Lumentum Operations LLC

Jds Uniphase Corporation

David Glassner

Karl M Kissa

Robert Anthony Griffin

John M Heaton

Stephen K Jones

Siu Kwan Cheung

Ed L Wooten

David M Shemo

An electrical-optical modulator may include one or more optical waveguides to propagate one or more optical signals in a direction of propagation. An optical waveguide of the one or more optical waveguides may include a time delay section, a first modulation section preceding the time delay section in the direction of propagation, and a second modulation section following the time delay section in the direction of propagation. The first modulation section and the second modulation section may be configured to be associated with opposite modulation polarities, and the time delay section may be configured to delay a phase of the one more optical signals relative to the first modulation section. The electrical-optical modulator may include one or more signal electrodes to propagate one or more signals in the direction of propagation in order to modulate the one or more optical signals through electrical-optical interaction.

Electrical-optical modulator

An electrical-optical modulator may include a first section configured for a first electrical-optical interaction between one or more optical waveguides and one or more signal electrodes. The electrical-optical modulator may include a second section configured to increase or decrease a relative velocity of signals of the one or more signal electrodes to optical signals of the one or more optical waveguides relative to the first section. The electrical-optical modulator may include a third section configured for a second electrical-optical interaction between the one or more optical waveguides and the one or more signal electrodes according to an opposite modulation polarity relative to the first section.

A device may include a substrate. The device may include an optical waveguide formed in or on the substrate. The device may include a signal electrode extending along a longitudinal axis. The signal electrode may include a first portion with a proximal end that is proximal to the optical waveguide, to induce a signal from the signal electrode to the optical waveguide. The signal electrode may include a second portion, at least partially attached to or continuous with a distal end of the first portion. The device may include one or more ground electrodes that form an enclosure. The enclosure may enclose the signal electrode with regard to a side of the substrate in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

Electrode structures for optical modulators

An optical modulator may include at least one ground electrode. The optical modulator may include at least one signal electrode parallel to the at least one ground electrode. The optical modulator may include at least one waveguide parallel to the at least one ground electrode and the at least one signal electrode. The optical modulator may include a first substrate disposed underneath the at least one ground electrode and the at least one signal electrode relative to a surface of the optical modulator. The optical modulator may include a second substrate disposed underneath at least a portion of the first substrate relative to the surface of the optical modulator. The optical modulator may include a floating conductor disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

Optical modulator

The invention relates to an electro-optic directional coupler suitable for use as a variable optical attenuator at reduced voltages compared to those known in the prior art. The present invention has found that by careful selection of an asymmetric directional coupler geometry, the transfer function of the device can be shifted so that it has an operating point between maximum and minimum transmission. Signal electrodes driven in push pull configuration advantageously use this operating point to achieve significant reduction in operating voltages for switching to maximum or minimum transmission. Asymmetry is created in the directional coupler by forming the waveguides to have different propagation constants by a difference in waveguide width, depth, index of refraction or index profile. Asymmetry can alternatively be created by causing mechanical stress in the waveguides through the placement, number, or dimensions of the electrodes, or through asymmetric dielectric structures between the waveguides and the electrodes.

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Morgan Hill, CA, United States of America

David Glassner