Semiconductor optical device and array of the same

• US 5,146,513 A
• Filed: 04/12/1991
• Issued: 09/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Opnext Japan, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Inoue, Hiroaki, Ishida, Koji, Uomi, Kazuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah, Akm E.
• Application Number:
  US07/684,378
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 350/96.11-96.14, 342/374, 342/375
• US Class Current: 385/13
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3138 the optical waveguides being made of semiconducting materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/50 Amplifier structures not provided for in groups H01S5/02 - H01S5/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0015 using splitting combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0041 Optical control
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0052 Interconnection of switches

Abstract

A semiconductor optical device and an optical device array is provided which can be used in an optical logic circuit, photonic switching OEIB, etc. The device includes a light amplifying arrangement provided on a bypass wavelength that connects a plurality of optical waveguides, thereby enabling improvement of the light crosstalk and the light propagation loss. In particular, by virtue of providing a light amplifying means in addition to the light deflecting portion, noise components are not amplified, and, therefore, the SN radio is markedly increased.

Claims

1. A semiconductor optical device array including means for changing a propagation direction of light waves comprising:

a plurality of input waveguides for receiving input light waves and a plurality of output waveguides for providing output light waves;

a plurality of switching function portions respectively disposed at intersections of said input and output waveguides; and

a plurality of light wave amplifying means provided in said switching function portions to compensate for losses in the switching function portions so that said output waves have substantially the same amplitude or a greater amplitude than said input light wave, respectively.

2. The semiconductor optical device array as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said switching function portions respectively amplifies only a predetermined light wave to be propagated between a predetermined input waveguide and a predetermined output waveguide.

3. The semiconductor optical device array as set forth in claim 2, wherein said switching function portions include bypass waveguides which propagate only a predetermined light wave propagated through a specific one of said input waveguides, said light wave amplifying means being respectively provided in said bypass waveguides.

4. A semiconductor optical switch including means for changing the propagation direction of light waves to travel along a bypass waveguide provided in the optical switch comprising light amplifying means provided in the bypass waveguide, which is defined by part of a slip of either a single or double slip structure type optical switch, to compensate for losses along the bypass waveguide so that light waves output from said optical switch have an amplitude substantially equal to or greater than light waves input into said optical switch.

5. An optical device array comprising:

a plurality of input waveguides for receiving input light waves;

a plurality of output waveguides for providing output light waves;

a plurality of coupling regions for changing propagation direction of the light waves between the input and output waveguides, said coupling regions being disposed at predetermined points where the input waveguides and the output waveguides are optically coupled; and

a plurality of light wave amplifying means disposed in the coupling regions to compensate for losses in the coupling regions so that said output light waves have substantially the same amplitude or a greater amplitude than said input light waves.

6. A photonic switching system comprising:

an input portion for inputting a light wave;

a plurality of output portions for outputting the light wave; and

means for photonic switching for changing the propagation direction of the light wave, having a waveguide for guiding the light wave from the input portion to the output portions, wherein the means for photonic switching includes means for amplifying the light wave on the waveguide to compensate for losses in the photonic switching means so that the amplitude of the light wave output from the output portions is substantially the same as or greater than the amplitude of the light wave when it was inputted into said input portion.

7. An X-crossing optical waveguide comprising:

first, second, third and fourth optical waveguide legs comprising an X shape;

a first bypass waveguide coupled between the first and second optical waveguide legs, having an optical amplification portion;

a first carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the first optical waveguide leg and the first bypass waveguide; and

a second carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the second optical waveguide leg and the first bypass waveguide.

8. An X-crossing optical waveguide according to claim 7, further comprising:

a second bypass waveguide leg, having an optical amplification portion;

a third carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the third optical waveguide leg and the second bypass waveguide; and

a fourth carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the fourth optical waveguide leg and the second bypass waveguide.

9. An optical device array comprising:

a plurality of X-crossing optical waveguides forming a lattice pattern, each of the X-crossing optical waveguides comprising;

first, second, third and fourth optical waveguide legs composing an X in shape;

a first bypass waveguide coupled between the first and second optical waveguide legs, having an optical amplification portion;

a first carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the first optical waveguide leg and the first bypass waveguide; and

a second carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the second optical waveguide leg and the first bypass waveguide.

10. An optical device array according to claim 9, wherein each of the X-crossing optical waveguides further comprises:

a second bypass waveguide coupled between the third and fourth optical waveguide legs, having an optical amplification portion;

a third carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the third optical waveguide leg and the second bypass waveguide; and

a fourth carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the fourth optical waveguide leg and the second bypass waveguide.

11. An optical device comprising:

a first waveguide having an input and an output;

a second waveguide having an input and an output;

a switch coupled at least between the input of said first waveguide and the output of said second waveguide to change the propagation direction of waves input to the first waveguide, wherein a light wave applied to the input of the first waveguide will be output at the output of the first waveguide when the switch has a first state, and wherein said light wave applied to the input of the first waveguide will be output at the output of the second waveguide when the switch has a second state; and

means for amplifying said light wave when said switch has said second state so that the light wave at the output of the second waveguide will have substantially the same or a greater amplitude than it did at the input of the first waveguide, and wherein any leakage of the light wave to the output of the first waveguide when the switch is in the second state will not be amplified.

12. An optical device according to claim 11, wherein the first waveguide and the second waveguide cross one another to form an X configuration.

13. An optical device according to claim 12, wherein said switch includes a bypass waveguide coupled to the first waveguide at a point between the input of the first waveguide and the intersection of the first and second waveguides and coupled to the second waveguide at a point between the output of the second waveguide and the intersection of the first and second waveguides.

14. An optical device according to claim 13, wherein said amplifying means is located at said bypass waveguide.

15. An optical device according to claim 14, wherein a first carrier injection region is located at the point where the bypass waveguide is coupled to the first waveguide and wherein a second carrier injection region is located at the point where the bypass waveguide is coupled to the second waveguide.

16. A photonic switching system comprising:

an input portion for inputting a light wave;

a plurality of output portions of outputting the light wave; and

a photonic switch for changing the propagation direction of the light wave, said photonic switch including a waveguide for guiding the light wave from the input portion to at least one selected one of the output portions, wherein the photonic switch includes an amplifier to compensate for losses in the photonic switch so that the amplitude of light wave output from any of the output portions is substantially the same as or greater than the amplitude of the light wave when it was inputted into the input portion.