The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 03, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 26, 2001
Richard William Ridgway, Westerville, OH (US);
Van Earl Wood, Delaware, OH (US);
David William Nippa, Dublin, OH (US);
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH (US);
Abstract
Waveguides and integrated optical devices incorporating optically functional cladding regions are provided. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an electrooptic clad waveguide is provided with an optical waveguide core and first and second electrooptic cladding regions. The optical waveguide core is a substantially non-electrooptic material. The cladding regions are electrooptic polymers defining a refractive index that is less than that of the core. The first and second cladding regions may be poled in opposite or perpendicular directions or along a contour of an electric field. Additional embodiments of the present invention utilize other types of optically functional materials in the cladding regions. Integrated optical devices according to the present invention comprise phase modulators, intensity modulators, 2×2 polarization independent optical switches, high-frequency modulators, wavelength-dependent optical switches, directional couplers employing electrooptic gaps and electrooptic cladding regions, and optical devices with thinned-down waveguide channels and phase compensating elements.