Patent ID: 6944369

Claim:
An apparatus for coupling light into/from a hybrid active electronic and optical circuit disposed at least in part in a Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) wafer, the SOI wafer including an insulator layer and an upper silicon layer which includes a slab dielectric waveguide, the hybrid active electronic and optical circuit including an active electronic device and at least one optical device each of which is disposed at least in part in the upper silicon layer, the apparatus for coupling light comprising: an evanescent coupling region formed at least in part from a gap portion that couples an input/output light coupler using evanescent coupling to the slab dielectric waveguide; wherein the input/output light coupler is disposed proximate to an outer surface of the wafer; and wherein actuation of the electronic device varies a property of the at least one optical device which in turn varies an optical property of the slab dielectric waveguide.