Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.v.

Alessandro Aimone

Gerrit Fiol

Philipp Thomas

A planar electro-optic Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) includes two optical waveguide arms and three drive electrodes extending along the optical waveguide arms to modulate light propagating therein. A middle one of the drive electrodes is between the two optical waveguide arms, and the two optical waveguide arms are between outer ones of the drive electrodes. An electrical drive circuit is connected to provide first modulation signals to the two outer ones of the drive electrodes and a second modulation signal to the middle one of the drive electrodes, wherein the second modulation signal is voltage-inverted relative to the first modulation signals.

Differential optical waveguide modulator

An electro-optic modulator that is disposed along a surface of a substrate includes an optical waveguide having an optical waveguide core disposed along the surface, and two electrode stacks, each of the stacks extending along a corresponding side of a segment of the optical waveguide core to modulate light therein. Each stack includes two electrode segments vertically stacked over the surface of the substrate; wherein at least a part of the segment of the optical waveguide core along the surface is vertically located between the electrode segments of each electrode stack.

Optical waveguide modulator

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) in which some optical waveguides have laterally tilted waveguide cores used to implement passive polarization-handling circuit elements, e.g., suitable for processing polarization-division-multiplexed optical communication signals. Different sections of such waveguide cores may have continuously varying or fixed lateral tilt angles. Different polarization-handling circuit elements can be realized, e.g., using different combinations of end-connected untilted and laterally tilted waveguide-core sections. In some embodiments, laterally tilted waveguide cores may incorporate multiple-quantum-well structures and be used to implement active circuit elements. At least some embodiments beneficially lend themselves to highly reproducible fabrication processes, which can advantageously be used to achieve a relatively high yield of the corresponding PICs during manufacture.

Optical waveguide circuits having laterally tilted waveguide cores

An electro-optical modulator is provided. The electro-optical modulator comprises at least one optical waveguide; a plurality of segments, wherein each one of the segments comprises at least one waveguide electrode for supplying a voltage to the optical waveguide, wherein the segments are arranged one behind the other along the optical waveguide, and wherein each one of the segments comprises its own driver unit electrically connected to the waveguide electrode of the segment for supplying an electric signal. Each one of the segments forms an electrical resonant circuit, wherein the segments are configured in such a way that the resonance frequency of the electrical resonant circuit of at least one of the segments lies within the frequency range of an electrical signal supplied to the driver units.

Growing community of inventors

Berlin, Germany

Alessandro Aimone