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Directional Coupled Waveguide Photo Detector

Detailed Technology Description

UC San Diego researchers have developed a photo detector with robust performance across a wide range of optical power, eliminating the non-linearity when the detector enters its saturation mode. The invention provides a directional-coupler design that enables tailoring of the optical power distribution over an arrangement of absorbers in the waveguide. At the same time, the photo currents from the absorbers are collected and add in phase, even at high microwave frequencies. The material structure of the absorbers is optimized to facilitate carrier transport and thermal conduction. The end product is a high power, large bandwidth photo detector.

Supplementary Information

Patent Number: US8611709B2
Application Number: US2010991505A
Inventor: Chang, William S. C. | Yu, Paul K. L.
Priority Date: 12 May 2008
Priority Number: US8611709B2
Application Date: 31 Jan 2011
Publication Date: 17 Dec 2013
IPC Current: G02B000626 | G02B000642
US Class: 385028 | 385031
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
Title: Coupled waveguide photo detector with non-uniform coupling coefficient
Usefulness: Coupled waveguide photo detector with non-uniform coupling coefficient
Summary: Coupled waveguide photo detector device e.g. directional variable gap coupler waveguide photo detector device, and multimode directional coupled waveguide photo detector device for solar panel, optoelectronic system, digital and analog fiber optic communication system, optical computing system.
Novelty: Coupled waveguide photo detector device for e.g. optoelectronic system, has transmission line collector by which currents collected add in phase as optical wave propagates in output waveguide

Industry

Environmental/Green Technology

Sub Category

Solar Cell

Application No.

8611709

Others

State Of Development

This invention has a patent pending and is available for sponsored research and/or licensing.

Tech ID/UC Case

19185/2008-212-0

Related Cases

2008-212-0

*Abstract

Photo detectors convert radiation into electrical energy and are critical to many mixed signal environments, e.g., optoelectronics. At high optical powers, photo detectors saturate and generate more non-linear distortion, which is problematic for most applications including optical communications. Present technologies use passive waveguides to channel a percentage of optical input to the detector output but are not dynamic and unable to respond effectively to optical inputs, which exceed the linear range of the passive device.

*IP Issue Date

Dec 17, 2013

*Principal Investigator

Name: William Chang

Department:

Name: Paul Yu

Department:

Country/Region

USA