Method and apparatus for use of III-nitride wide bandgap semiconductors in optical communications

1. An optical device, comprising:

an optical waveguide device fabricated using a III-nitride semiconductor material including GaN, the optical waveguide device including a GaN/GaN alloy heterostructure including a waveguide core made of GaN and a substrate made of a GaN alloy including GaN and InAlN (InAlGaN); and

electrodes in contact with the waveguide device, the electrodes configured to control a refractive index of the waveguide providing for an electrically controllable refractive index, the optical waveguide device configured for applications in an infrared wavelength region.

2. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide device is an optical amplifier adapted to amplify infrared wavelength optical signals.

3. The optical device of claim 2 , wherein erbium is doped into the GaN/GaN alloy heterostructure.

4. The optical device of claim 3 , wherein portions of the waveguide device are coated with wavelength selective coatings to provide high reflection for short wavelength photons and low reflection for infrared wavelength optical signals.

5. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate made of the GaN alloy is grown on sapphire.

6. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate made of the GaN alloy is grown on silicon carbide (SiC).

7. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate made of the GaN alloy is grown on silicon (Si).

8. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate made of the GaN alloy is grown on gallium arsenide (GaAs).

9. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes in contact with the waveguide device include:

a p-i-n heterojunction including a p-epilayer and an n-epilayer embedded into the optical waveguide device, a p-contact electrode attached to the p-epilayer, and an n-contact electrode attached to the n-epilayer, to allow control of the refractive index by carrier injection.

10. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide device comprises a waveguide optical coupler including a plurality of optical waveguides each fabricated using the III-nitride semiconductor material.

11. The optical device 1 , wherein the optical waveguide device includes an optical wavelength router including a plurality of optical waveguides each fabricated using the III-nitride semiconductor material.

12. An optical device, comprising:

an optical wavcguide device fabricated using an erbium-doped III-nitride semiconductor material including erbium-doped GaN, the optical waveguide device comprising:

an erbium-doped GaN/GaN alloy heterostructure including a waveguide core made of erbium-doped GaN and a substrate made of an erbium-doped GaN alloy including erbium-doped GaN and erbium-doped InAlN (erbium-doped InAlGaN);

an electrode connected to the optical waveguide device for carrier injection;

input and output ends; and

a wavelength selective coating applied to the input and output ends, wherein the waveguide selective coating is adapted to provide for low reflection of light in the 1550 nm wavelength region, and high reflection of light in the shorter wavelength region.

13. The optical device of claim 12 , wherein the substrate made of the erbium-doped GaN alloy is grown on sapphire.

14. The optical device of claim 12 , wherein the substrate made of the erbium-doped GaN alloy is grown on silicon carbide (SiC).

15. The optical device of claim 12 , wherein the substrate made of the erbium-doped GaN alloy is grown on silicon (Si).

16. The optical device of claim 12 , wherein the substrate made of the erbium-doped GaN alloy is grown on gallium arsenide (GaAs).

17. The optical device of claim 12 , wherein a p-i-n heterojunction including an p-epilayer and an n-epilayer is embedded into the optical waveguide device, and wherein a p-contact electrode is attached to the p-epilayer, and an n-contact electrode is attached to the n-epilayer, to allow control of the refractive index by carrier injection.

18. The optical device of claim 12 , wherein the optical waveguide device is an optical amplifier adapted to amplify infrared wavelength optical signals.

19. The optical device of claim 12 , wherein the optical waveguide device comprises a waveguide optical coupler including a plurality of optical waveguides each fabricated using the III-nitride semiconductor material.

20. The optical device of claim 12 , wherein the optical waveguide device includes an optical wavelength router including a plurality of optical waveguides each fabricated using the III-nitride semiconductor material.

21. An optical device, comprising:

a plurality of waveguides wherein at least one waveguide of the plurality of waveguides is fabricated using III-nitride semiconductor material including GaN, the at least one waveguide configured for applications in an infrared wavelength region and including a GaN/GaN alloy heterostructure including a waveguide core made of GaN and a substrate made of a GaN alloy including GaN and InAlN (InAlGaN); and

carrier injection means for electrically adjusting a refractive index of the at least one waveguide.

22. The optical device of claim 21 , wherein each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides is fabricated using III-nitride semiconductor material, and wherein the carrier injection application means comprises voltage application means for adjusting a refractive index of the each waveguide.

23. The optical device of claim 22 , further comprising a first array waveguide grating (AWG) and a second AWG, wherein the plurality of waveguides is coupled between the first AWG and the second AWG.

24. The optical device of claim 22 , further comprising a first optical star coupler and a second optical star coupler, wherein the plurality of waveguides is coupled between the first optical star coupler and the second optical star coupler.

25. The optical device of claim 22 , further comprising an optical multiplexer optically connected to the plurality of waveguides.

26. The optical device of claim 22 , further comprising an optical power combiner optically connected to the plurality of waveguides.

27. The optical device of claim 22 , further comprising an optical demultiplexer optically connected to the plurality of waveguides.

28. The optical device of claim 21 , wherein the at least one waveguide of the plurality of waveguides is an optical amplifier configured to amplify infrared wavelength optical signals.

29. The optical device of claim 28 , wherein erbium is doped into the GaN/GaN alloy heterostructure.

30. The optical device of claim 29 , wherein portions of the at least one waveguide of the plurality of waveguides are coated with wavelength selective coatings to provide high reflection for short wavelength photons and low reflection for infrared wavelength optical signals.

31. The optical device of claim 21 , wherein the substrate made of the GaN alloy is grown on sapphire.

32. An optical device, comprising:

a plurality of waveguides wherein at least one waveguide of the plurality of waveguides is fabricated using III-nitride semiconductor material; and

carrier injection means for electrically adjusting a refractive index of the at least one waveguide,

wherein the at least one waveguide of the plurality of waveguides comprises a GaN/GaN alloy heterostructure including a waveguide core made of GaN and a substrate made of a GaN alloy including GaN and InAlN (InAlGaN).