US 12,235,526 B2
Phase-change metasurface for programmable waveguide mode conversion
Mo Li, Seattle, WA (US); and Changming Wu, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to University of Washington, Seattle, WA (US)
Appl. No. 17/904,787
Filed by University of Washington, Seattle, WA (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 7, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/026126
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 23, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/216282, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/013,478, filed on Apr. 21, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0051113 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. G02F 1/035 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/035 (2013.01) 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A photonic computing system comprising:
a phase-change metasurface waveguide mode converter comprising a plurality of phase-change antennas comprising a phase-change material and protruding from a surface, wherein each phase-change antenna of the plurality of phase-change antennas is configured to scatter an optical waveguide mode and cause a phase shift of light travelling through an optical waveguide optically coupled thereto, and wherein the plurality of phase-change antennas defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein widths of the plurality of phase-change antennas change along the longitudinal axis;
an optical waveguide optically coupled to the plurality of phase-change antennas;
an input light source configured to emit signal light into a first end of a first portion of the optical waveguide;
a variable optical attenuator disposed between the input light source and the first end of the first portion; and
a signal photodetector configured to receive the signal light from a second end of the first portion of the optical waveguide and generate a modulated signal based upon the received signal light,
wherein the optical waveguide supports a first transverse optical mode and a second transverse optical mode, and wherein a wavevector difference between the first transverse optical mode and the second transverse optical mode is equal to a wavevector produced by the plurality of phase-change antennas in a crystalline phase.