US 12,393,091 B2
Transverse-magnetic polarization silicon-photonic modulator
Christopher R. Doerr, Irvine, CA (US)
Assigned to Aloe Semiconductor Inc., Middletown, NJ (US)
Filed by Aloe Semiconductor Inc., Irvine, CA (US)
Filed on May 17, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/667,145.
Application 18/667,145 is a continuation of application No. 17/529,321, filed on Nov. 18, 2021, granted, now 12,001,118.
Prior Publication US 2025/0123534 A1, Apr. 17, 2025
Int. Cl. G02F 1/225 (2006.01); G02B 6/12 (2006.01); G02B 6/122 (2006.01); G02F 1/21 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/2257 (2013.01) [G02B 6/122 (2013.01); G02F 1/212 (2021.01); G02B 2006/12061 (2013.01); G02B 2006/12097 (2013.01); G02B 2006/12142 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A silicon-photonic optical modulator comprising:
at least one optical input;
a Mach-Zehnder interferometer comprising a first optical waveguide and a second optical waveguide that are connected to the at least one optical input and that are configured to propagate quasi-transverse-magnetic (quasi-TM) polarized light, wherein each of the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide is configured as a rib waveguide that comprises a rib arranged on a slab;
a polarization rotator between the at least one optical input and the first optical waveguide, the polarization rotator configured to rotate a polarization of input light from the at least one optical input to produce the quasi-TM polarized light in the first optical waveguide; and
electrodes configured to apply electric fields to the quasi-TM polarized light.