Optical device having reduced optical leakage

1. An optical device, comprising:

a ridge on a base, the ridge including an active medium,

an active component on the base and having at least one functionality selected from a group consisting of light sensor functionality and light modulator functionality,

the active component configured to guide a light signal through the active medium included in the ridge,

electrical current carriers contacting opposing sides of the ridge, each of the electrical current carriers including a carrier material that is doped so as to increase the electrical conductivity of the carrier material,

the carrier material being different from the active medium.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein each current carrier being positioned on a portion of the base that is adjacent to the ridge and bends such that the current carrier also extends up a lateral side of the ridge.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein lateral sides of the ridge contacts the base.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the current carriers each transmit light.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein an index of refraction of each current carrier is less than an index of refraction of the active medium.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first one of the current carriers includes an n-type doped region and a second one of the current carriers includes a p-type doped region.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the doped regions each extends from an electrical conductor to a lateral side of the ridge.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein a light-transmitting medium is between the base and the active medium.

9. The device of claim 8 , further comprising:

a waveguide on the base, the waveguide being configured to guide the light signal through the light-transmitting medium.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the portion of the light-transmitting medium through which the waveguide is configured to guide the light signal is continuous with the portion of the light-transmitting medium between the base and the active medium.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the base is configured to reflect a light signal from the light-transmitting medium back into the light-transmitting medium.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the base contacting the lateral sides of the ridge includes silica.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the active medium includes at least one component selected from a group consisting of germanium and Ge 1-x Si x where x is greater than or equal to zero.

14. A method forming an optical device, comprising:

generating a precursor for the optical device, the precursor including an active medium on a base;

performing an etch of the precursor so as to form a ridge having lateral sides that contact the base,

the ridge including the active medium, and

the etch etching through the active medium; and

forming current carriers on opposing sides of the ridge such that the current carriers each contacts the ridge,

each of the current carriers including a carrier material that is doped so as to increase the electrical conductivity of the carrier material,

the carrier material being different from the active medium.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the current carriers includes doping at least a portion of the carrier material.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein a first one of the current carriers includes an n-type doped region and a second one of the current carriers includes a p-type doped region.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the n-type doped region is on an opposing side of the ridge from the p-type doped region.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the doped regions each extends from an electrical conductor to the ridge.