Integrated optical arrangement of ridge waveguides on a substrate

US5706373A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Gustav Mueller · Munich, DE
• Lothar Stoll · Hersbruck, DE
• Ulrich Wolff · Munich, DE
• Bruno Acklin · Regensburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 14, 1994
• Grant date: Jan 6, 1998
• Expiry date: Feb 14, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F2203/06
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An integrated optical arrangement operated as a switch composed of at least three ridge waveguides on a substrate, the third ridge waveguide is utilized for an infeed of an optical waveguide proceeding between two parallel ridge waveguides forming the first and second waveguides having either a contacted pn-junction or a contacted pin-junction. As a result of asymmetrical switching of the junctions, the optical wave is coupled over into one or the other of the first and second waveguides. The advantage over traditional directional coupler switch structures are complete symmetry of the two switch conditions, "digital switching behavior", enhanced separation of the output waveguide, low switching losses and greater manufacturing tolerances, reduced polarization sensitivity and increased optical bandwidth.