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Integrated optical polarization converter with enhanced periodic coupling and method of fabricating same

  • US 5,539,845 A
  • Filed: 06/07/1995
  • Issued: 07/23/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. Polarization converter for the conversion of a fraction of a signal component, propagating according to a first guided mode, of an optical signal into a signal component propagating according to a second guided mode, the first and second guided modes relating to different polarization modes, comprising a channel-type waveguide supported by a substrate, in which waveguide a periodic coupling takes place between the two guided modes of the optical signal propagating in the waveguide, said waveguide comprising:

  • an incoming wave-guiding section;

    an intermediary wave-guiding section; and

    an outgoing wave-guiding section;

    the intermediary wave-guiding section having a periodic geometrical structure including a periodic concatenation of, within a period length, two wave-guiding subsections, the lengths of the wave-guiding subsections and the number of periods of the periodic concatenation being tailored to a desired conversion fraction; and

    wherein the two wave-guiding subsections each comprise different strip-type elements respectively provided with side walls which are at mutually different angles with respect to the plane of the substrate, said different strip-type elements defining different waveguide profiles for the two wave-guiding subsections, respectively.

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