Patents by Inventor Wei-Kang Lu

Wei-Kang Lu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20040005105
    Abstract: A new electro-optic (EO) phase modulator constructed from a combination of a low-loss passive polymer waveguide and a self-assembled chromophore superlattice (SAS) with an intrinsically polar microstructure. In contrast to typical polymer-based modulators, the present invention utilizes a siloxane SA methodology that enables the acentric alignment of constituent chromophores during film growth without the need for post-deposition electric field poling. The guiding layer is constructed of the SAS and the glassy polymer Cyclotene™. The use of SiO2, Cytop™ and Cyclotene™ glassy polymers, results in a straightforward device fabrication process that is compatible with the thermally and photochemically robust SAS. Thus, nanoscale control of the film architecture results in greatly simplified macroscopic device fabrication. The present invention provides a SAS-based electro-optic modulator demonstrating excellent electro-optic response properties and a &pgr; phase shift.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Publication date: January 8, 2004
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Seng-Tiong Ho, Milko E. van der Boom, Yi-Guang Zhao, Wei-Kang Lu
  • Patent number: 6549685
    Abstract: A new electro-optic (EO) phase modulator constructed from a combination of a low-loss passive polymer waveguide and a self-assembled chromophore superlattice (SAS) with an intrinsically polar microstructure. In contrast to typical polymer-based modulators, the present invention utilizes a siloxane SA methodology that enables the acentric alignment of constituent chromophores during film growth without the need for post-deposition electric field poling. The guiding layer is constructed of the SAS and the glassy polymer Cyclotene™. The use of SiO2, Cytop™ and Cyclotene™ glassy polymers, results in a straightforward device fabrication process that is compatible with the thermally and photochemically robust SAS. Thus, nanoscale control of the film architecture results in greatly simplified macroscopic device fabrication. The present invention provides a SAS-based electro-optic modulator demonstrating excellent electro-optic response properties and a &pgr; phase shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Seng-Tiong Ho, Milko E. van der Boom, Yi-Guang Zhao, Wei-Kang Lu
  • Publication number: 20020131663
    Abstract: A new electro-optic (EO) phase modulator constructed from a combination of a low-loss passive polymer waveguide and a self-assembled chromophore superlattice (SAS) with an intrinsically polar microstructure. In contrast to typical polymer-based modulators, the present invention utilizes a siloxane SA methodology that enables the acentric alignment of constituent chromophores during film growth without the need for post-deposition electric field poling. The guiding layer is constructed of the SAS and the glassy polymer Cyclotene™. The use of SiO2, Cytop and Cyclotene™ glassy polymers, results in a straightforward device fabrication process that is compatible with the thermally and photochemically robust SAS. Thus, nanoscale control of the film architecture results in greatly simplified macroscopic device fabrication. The present invention provides a SAS-based electro-optic modulator demonstrating excellent electro-optic response properties and a &pgr; phase shift.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Seng-Tiong Ho, Milko E. van der Boom, Yi-Guang Zhao, Wei-Kang Lu