Waveguide-type optical control device and process for producing the same

• US 6,714,706 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2001
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kambe, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): VALENCIA, DANIEL E
• Application Number:
  US10/025,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20020085811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 385/1-4, 385/39-42, 385/8, 385/9, 385/45, 359/254, 359/279
• US Class Current: 385/41
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0316 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3136 of interferometric switch type

Abstract

Two right and left optical waveguides are provided so as to pass through a first directional coupler, a phase shifter, and a second directional coupler and so that directional couplers are provided in the first directional coupler portion and the second directional coupler portion. A third electrode is provided between these optical waveguides. A first electrode is provided on the left side of the left optical waveguide, and a second electrode is provided on the right side of the right optical waveguide. These electrodes are extended into the first directional coupler. Upon the application of a bias voltage, the voltage is simultaneously applied to all the first to third electrodes. By virtue of this construction, a waveguide-type optical control device can be realized which, in a directional coupler-type Mach-Zehnder (MZ) construction, can improve the extinction ratio without the complication of the construction.

Claims

1. A waveguide-type optical control device comprising:

first and second directional couplers provided while leaving a predetermined spacing therebetween, said first and second directional couplers being constituted respectively by two right and left optical waveguides provided on a substrate; and

a control unit provided between the first directional coupler and the second directional coupler, first, second, and third electrodes being provided respectively on the left side of the left optical waveguide, on the right side of the right optical waveguide, and between the two optical waveguides, said control unit functioning to control light, which passes through the two optical waveguides, according to a voltage applied to the first, second, and third electrodes,

said first, second, and third electrodes being extended into the first and second directional couplers.

2. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are different from each other in shape.

3. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third electrodes are extended to a portion near the boundary between the first directional coupler and the control unit and the boundary between the second directional coupler and the control unit.

4. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third electrodes have been offset to the right or left side with respect to the center line between the two optical waveguides.

5. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is a phase shifter that controls the quantity of light, which passes through the two optical waveguides, according to the applied voltage.

6. A waveguide-type optical control device comprising:

a phase shifter provided with a first electrode section comprising an electrode provided on the left side of a left optical waveguide, an electrode provided on the right side of a right optical waveguide, and an electrode provided between the two optical waveguides; and

a directional coupler comprising two optical waveguides which are connected respectively to the two right and left optical waveguides in the phase shifter and are provided parallel to each other with the spacing between the two optical waveguides being partially reduced, said directional coupler being used in at least one of an optical branching section provided on the input side of the phase shifter and an optical coupling section provided on the output side of the phase shifter, the refractive index of the two optical waveguides being varied according to a voltage applied across the electrodes provided respectively on the left side of the left optical waveguide and the right side of the right optical waveguide and the electrode provided between the two optical waveguides in the phase shifter,

said directional coupler being provided with a second electrode section comprising an electrode provided on the left side of the left optical waveguide, an electrode provided on the right side of the right optical waveguide, and an electrode provided between the two optical waveguides, the three electrodes constituting the second electrode section being electrically connected respectively to the three electrodes constituting the first electrode section provided adjacent to the second electrode section in the longitudinal direction of the two optical waveguides, the voltage applied to the first electrode section being applied to the second electrode section.

7. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 6, wherein the second electrode section has been formed by extending the electrodes constituting the first electrode section.

8. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 6, wherein the second electrode section has a construction such that the shape of the electrode provided on the left side of the left optical waveguide and the shape of the electrode provided on the right side of the right optical waveguide are asymmetrical.

9. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 6, wherein the second electrode section is provided only at a portion near the boundary between the directional coupler and the phase shifter.

10. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 6, wherein the first electrode section and the second electrode section have been offset by a predetermined level with respect to the center line between the two optical waveguides.

11. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 6, wherein, in the second electrode section, the electrode provided on the left side of the left optical waveguide and the electrode provided on the right side of the right optical waveguide each comprise a plurality of electrode pieces which are arranged at a predetermined interval and have been connected to each other or one another through a fuse or a bonding wire.

12. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 6, wherein the electrode provided between the optical waveguides in the second electrode section partially or entirely overlaps with one of the two optical waveguides in the thicknesswise direction thereof.

13. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 6, wherein the second electrode section is disposed on the surface of a substrate on which the two optical waveguides are provided through a buffer layer.

14. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 6, wherein each of the electrodes constituting the second electrode section is disposed so as to be substantially coplanar with the two optical waveguides.

15. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 14, wherein the electrodes constituting the second electrode section are provided within respective concaves provided on the surface of a substrate on which the two optical waveguides are provided.

16. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 6, wherein the second electrode section is disposed on the backside of a substrate on which the two optical waveguides are provided.

17. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 6, wherein the directional coupler is provided in each of the optical branching section and the optical coupling section and both the directional couplers are provided with the second electrode section.

18. A waveguide-type optical control device comprising:

a phase shifter comprising two left and right optical waveguides, a first electrode provided on the left side of the left optical waveguide, a second electrode provided on the right side of the right optical waveguide, and a third electrode provided between the two optical waveguides;

a first directional coupler that is connected to one end of the phase shifter and functions to branch an optical signal introduced through one of the two optical waveguides into optical signal parts which are then introduced respectively into the two optical waveguides; and

a second directional coupler that is connected to the other end of the phase shifter and functions to couple the optical signal parts received respectively from the two optical waveguides,

at least one of the first and second electrodes and the third electrode having been extended into a part or the whole of the first directional coupler or the second directional coupler.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein, within said first directional coupler, said two optical waveguides converge toward each other, maintain a coupling distance, and diverge from each other, and within said second directional coupler, said two optical waveguides converge toward each other, maintain a coupling distance, and diverge from each other, and

wherein at least one of said first and second electrodes extends into at least one of said first and second directional couplers to where said two optical waveguides maintain a coupling distance.

