Optical modulator
First Claim
1. An optical modulator, comprising first and second optical waveguides having first and second electrodes respectively associated therewith, and an electrically conductive region associated with said first and second waveguides, the electrodes having inputs for an electrical signal at input ends thereof, and outputs for the electrical signal at opposite output ends thereof, wherein the conductive region is electrically connected to the output ends of the first and second electrodes such that an electric field created by the electrical signal between the first electrode and the conductive region is substantially equal in magnitude to an electric field created by the electrical signal between the second electrode and the conductive region.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical modulator comprises first and second optical waveguides having first and second electrodes respectively associated therewith, and an electrically conductive region associated with both waveguides. The electrodes have inputs for an electrical signal at input ends thereof, and outputs for the electrical signal at opposite output ends thereof. The conductive region is electrically connected to the output ends of the first and second electrodes such that an electric field created by the electrical signal between the first electrode and the conductive region is substantially equal in magnitude to an electric field created by the electrical signal between the second electrode and the conductive region. The balancing of the electric fields experienced by the waveguides enables the modulation of light in the two waveguides to be balanced. The modulator may be a Mach-Zehnder modulator, and the balanced modulation may result in amplitude modulation of the optical output of the modulator, generally without phase modulation.
19 Citations
31 Claims
- 1. An optical modulator, comprising first and second optical waveguides having first and second electrodes respectively associated therewith, and an electrically conductive region associated with said first and second waveguides, the electrodes having inputs for an electrical signal at input ends thereof, and outputs for the electrical signal at opposite output ends thereof, wherein the conductive region is electrically connected to the output ends of the first and second electrodes such that an electric field created by the electrical signal between the first electrode and the conductive region is substantially equal in magnitude to an electric field created by the electrical signal between the second electrode and the conductive region.
Specification