U.S. Philips Corporation

Remi Gamonal

Marko Erman

An optoelectronic integrated semiconductor device including a separator of the polarizations TE and TM, this separator comprising two parallel and monomode optical guides G.sub.1 and G.sub.2, one of which receives at the input a luminous signal, and comprising means for carrying out the separation of this signal and its two components TE and TM, one of which TE is transported to the output through one of the guides and the other component TM is transported to the output through the other guide, characterized in that:

Optoelectronic integrated semiconductor device including a separator of

An optical switching element including two optical guides constituted by linear parallel strips coupled through a distance d and made of semiconductor material having an index n.sub.1 on a semiconductor substrate having an index n.sub.o &lt;n.sub.1 and provided with electrodes E.sub.ii to carry out the switching of the light from one guide to the other, characterized in that the first guide G.sub.ii is connected on the one hand to an input IN.sub.i and on the other hand to a direct output I'.sub.i of the switching element, and in that the second guide H.sub.ii is provided beyond the zone of the electrodes E.sub.ii with a flat mirror M.sub.ii at 45.degree. with respect to its optical axis, which reflects the light into a guide H'.sub.ii perpendicular to H.sub.ii, in that H'.sub.ii is coupled through a distance d to a guide G'.sub.ii, the guides H'.sub.ii and G'.sub.ii being provided with electrodes E'.sub.ii to direct the light towards the output O.sub. i of the guide G'.sub.ii, and in that the systems of the guides G.sub.ii, H.sub.ii, H'.sub.ii, G'.sub.ii are covered by a planar confinement layer of a semiconductor material except the region Q.sub.ii of the mirror M.sub.ii. Application: switching matrix for telecommunication purposes.

Growing community of inventors

Brunoy, France

Remi Gamonal