Patent ID: 7106917
Filing Date: 2006-09-12
Classification: B23K,G02B,G02F

Abstract:
1. A resonant optical modulator, comprising: a) a transmission optical waveguide adapted for transmitting therethrough an optical signal, the transmission optical waveguide having a transverse coupling segment; b) a resonant optical component including at least one circumferential-mode optical resonator, the circumferential-mode optical resonator being positioned so as to be transverse-coupled to the transmission optical waveguide at the transverse-coupling segment thereof, the resonant optical component being substantially resonant with the optical signal; c) a modulator optical component, the modulator optical component being positioned so as to be transverse-coupled to the circumferential-mode optical resonator; and d) a modulator control component, the modulator control component being operatively coupled to the modulator optical component, the modulator optical component and the modulator control component being adapted for modulating, in response to an applied control signal, i) a level of optical signal power transfer by transverse-coupling between the circumferential-mode optical resonator and the modulator optical component, ii) a level of optical loss of the modulator optical component, or iii) a resonant frequency of the modulator optical component, the modulator control component thereby enabling controlled modulation of a coupling condition between the transmission optical waveguide and the resonant optical component, in turn enabling controlled modulation of a level of transmission of the optical signal through the transmission optical waveguide between a higher operational optical transmission level and a lower operational optical transmission level.