Patent ID: 8433163

Claim:
A bi-directional signal interface comprising: a. a carrier signal source that generates a carrier traveling wave at an output; b. a first traveling wave structure comprising a first and a second waveguide having an input that is coupled to the output of the carrier signal source, the first and second waveguide propagating the carrier traveling wave; c. a second traveling wave structure having an outgoing signal port that receives an outgoing signal and a bi-directional signal port that receives an incoming electrical signal and provides the outgoing signal, the first and second traveling wave structures comprising optical waveguides and traveling wave modulation electrodes having at least one of positions and dimensions with respect to each other that form a tapered electromagnetic interaction that results in a desired outgoing-to-incoming signal isolation; and d. a detector having an input that is coupled to the output of the first traveling wave structure, the detector generating an electrical signal related to the incoming electrical signal.