused by the carrier in the first waveguide arm caused by the external electrical signal source Concentration variation determines, thereby improving device efficiency

Images