Patent ID: 8737772

Claim:
An optical device, comprising: a light-transmitting medium positioned on a base, the light-transmitting medium including a slab region and a ridge extending upward from the slab region, the ridge defining a portion of an optical waveguide on the device; and a modulator positioned on the base, the modulator including a first doped region of the light-transmitting medium and a second doped region of the light-transmitting medium, when the first doped region includes an n-type dopant the second doped region includes a p-type dopant and when the first doped region includes the p-type dopant the second doped region includes the n-type dopant, at least a portion of the first doped region being positioned in the ridge and between the second doped region and a top of the ridge, and at least a portion of the second doped region being positioned in the slab region, and none of the second doped region being located between the first doped region and the top of the ridge, and the light-transmitting medium including a first electrical pathway extending from a first location to the first doped region, the first location being on top of the light-transmitting medium and spaced apart from the ridge.