US 12,416,824 B1
Ultraviolet and visible light integrated acousto-optic modulators
Nils Thomas Otterstrom, Edgewood, NM (US); Matt Eichenfield, Albuquerque, NM (US); Daniel Dominguez, Albuquerque, NM (US); and Andrew Jay Leenheer, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Assigned to National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed on Jan. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/101,222.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/306,219, filed on Feb. 3, 2022.
Int. Cl. G02F 1/125 (2006.01); G02F 1/00 (2006.01); H04J 14/04 (2006.01); B06B 1/06 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/125 (2013.01) [G02F 1/0009 (2013.01); H04J 14/04 (2013.01); B06B 1/0644 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An acousto-optic (AO) modulator comprising:
a substrate including a surface layer formed of a first material;
an acoustic actuator on the substrate, the acoustic actuator adapted to receive an actuator signal and to produce a corresponding acoustic signal upon receipt of the actuator signal, the substrate adapted to reduce an acoustic radiation loss from the acoustic actuator, the acoustic actuator including a second material; and
a waveguide on a surface of the acoustic actuator opposite the substrate, the acoustic actuator and the waveguide being co-linear, the waveguide adapted to guide an optical signal, and to confine an energy of the optical signal, wherein the acoustic actuator and the waveguide are adapted to confine an energy of the acoustic signal such that efficient optomechanical coupling occurs between the optical signal and the acoustic signal and the optical signal and the acoustic signal are co-linear, the waveguide including:
a waveguide core formed of a third material different than the second material, the third material adapted to transmit at least one of visible or ultraviolet wavelengths; and
a cladding surrounding the waveguide core, the cladding formed of a fourth material different than the first material.