USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Marta M Howerton

Robert P Moeller

William K Burns

James H Cole

Roger Krahenbuhl

An electro-optic modulator includes a substrate, at least two parallel optical waveguides, at least one ground plane, at least one active electrode with at least two lower portions of the active electrode, and an upper portion connected to the lower portions, the lower portions spaced apart from each other, each of the two lower portions of the active electrode extending over one of the optical waveguides. An electro-optic phase modulator having at least one optical waveguide and at least one active electrode formed on a face of the substrate, the active electrode having a wider upper portion and a narrower lower portion, the lower portions of the active electrode aligned with and extending over one of the optical waveguides. A bridge electrode has at least one narrower lower portion, and a wider upper portion, the lower portion for being arranged over an optical waveguide formed in a substrate.

Low loss electrodes for electro-optic modulators

This invention pertains to a device and method for making same. The device includes a substrate suitable for supporting pathways for optical signals; separate pathways disposed on the substrate suitable for propagating optical signals, the pathways including an input and an output optical pathway; and a reflective surface in operative contact with the input and output pathways for receiving an optical signal from the input pathway and reflecting the optical signal into the output pathway. The method for making the device includes the steps of providing two separate optical pathways on a single substrate, one being an input pathway and the other being an output pathway; providing a reflective surface in operative contact with the pathways whereby an input optical signal is passed through the input pathway, reflected by the reflective surface into the output pathway, and passed out of the output pathway, whereby the device can be made on a lithium niobate substrate with titanium-diffused pathways with a loss of about 1.0 dB or less, in a space that is at least &#x2155; the space required by the same or similar prior art device.

Low-loss compact reflective turns in optical waveguides

A method and apparatus for counteracting polarization fading and stimulated Brillouin scattering in long runs of non-polarization maintaining optical fiber. A linearly polarized optical signal is depolarized by phase modulating the signal at a frequency significantly above the fiber's Brillouin scattering linewidth V.sub.b prior to launch into the long run of fiber.

Depolarized source for high power operation of an integrated optical

An apparatus comprised of a depolarized light source for fiber optic sensors is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the depolarized light source of the apparatus comprises: a first laser for generating a first beam at a first frequency, the first beam having a linear polarization state; a second laser for generating a second beam at a second frequency, the second beam having a linear polarization state; a means for rotating the polarization state of the second beam so that the first and second beams have orthogonal linear polarization states with respect to each other; and a means for combining the first beam with the polarization-rotated second beam to obtain a composite beam which is depolarized. In a system operation, the apparatus comprises: a source of depolarized light; an integrated optic modulator means for receiving a modulator drive signal; a first low-birefringence fiber for conveying the depolarized light beam from the depolarized light source to the integrated optic modulator means, the integrated optic modulator means modulating only one linear polarization state in the depolarized light beam as a function of the modulator drive signal to produce a modulated beam; a photodetector; and a second low-birefringence fiber for conveying the modulated light beam to the photodetector, the photodetector being responsive to the modulated light beam for developing an electrical signal proportional to the modulator drive signal.

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Fairfax Station, VA, United States of America

Marta M Howerton