Optical device capable of switching output intensity of light of predetermined polarized wave, optical transmitter using the device, network using the transmitter, and method of driving optical device

• US 6,031,860 A
• Filed: 08/21/1997
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Uchida, Mamoru, Nitta, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Davie, James W.
• Application Number:
  US08/915,664
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 372/27, 372/26, 372/50, 372/97, 372/92, 372/102
• US Class Current: 372/50.11
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06203 Transistor-type lasers H01S5/0608 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06236 controlling the polarisation, e.g. TM/TE polarisation switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0625 in multi-section lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/10 Construction or shape of the optical resonator , e.g. extended or external cavity, coupled cavities, bent-guide, varying width, thickness or composition of the active region H01S5/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1021 Coupled cavities H01S5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1032 Coupling to elements comprising an optical axis that is not aligned with the optical axis of the active region
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1035 Forward coupled structures [DFC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/12 the resonator having a periodic structure, e.g. in distributed feedback [DFB] lasers comprising a photonic bandgap structure H01S5/11; surface-emitting lasers H01S5/18
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1203 over only a part of the length of the active region
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3404 influencing the polarisation

Abstract

In an optical device having a diffraction grating and at least two surfaces for reflecting light, the oscillation state is switched between a first oscillation state mainly based on resonance by distributed reflection by the diffraction grating, and a second oscillation state mainly based on Fabry-Perot resonance between the two surfaces. The characteristics of one of two modes to be used are improved at the cost of coherence of the other mode.

Claims

1. An optical device comprising:

a compound resonator structure having a first resonator structure which produces resonance by reflecting light using a diffraction grating, and a second resonator structure which produces Fabry-Perot resonance by reflecting light using at least two surfaces, wherein an output intensity of light of a predetermined polarized wave in a first oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said first resonator structure is different from an output intensity of light of the predetermined polarized wave in a second oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said second resonator structure.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein a first region including said first resonator structure and a second region including said second resonator structure are serially formed.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least portions of a first region including said first resonator structure and a second region including said second resonator structure overlap each other.

4. A device according to claim 1, further comprising control means for switching an oscillation state between the first and second oscillation states.

5. A device according to claim 1, further comprising control means for applying electrical control for switching an oscillation state between the first and second oscillation states.

6. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an electrode for applying electrical control for switching an oscillation state between the first and second oscillation states.

7. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an electrode for switching an oscillation state between the first and second oscillation states by controlling a carrier density to be injected.

8. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an electrode for switching an oscillation state between the first and second oscillation states by controlling an electric field to be applied.

9. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a phase adjusting region for adjusting a phase of light in said optical device.

10. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a phase adjusting region for adjusting a phase of light in said optical device independently of a first region including said first resonator structure and a second region including said second resonator structure.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the diffraction grating is formed on an interface between two semiconductor layers.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein the diffraction grating is formed on an interface between two semiconductor layers, and said optical device further comprises means for adjusting a refractive index of at least one of the two semiconductor layers.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein the diffraction grating is formed on an interface between two semiconductor layers, and at least one of the two semiconductor layers includes a quantum well structure.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the diffraction grating is formed on an interface between two semiconductor layers, and said optical device further comprises control means for applying electrical control for adjusting a refractive index of at least one of the two semiconductor layers.

15. A device according to claim 1, wherein the diffraction grating is formed on an interface between two semiconductor layers, and said optical device further comprises an electrode for applying electrical control for adjusting a refractive index of at least one of the two semiconductor layers.

16. A device according to claim 1, wherein the diffraction grating is formed on an interface between two semiconductor layers, and said optical device further comprises an electrode for applying an electrical field for adjusting a refractive index of at least one of the two semiconductor layers.

17. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a gain medium for producing a gain in said optical device.

18. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an active layer including a gain medium for producing a gain in said optical device, said active layer including a quantum well structure.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein said active layer includes a plurality of quantum well structures.

20. A device according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of quantum well structures are at least partially different from each other to build an asymmetric quantum well structure.

21. A device according to claim 18, wherein a strain stress is applied on at least one of layers that build the quantum well structure.

22. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a gain medium for producing a gain in said optical device, a Bragg wavelength of the diffraction grating being set in the vicinity of peak energy of said gain medium.

23. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an electrode for independently injecting carriers into a first region including said first resonator structure and a second region including said second resonator structure.

24. A device according to claim 1, wherein an axial mode spacing of the Fabry-Perot resonance is set to be sufficiently smaller than a stop band based on the resonance by the diffraction grating in a region including the diffraction grating.

25. A device according to claim 1, further comprising means for controlling a degree of optical coupling between said first and second resonator structures.

26. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a region for controlling a degree of optical coupling between said first and second resonator structures.

