US Patent 7542630 High speed optical phase modulator

An optical device includes a phase modulator having a waveguide on a substrate. The phase modulator also includes an n-type region having a proximity to a p-type region that causes formation of a depletion region when a bias is not applied to the modulator. The depletion region is at least partially positioned in the light signal carrying region of the waveguide. The phase modulator is tuned by applying a reverse bias to the phase modulator. The reverse bias changes the size of the depletion region.