Controllable, electro-optical grating coupler

US4006963A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Peter Baues · Krailling, DE
• Hans Mahlein · Unterhaching, DE
• Achim Reichelt · Unterhaching, DE
• Gerhard Winzer · Munich, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 21, 1975
• Grant date: Feb 8, 1977
• Expiry date: Jul 21, 1995

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F2201/302
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A controllable, electro-optical grating coupler for the optional switch-over or modulation of optical waves in waveguides includes a substrate with a first areal electrode arranged on the substrate and a first dielectric layer arranged on the electrode and carrying a waveguide. A periodic grating structure is arranged in the waveguide transversely to the direction of propagation of light and either the grating structure of the waveguide consist of electro-optical material in the region of the grating structure. A second dielectric layer is arranged on the waveguide and a second areal electrode is arranged on the dielectric layer. By varying the voltage across the electrodes it is possible to amplify or reduce the interference provided by the grating structure so that the light in the waveguide is modulated, switched, scattered from the waveguide or input coupled to a second waveguide.