Theory of Optical Leaky-Wave Antenna Integrated in a Ring Resonator for Radiation Control

The integration of a leaky-wave antenna with a ring resonator is presented based on the leaky-wave theory and integrated waveguide models. The device consists of a ring resonator fed by a directional coupler, where the ring resonator path includes a segment that is turned into a leaky-wave antenna. We devise an analytical model of the guided wave propagation along a directional coupler and the ring resonator path, including the antenna and non-radiating segments. The resonator integration provides two main advantages: 1) the high-quality factor resonance ensures effective control of radiation intensity by controlling the resonance conditions and 2) the efficient radiation from a leaky-wave antenna even when its length is much smaller than the propagation length of the leaky wave. The tradeoffs regarding the quality factor of resonance and the antenna efficiency of such a design are reported in terms of the coupler parameters, leaky-wave constant, and radiation length. Finally, a CMOS-compatible OLWA suitable for the ring resonator integration is designed where silicon is utilized as the waveguide material for a possible electronic control of radiation intensity. The simulation results together with the analytical model show that slight variations in the leaky wave's propagation constant, realized through excitation of excess carriers in the Si domain, is sufficient to control the far-field radiation modulation with high extinction ratio.