US 12,436,440 B2
Phase shift keying modulator
Guomin Yu, Glendora, CA (US); Aaron John Zilkie, Pasadena, CA (US); and Frank Peters, Cork (IE)
Assigned to Rockley Photonics Limited, Altrincham (GB)
Filed by ROCKLEY PHOTONICS LIMITED, Altrincham (GB)
Filed on May 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/734,962.
Application 17/734,962 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/711,965, filed on Apr. 1, 2022, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/170,990, filed on Apr. 5, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0326588 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. G02F 1/225 (2006.01); G02F 1/21 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/2257 (2013.01) [G02F 1/212 (2021.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A phase shift keying modulator, comprising:
a plurality of silicon waveguides provided in a device layer of a silicon-on-insulator platform, the silicon-on-insulator platform including one or more cavities;
one or more III-V semiconductor-based devices located within the one or more cavities of the silicon-on-insulator platform, each III-V semiconductor-based device including a III-V semiconductor-based waveguide which is coupled at an input end to one of the plurality of silicon waveguides and coupled at an output end to another of the plurality of silicon waveguides, each III-V semiconductor-based waveguide comprising an active phase modulating portion; and
one or more contacts in electrical contact with each active phase modulating portion, such that the phase shift keying modulator is operable to modulate the phase of an optical wave passing through each active phase modulating portion,
wherein the silicon-on-insulator platform comprises a first substrate layer and a first insulator layer, the first insulator layer being between the device layer and the first substrate layer, and
wherein at least one of the one or more cavities extends entirely through the device layer and only partially through the first insulator layer.