27. A device according to claim 1, wherein the diffraction grating has a phase discontinuous portion.

28. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a region where the diffraction grating is not formed.

29. An optical device comprising:

a compound resonator structure having a first resonator structure which produces resonance by reflecting light using a diffraction grating, and a second resonator structure which produces Fabry-Perot resonance by reflecting light using at least two surfaces; and

means for switching an oscillation state between a first oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said first resonator structure and a second oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said second resonator structure.

30. An optical device comprising:

a compound resonator structure having a first resonator structure which produces resonance by reflecting light using a diffraction grating, and a second resonator structure which produces Fabry-Perot resonance by reflecting light using at least two surfaces; and

an electrode for applying electrical control for switching an oscillation state between a first oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said first resonator structure and a second oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said second resonator structure.

31. An optical transmitter comprising:

an optical device for outputting light, said optical device comprising;

a compound resonator structure having a first resonator structure which produces resonance by reflecting light using a diffraction grating, and a second resonator structure which produces Fabry-Perot resonance by reflecting light using at least two surfaces, wherein an output intensity of light of a predetermined polarized wave in a first oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said first resonator structure is different from an output intensity of light of the predetermined polarized wave in a second oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said second resonator structure; and

a polarized wave selector for extracting the light of the predetermined polarized wave from the output light from said optical device.

32. An optical transmitter comprising:

an optical device for outputting light, said optical device comprising;

a compound resonator structure having a first resonator structure which produces resonance by reflecting light using a diffraction grating, and a second resonator structure which produces Fabry-Perot resonance by reflecting light using at least two surfaces; and

means for switching an oscillation state between a first oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said first resonator structure and a second oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said second resonator structure; and

a polarized wave selector for extracting the light of the predetermined polarized wave from the output light from said optical device.

33. An optical transmitter comprising:

an optical device for outputting light, said optical device comprising;

a compound resonator structure having a first resonator structure which produces resonance by reflecting light using a diffraction grating, and a second resonator structure which produces Fabry-Perot resonance by reflecting light using at least two surfaces; and

an electrode for applying electrical control for switching an oscillation state between a first oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said first resonator structure and a second oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said second resonator structure; and

a polarized wave selector for extracting the light of the predetermined polarized wave from the output light from said optical device.

34. A network for transmitting an optical signal, comprising:

an optical transmitter comprising;

an optical device for outputting light, said optical device comprising;

a compound resonator structure having a first resonator structure which produces resonance by reflecting light using a diffraction grating, and a second resonator structure which produces Fabry-Perot resonance by reflecting light using at least two surfaces, wherein an output intensity of light of a predetermined polarized wave in a first oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said first resonator structure is different from an output intensity of light of the predetermined polarized wave in a second oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said second resonator structure; and

a polarized wave selector for extracting the light of the predetermined polarized wave from the output light from said optical device; and

an optical receiver for receiving the light output from said optical transmitter.

35. A network for transmitting an optical signal, comprising:

an optical transmitter comprising;

an optical device for outputting light, said optical device comprising;

a compound resonator structure having a first resonator structure which produces resonance by reflecting light using a diffraction grating, and a second resonator structure which produces Fabry-Perot resonance by reflecting light using at least two surfaces; and

means for switching an oscillation state between a first oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said first resonator structure and a second oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said second resonator structure; and

a polarized wave selector for extracting the light of the predetermined polarized wave from the output light from said optical device; and

an optical receiver for receiving the light output from said optical transmitter.

36. A network for transmitting an optical signal, comprising:

an optical transmitter comprising;

an optical device for outputting light, said optical device comprising;

a compound resonator structure having a first resonator structure which produces resonance by reflecting light using a diffraction grating, and a second resonator structure which produces Fabry-Perot resonance by reflecting light using at least two surfaces; and

an electrode for applying electrical control for switching an oscillation state between a first oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said first resonator structure and a second oscillation state mainly based on the resonance by said second resonator structure; and

a polarized wave selector for extracting the light of the predetermined polarized wave from the output light from said optical device; and

an optical receiver for receiving the light output from said optical transmitter.

37. A method of driving an optical device having a diffraction grating and at least two surfaces for reflecting light, comprising the step of:

switching an oscillation state between a first oscillation state to which resonance by reflection of light by the diffraction grating greatly contributes, and a second oscillation state in which a degree of contribution of the resonance by the reflection of light by the diffraction grating is smaller than the first oscillation state.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein in the first oscillation state, an output intensity of light of a predetermined polarized wave is large, and in the second oscillation state, the output intensity of light of the predetermined polarized wave is smaller than the first oscillation state.

39. A method according to claim 37, wherein switching between the first and second oscillation states is attained by adjusting a phase of light in said optical device.

40. A method according to claim 37, wherein switching between the first and second oscillation states is attained by controlling a coupling coefficient of the diffraction grating.