Patent ID: 8639065

Claim:
An optical device, comprising: a light-transmitting medium positioned on a base, the light-transmitting medium including a ridge and a slab region, the ridge extending upward from the slab region and the ridge defining a portion of a waveguide on the base, the waveguide being configured to guide a light signal through the light-transmitting medium; an avalanche effect light sensor positioned on the base and configured to detect the light signal, the light sensor including a light-absorbing medium positioned on the ridge of the light-transmitting medium and being positioned such that the ridge of the light-transmitting medium is between the base and the light-absorbing medium, the light-absorbing medium being arranged such that the light signal is coupled from the light-transmitting medium into the light-absorbing medium, a charge layer between the light-transmitting medium and the light-absorbing medium; and a multiplication region in the slab region of the light-transmitting medium such that the multiplication region receives charge carriers from the charge layer during operation of the light sensor.