GAIN-ASSISTED ELECTROABSORPTION MODULATORS

摘要

A light modulator[20,100,200,250,300] having a waveguide[13, 310] and a resonator[22] is disclosed. The waveguide[ 13, 310] routes light of wavelength a, past the resonator[22]. The resonator[22] is coupled to the waveguide[13, 310] such that a portion of the light is input to the resonator[22], the resonator[22] having a resonance at k. The resonator[22] includes a gain region[24] in which light of wavelength k is amplified and an absorption region[23] in which light of wavelength k is absorbed, the absorption region[23] having first and second states, the first state absorbing less light of wavelength a, than the second state, the state of the absorption region[23] is determined by an electrical signal coupled to the absorption region[23]. The gain region[24] provides a gain that compensates for the light absorption in the first state. In one embodiment, the waveguide[13, 310] and resonator[22] are critically coupled when the absorption region[23] is in the second state.