IP Library Granted Patent US 10,236,657
Granted Patent B2
US 10,236,657 · App. 15/892,562 · Granted Mar 19, 2019

Device and method for tuning a ring resonator using self-heating stabilization

Inventors: Bin Cao (Kanata, CA); Dylan Logan (Ottawa, CA); Douglas J. S. Beckett (Kanata, CA); Rong Chen (Kanata, CA); Andrew Peter Knights (Dundas, CA)
Assignee: RANOVUS INC.
H01S3/1028H01S3/083
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,236,657
App. No.
15/892,562
Granted
Mar 19, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device and method for tuning a ring resonator using self-heating stabilization is provided. A light source is controlled to produce an optical signal, input to an optical ring resonator, at a power where self-heating shifts a resonance wavelength of the optical ring resonator by at least 10 picometers, the self-heating comprising absorption in the optical ring resonator of optical power from a received optical signal. Prior to using the optical ring resonator at least one of modulate and filter the optical signal at the optical ring resonator, a heater of the optical ring resonator is controlled to an operating temperature at which the resonance wavelength of the optical ring resonator is greater than a respective wavelength of the optical signal.

Claims (31)

1. A device comprising:

a light source configured to produce an optical signal;

an optical waveguide configured to receive and convey the optical signal from the light source;

an optical ring resonator configured to least one of: modulate and filter the optical signal on the optical waveguide;

a heater positioned to heat the optical ring resonator;

a controller configured to:

control the light source to produce the optical signal at a power that shifts a resonance wavelength of the optical ring resonator by at least 10 picometers, due to self-heating; and

prior to at least one of modulating and filtering the optical signal at the optical ring resonator, control the heater to an operating temperature, from either a high-to-low temperature adjustment direction or a low-to-high temperature adjustment direction, at which the resonance wavelength of the optical ring resonator is greater than a respective wavelength of the optical signal, wherein at a given level of self-heating a peak in an extinction ratio of the optical ring resonator as a function of heater temperature is outside of a hysteresis region.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein, at the operating temperature, the respective wavelength of the optical signal is on a blue edge of a resonance curve of the optical ring resonator.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein a shift in the resonance wavelength of the optical ring resonator due to the self-heating is in a range where a given level of resonance of the optical ring resonator is both accessible and independent of optical ring temperature adjustment direction.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the heater to the operating temperature by sweeping from a temperature higher than the operating temperature to the operating temperature.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a voltage control device positioned to change a voltage across the optical ring resonator, wherein a shifted resonance wavelength of the optical ring resonator due to the self-heating is determined from one or more of: varying the power of the optical signal; varying the respective wavelength of the optical signal; varying temperature of the optical ring resonator using the heater; and varying a voltage applied to the optical ring resonator using the voltage control device.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises one or more of a laser and a coherent light source.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide and the optical ring resonator are formed from one or more of a photonic integrated circuit and a silicon photonic integrated circuit.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to at least one of modulate and filter the optical signal on the optical waveguide after controlling the heater to the operating temperature.

9. A method comprising:

controlling a light source to produce an optical signal at a power that shifts a resonance wavelength of an optical ring resonator by at least 10 picometers, due to self-heating, an optical waveguide configured to receive and convey the optical signal from the light source, the optical ring resonator configured to least one of: modulate and filter the optical signal on the optical waveguide; and

prior to at least one of modulating and filtering the optical signal at the optical ring resonator, controlling a heater, positioned to heat the optical ring resonator, to an operating temperature, from either a high-to-low temperature adjustment direction or a low-to-high temperature adjustment direction, at which the resonance wavelength of the optical ring resonator is greater than a respective wavelength of the optical signal, wherein at a given level of self-heating a peak in an extinction ratio of the optical ring resonator as a function of heater temperature is outside of a hysteresis region.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein, at the operating temperature, the respective wavelength of the optical signal is on a blue edge of a resonance curve of the optical ring resonator.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein a shift in the resonance wavelength of the optical ring resonator due to the self-heating is in a range where a given level of resonance of the optical ring resonator is both accessible and independent of optical ring temperature adjustment direction.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising controlling, using the controller, the heater to the operating temperature by sweeping from a temperature higher than the operating temperature to the operating temperature.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein a shifted resonance wavelength of the optical ring resonator due to the self-heating is determined from one or more of: varying the power of the optical signal; varying the respective wavelength of the optical signal; varying temperature of the optical ring resonator using the heater; and varying a voltage applied to the optical ring resonator using a voltage control device.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the light source comprises one or more of a laser and a coherent light source, and the optical waveguide and the optical ring resonator are formed from one or more of a photonic integrated circuit and a silicon photonic integrated circuit.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising at least one of: modulating and filtering the optical signal on the optical waveguide after controlling the heater to the operating temperature.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein execution of the computer program is for:

controlling a light source to produce an optical signal at a power that shifts a resonance wavelength of an optical ring resonator by at least 10 picometers, due to self-heating, an optical waveguide configured to receive and convey the optical signal from the light source, the optical ring resonator configured to least one of: modulate and filter the optical signal on the optical waveguide; and

prior to at least one of modulating and filtering the optical signal at the optical ring resonator, controlling a heater, positioned to heat the optical ring resonator, to an operating temperature, from either a high-to-low temperature adjustment direction or a low-to-high temperature adjustment direction, at which the resonance wavelength of the optical ring resonator is greater than a respective wavelength of the optical signal, wherein at a given level of self-heating a peak in an extinction ratio of the optical ring resonator as a function of heater temperature is outside of a hysteresis region.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein, at the operating temperature, the respective wavelength of the optical signal is on a blue edge of a resonance curve of the optical ring resonator.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein a shift in the resonance wavelength of the optical ring resonator due to the self-heating is in a range where a given level of resonance of the optical ring resonator is both accessible and independent of optical ring temperature adjustment direction.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein execution of the computer program is for: controlling, using the controller, the heater to the operating temperature by sweeping from a temperature higher than the operating temperature to the operating temperature.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein a shifted resonance wavelength of the optical ring resonator due to the self-heating is determined from one or more of: varying the power of the optical signal; varying the respective wavelength of the optical signal; varying temperature of the optical ring resonator using the heater; and varying a voltage applied to the optical ring resonator using a voltage control device.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2025
From: RANOVUS INC.
To: PRIVATE DEBT PARTNERS SENIOR OPPORTUNITIES FUND II LP
Reel/Frame 072735/0531 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2025
From: RANOVUS INC.
To: PRIVATE DEBT PARTNERS SENIOR OPPORTUNITIES FUND II LP
Reel/Frame 071982/0890 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2023
From: COMERICA BANK
To: RANOVUS INC.; RANOVUS US INC.; RANOVUS GMBH
Reel/Frame 063803/0390 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2018
From: CAO, BIN; LOGAN, DYLAN; BECKETT, DOUGLAS J. S.; CHEN, RONG; KNIGHTS, ANDREW PETER
To: RANOVUS INC.
Reel/Frame 045297/0410 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15018575 · Feb 8, 2016
Related Publication 20180166847A1 · Jun 14, 2018