The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 27, 2006
Filed:
Jan. 12, 2004
Hendrik F. Hamann, Yorktown Heights, NY (US);
Sharee J. Mcnab, Katonah, NY (US);
Martin P. O'boyle, Cortlandt Manor, NY (US);
Yurii A. Vlasov, Katonah, NY (US);
Hendrik F. Hamann, Yorktown Heights, NY (US);
Sharee J. McNab, Katonah, NY (US);
Martin P. O'Boyle, Cortlandt Manor, NY (US);
Yurii A. Vlasov, Katonah, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
The present invention is a method and an apparatus for thermo-optic control of optical signals using photonic crystal structures. In one embodiment, a first portion of a split signal is modulated by propagating the signal through a photonic crystal waveguide in which two electrical contacts are laterally spaced from the waveguide region by a plurality of apertures formed through the photonic crystal substrate. A voltage applied across the electrical contacts causes resistive heating of the proximate photonic crystal waveguide through which the signal propagates, thereby modulating the temperature relative to an un-modulated second portion of the split signal that is used as a reference.