Electrical-optical modulator

Abstract

An electrical-optical modulator may include a first section configured for a first electrical-optical interaction between one or more optical waveguides and one or more signal electrodes. The electrical-optical modulator may include a second section configured to increase or decrease a relative velocity of signals of the one or more signal electrodes to optical signals of the one or more optical waveguides relative to the first section. The electrical-optical modulator may include a third section configured for a second electrical-optical interaction between the one or more optical waveguides and the one or more signal electrodes according to an opposite modulation polarity relative to the first section.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An electrical-optical modulator, comprising:
 a first section configured for a first electrical-optical interaction between at least one optical waveguide and at least one signal electrode,
 the first section including a first semiconductor junction in the at least one optical waveguide according to a first semiconductor-type ordering, and a first bias electrode to provide reverse biasing to the first semiconductor junction; 
   a second section configured to increase or decrease a velocity of signals of the at least one signal electrode or the at least one optical waveguide relative to the first section; and   a third section configured for a second electrical-optical interaction between the at least one optical waveguide and the at least one signal electrode according to an opposite modulation polarity relative to the first section,
 the third section including a second semiconductor junction in the at least one optical waveguide according to a second semiconductor-type ordering that is opposite to the first semiconductor-type ordering, and a second bias electrode to provide reverse biasing to the second semiconductor junction. 
   
     
     
         22 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 21 , wherein the first semiconductor junction is one of an N-P semiconductor junction or a P-N semiconductor junction according to the first semiconductor-type ordering, and the second semiconductor junction is the other of the N-P semiconductor junction or the P-N semiconductor junction according to the second semiconductor-type ordering. 
     
     
         23 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 21 , wherein the first semiconductor junction is formed by a first region of a first semiconductor type adjacent to a second region of a second semiconductor type according to the first semiconductor-type ordering, and the second semiconductor junction is formed by a third region of the second semiconductor type adjacent to a fourth region of the first semiconductor type according to the second semiconductor-type ordering. 
     
     
         24 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 23 , wherein the first region is lateral to the second region and the third region is lateral to the fourth region, relative to a direction of propagation of the electrical-optical modulator. 
     
     
         25 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one optical waveguide includes an undoped semiconductor region in the second section. 
     
     
         26 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one optical waveguide includes a first optical waveguide and a second optical waveguide, and the at least one signal electrode includes a first signal electrode and a second signal electrode, and
 wherein the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide are on opposite sides of the first bias electrode in the first section, and the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide are on opposite sides of the second bias electrode in the third section.   
     
     
         27 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 21 , wherein the first bias electrode is electrically isolated from the second bias electrode. 
     
     
         28 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 21 , wherein a first bias voltage of the first bias electrode has an opposite polarity from a second bias voltage of the second bias electrode. 
     
     
         29 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 21 , wherein the first semiconductor junction is one of a plurality of first semiconductor junctions at different semiconductor-type regions that are interdigitated, and the second semiconductor junction is one of a plurality of second semiconductor junctions at different semiconductor-type regions that are interdigitated. 
     
     
         30 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one signal electrode has a different electrode width in the second section than in the first section or the third section. 
     
     
         31 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one optical waveguide includes a path-length delay in the first section and the third section, or includes the path-length delay in the second section. 
     
     
         32 . An electrical-optical modulator, comprising:
 a first section configured for a first electrical-optical interaction between at least one optical waveguide and at least one signal electrode,
 the first section including a first semiconductor junction in the at least one optical waveguide according to a first semiconductor-type ordering; 
   a second section configured to increase or decrease a velocity of signals of the at least one signal electrode or the at least one optical waveguide relative to the first section; and   a third section configured for a second electrical-optical interaction between the at least one optical waveguide and the at least one signal electrode according to an opposite modulation polarity relative to the first section,
 the third section including a second semiconductor junction in the at least one optical waveguide according to a second semiconductor-type ordering that is opposite to the first semiconductor-type ordering. 
   
     
     
         33 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 32 , wherein the at least one signal electrode includes a first electrode and a second electrode of a dual-drive electrode pair, and
 wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are on opposite sides of the at least one optical waveguide.   
     
     
         34 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 33 , wherein the first electrode includes a gap in the second section that is spanned by a coupling capacitor. 
     
     
         35 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 32 , wherein the first semiconductor junction is formed by a first region of a first semiconductor type adjacent to a second region of a second semiconductor type according to the first semiconductor-type ordering, and the second semiconductor junction is formed by a third region of the second semiconductor type adjacent to a fourth region of the first semiconductor type according to the second semiconductor-type ordering. 
     
     
         36 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 35 , wherein the first region is lateral to the second region and the third region is lateral to the fourth region, relative to a direction of propagation of the electrical-optical modulator. 
     
     
         37 . An electrical-optical modulator, comprising:
 a first section configured for a first electrical-optical interaction between a first optical waveguide and a first signal electrode, and between a second optical waveguide and a second signal electrode,
 the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide including first semiconductor junctions according to a first semiconductor-type ordering in the first section; 
   a second section configured to increase or decrease a velocity of signals of the first and second signal electrodes or the first and second optical waveguides relative to the first section; and   a third section configured for a second electrical-optical interaction between the first optical waveguide and the first signal electrode, and between the second optical waveguide and the second signal electrode,
 the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide including second semiconductor junctions according to a second semiconductor-type ordering in the third section. 
   
     
     
         38 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 37 , wherein the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide respectively include, in series, a P-N semiconductor junction and an N-P semiconductor junction in one of the first section or the third section, and the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide respectively include, in series, an N-P semiconductor junction and a P-N semiconductor junction in the other of the first section or the third section. 
     
     
         39 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 37 , wherein a semiconductor junction, of the first semiconductor junctions or the second semiconductor junctions, includes adjacent regions of different semiconductor types, and
 wherein the adjacent regions are lateral relative to a direction of propagation of the electrical-optical modulator.   
     
     
         40 . The electrical-optical modulator of  claim 37 , wherein the first signal electrode and the second signal electrode have different electrode widths in the second section than in the first section or the third section.