19. A waveguide-type optical control device comprising:

a phase shifter comprising two left and right optical waveguides, a first electrode provided on the left side of the left optical waveguide, a second electrode provided on the right side of the right optical waveguide, and a third electrode provided between the two optical waveguides;

a first directional coupler that is connected to one end of the phase shifter and functions to branch an optical signal introduced through one of the two optical waveguides into optical signal parts which are then introduced respectively into the two optical waveguides; and

a second directional coupler that is connected to the other end of the phase shifter and functions to couple the optical signal parts received respectively from the two optical waveguides,

at least one of the first and second electrodes and the third electrode having been extended into a part or the whole of the first directional coupler, at least one of the first and second electrodes and the third electrode having been extended into a part or the whole of the second directional coupler.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein, within said first directional coupler, said two optical waveguides converge toward each other, maintain a coupling distance, and diverge from each other, and within said second directional coupler, said two optical waveguides converge toward each other, maintain a coupling distance, and diverge from each other, and

wherein at least one of said first and second electrodes extends into said first directional coupler to where said two optical waveguides maintain a coupling distance and wherein at least one of said first and second electrodes extends into said second directional coupler to where said two optical waveguides maintain a coupling distance.

22. A waveguide-type optical control device comprising:

a phase shifter comprising two left and right optical waveguides, a first electrode provided on the left side of the left optical waveguide, a second electrode provided on the right side of the right optical waveguide, and a third electrode provided between the two optical waveguides;

a first directional coupler that is connected to one end of the phase shifter and functions to branch an optical signal introduced through one of the two optical waveguides into optical signal parts which are then introduced respectively into the two optical waveguides; and

a second directional coupler that is connected to the other end of the phase shifter and functions to couple the optical signal parts received respectively from the two optical waveguides,

said first directional coupler comprising, in its directional coupling section, second directional coupling section outer electrodes disposed respectively at a portion near the left side of the left optical waveguide and at a portion near the right side of the right optical waveguide in the first directional coupling section and a first directional coupling section intermediate electrode disposed between the two optical waveguides in the first directional coupling section,

said first electrode and said second electrode having been electrically connected respectively to the first directional coupling section outer electrodes, said third electrode having been electrically connected to the first directional coupling section intermediate electrode.

23. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 22, wherein the first directional coupling section outer electrodes and the first directional coupling section intermediate electrode apply a voltage to a part of the optical waveguides constituting the directional coupling section to cause an electric field.

26. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 22, wherein the first directional coupling section intermediate electrode has been offset with respect to the center line between the two optical waveguides constituting the first directional coupling section.

24. A waveguide-type optical control device comprising:

a phase shifter comprising two left and right optical waveguides, a first electrode provided on the left side of the left optical waveguide, a second electrode provided on the right side of the right optical waveguide, and a third electrode provided between the two optical waveguides;

a first directional coupler that is connected to one end of the phase shifter and functions to branch an optical signal introduced through one of the two optical waveguides into optical signal parts which are then introduced respectively into the two optical waveguides; and

a second directional coupler that is connected to the other end of the phase shifter and functions to couple the optical signal parts received respectively from the two optical waveguides,

said second directional coupler comprising, in its directional coupling section, second directional coupling section outer electrodes disposed respectively at a portion near the left side of the left optical waveguide and at a portion near the right side of the right optical waveguide in the second directional coupling section and a second directional coupling section intermediate electrode disposed between the two optical waveguides in the second directional coupling section,

said first electrode and said second electrode having been electrically connected respectively to the second directional coupling section outer electrodes, said third electrode having been electrically connected to the second directional coupling section intermediate electrode.

25. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 24, wherein the second directional coupling section outer electrodes and the second directional coupling section intermediate electrode apply a voltage to a part of the optical waveguides constituting the directional coupling section to cause an electric field.

27. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 24 or 25, wherein the second directional coupling section intermediate electrode has been offset with respect to the center line between the two optical waveguides constituting the second directional coupling section.

28. A waveguide-type optical control device comprising:

a phase shifter comprising two left and right optical waveguides, a first electrode provided on the left side of the left optical waveguide, a second electrode provided on the right side of the right optical waveguide, and a third electrode provided between the two optical waveguides;

a first directional coupler that is connected to one end of the phase shifter and functions to branch an optical signal introduced through one of the two optical waveguides into optical signal parts which are then introduced respectively into the two optical waveguides; and

a second directional coupler that is connected to the other end of the phase shifter and functions to couple the optical signal parts received respectively from the two optical waveguides,

at least one of the first and second electrodes and the third electrode having been extended into a part or the whole of the first directional coupler or the second directional coupler, the third electrode in its extended electrode portion being provided so that a longitudinal electric field is applied to one of the two optical waveguides.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein, within said first directional coupler, said two optical waveguides converge toward each other, maintain a coupling distance, and diverge from each other, and within said second directional coupler, said two optical waveguides converge toward each other, maintain a coupling distance, and diverge from each other,

wherein said third electrode extends into at least one of said first and second directional couplers to where said two optical waveguides maintain a coupling distance.

30. The waveguide-type optical control device according to claim 28, wherein the third electrode in its extended electrode portion is disposed on the top surface or the backside of one of the two optical waveguides so as to overlap therewith.