Integrated optical modulators
US6052496A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 17, 1997 |
| Grant date | Apr 18, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 17, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F2203/25
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An integrated optical modulator of the Mach-Zehnder type has a waveguide which, for part of its length, is divided into two waveguide sections (11, 12) arranged logically in parallel. Incoming light is divided to pass along the two sections (11, 12) and is then recombined before leaving the modulator. Each waveguide section has a pair of electrodes (13, 14) and (14, 15) associated therewith to generate an electric field through which the respective waveguide section passes, though there may be a single electrode (14) between the two waveguide sections (11, 12) to serve as one electrode of each pair, with the other electrode of each pair commoned. The physical arrangement of one waveguide section (11) and its associated electrodes (13, 14) is different from that of the other waveguide section (12) and its associated electrodes (14, 15), such that the electric fields to which light propagated along the two waveguide sections (11, 12) are respectively subjected are different when a single driving voltage is applied to the electrodes (13, 14, 15) associated with the waveguide sections. In an alternative arrangement there is provided an amplitude modulator (30) followed by a phase modul…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.