US 11,855,700 B2
High bandwidth optical modulator
Moshe B. Oron, Yokneam (IL); Elad Mentovich, Yokneam (IL); and Tali Septon, Yokneam (IL)
Assigned to Mellanox Technologies, Ltd., Yokneam (IL)
Filed by Mellanox Technologies, Ltd., Yokneam (IL)
Filed on Dec. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/644,625.
Prior Publication US 2023/0198625 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. H04B 10/548 (2013.01); G02F 1/21 (2006.01); G02F 1/225 (2006.01)
CPC H04B 10/548 (2013.01) [G02F 1/212 (2021.01); G02F 1/2255 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical modulator, comprising:
a semiconductor waveguide structure formed on a substrate and comprising an interface layer;
one or more pluralities of segmented capacitive loading electrodes formed on the semiconductor waveguide structure; and
one or more transmission lines, each of the one or more transmission lines (a) in electrical communication with a respective plurality of segmented capacitive loading electrodes of the one or more pluralities of segmented capacitive loading electrodes and (b) configured to provide a respective radio frequency signal to the respective plurality of segmented capacitive loading electrodes,
wherein the one or more pluralities of segmented capacitive loading electrodes are in electrical communication with the interface layer of the semiconductor waveguide structure,
wherein the semiconductor waveguide structure is configured to modulate an optical signal propagating through at least a portion of the semiconductor waveguide structure based at least in part on the respective radio frequency signal, and
wherein the interface layer (a) comprises at least one semiconductor material and (b) is configured to provide an interface resistance less than or equal to 4 Ohms, wherein the interface resistance is a serial resistance between the interface layer and respective electrodes of the one or more pluralities of segmented capacitive loading electrodes.