Patent ID: 8410566

Claim:
An optical device, comprising: an input waveguide on a base, the input waveguide configured to guide a light signal through a light-transmitting medium to a light sensor; and the light sensor including a sensor waveguide on the base, the sensor waveguide including a light-absorbing medium that receives the light signal from the input waveguide, the light-transmitting medium and the light-absorbing medium being different materials, the light-absorbing medium including one or more continuous doped regions that are each positioned such that an application of electrical energy to the doped regions forms an electrical field in the light-absorbing medium, one or more of the doped regions being a utility doped region, the one or more utility doped regions each having a portion of the utility doped region being located within the light-absorbing medium and another portion located outside of the light-absorbing medium; and an electrical conductor for applying the electrical energy to the doped regions, the electrical conductor contacting the portion of one of the utility doped regions that is located outside of the light-absorbing medium.