Nano-wire optical block devices for amplifying, modulating, and detecting optical signals
View Patent ↗A nano-wire optical block device for amplifying, modulating, and detecting an optical signal in a large-core hollow metallized waveguide. The nano-wire optical block device comprises a substrate with a plurality of nano-wires coupled to the substrate to form the nano-wire optical block. Each properly formed nano-wire is comprised of a p-doped region, an intrinsic region, and an n-doped region. The nano-wire optical block is operable to be inserted into the large-core hollow metallized waveguide to provide at least one of amplifying, modulating, and detecting the optical signal.
1. A nano-wire optical block device for amplifying, modulating, and detecting an optical signal in a large-core hollow metallized waveguide comprising:
a substrate; and
a plurality of nano-wires coupled to the substrate to form the nano-wire optical block, wherein substantially each nano-wire is comprised of a p-doped region, an intrinsic region, and an n-doped region;
wherein the nano-wire optical block is operable to be inserted into the large-core hollow metallized waveguide to provide at least one of amplifying, modulating, and detecting the optical signal
wherein the large-core hollow metallized waveguide comprises a bore extending along an axial direction from a given end to another end of the large-core hollow metallized waveguide.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is comprised of an array of nano-wire grids, with each grid having at least one nano-wire and the spacing between each grid is less than a wavelength of the optical signal.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of nano-wires has a dimension less than a wavelength of the optical signal.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of nano-wires are spaced apart a distance that is less a wavelength of the optical signal.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nano-wires are formed from a III-V material.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the intrinsic region is configured as a quantum well.
7. A system comprising:
the device of claim 1 ; and
a light source coupled to the large-core hollow metallized waveguide to provide the optical signal.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the nano-wire optical block amplifies, modulates, and detects the optical signal.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein a given set of nano-wires of the plurality of nano-wires are oriented in a given direction and another set of nano-wires of the plurality of nano-wires are oriented in another direction.
10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the given and other directions are perpendicular.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the large-core hollow metallized waveguide is one of rectangular, round and elliptical.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of nano-wires extend along a surface of the substrate.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of nano-wires extend away from the substrate at a non-zero angle.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nano-wires are substantially parallel.
15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nano-wires are aligned in a random manor, such that a given nano-wire of the plurality of nano-wires and another nano-wire of the plurality of nano-wires are skewed.
16. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a frame divided into a plurality of areas, wherein at least one of the areas of the plurality of areas comprises a plurality of nano-wires and at least one of the areas of the plurality of areas comprises a void.
17. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a frame divided into a plurality of areas, wherein at least one of the areas of the plurality of areas comprises a plurality of nano-wires with a given bandgap and at least one of the areas of the plurality of areas comprises a plurality of nano-wires with another bandgap.