Abstract:
A method for fabricating titanium-indiffusion waveguides in optical modulators and other optical waveguide devices includes disposing titanium strips in a waveguide pattern on the surface of a crystalline substrate, such as lithium niobate or lithium tantalate, and indiffusing the titanium atoms into the crystalline substrate by pressurizing above ambient atmospheric pressure an oxygen gas atmosphere enclosing the crystalline substrate, heating in the oxygen gas atmosphere, maintaining temperature and pressure for an indiffusion period, and cooling to ambient temperature. A powder formed of the same chemical composition as the crystalline substrate may be introduced into the indiffusion process to limit the crystalline substrate from outgassing alkaline earth metal oxide during the indiffusion period. An indiffusion container that allows for crystalline substrates to be annealed in the presence of a powder without contaminating the substrate with the powder during the indiffusion process may be used. Waveguides manufactured in accordance with the method exhibit superior drift performance.
Abstract:
An optical waveguide modulator 40 has a substrate 1 made of a material with an electrooptic effect, an optical waveguide 2 to guide a lightwave 2, a travelling wave-type signal electrode 3 and the ground electrodes 4 to control the lightwave. Moreover, it has a buffer layer 6, at least a part thereof being embedded in the superficial layer of the substrate 1, having a larger width “W” than a width “&ohgr;” of the travelling wave-type signal electrode 3 only under the signal electrode 3 and its nearby part.
Abstract:
An electro-optic device comprising an electro-optic crystal substrate, an optical waveguide path in the crystal adjacent the substrate surface and an electrode spaced from the surface by a buffer layer is provided with enhanced operating stability by forming the buffer layer of a transparent electronically conductive material. Preferred buffer materials are electronically conductive gallium-indium-oxide and electronically conductive zinc-indium-tin-oxide.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a Mach-Zehnder optical modulator having an electrode structure that is arranged to compensate for temperature induced performance degrading variations. The distances between appropriate faces of the signal electrode and a ground electrode and corresponding wave-guide arms are arranged such that there is a more balanced thermal expansion of the waveguide arms due to heating of the waveguides by the RF signals carried on the signal and ground electrodes. Tailored buffer layers further balances the heating in the waveguide arms through the RF losses in the electrodes. The balanced heating reduces the temperature gradient between the waveguide arms of the optical modulator and hence reduces the adverse thermally induced performance degrading variations.
Abstract:
An acousto-optical device includes a light waveguide path formed on an acousto-optical substrate, a transducer which crosses the light waveguide path and propagates a surface acoustic wave along the light waveguide path, and a buffer layer provided so that finger electrodes of the transducer are spaced apart from the light waveguide path in crossing portions in which the finger electrodes cross the light waveguide path. The finger electrodes have other portions which directly contact the substrate.
Abstract:
A non-linear optical thin film layer system (10) is provided for integrated optics applications where a non-linear optical thin film layer (18) is integrated with a gallium-arsenide substrate (12). A first encapsulating layer (20) is deposited on lower surface (26), peripheral sides (30), and an upper surface peripheral region (28) of said gallium-arsenide substrate (12). A second encapsulating and buffer layer (14) is epitaxially grown on an upper surface of said gallium-arsenide substrate (12) and on the encapsulated upper surface peripheral region (28) of said gallium-arsenide substrate (12). A perovskite layer (16) is epitaxially grown on an upper surface of the layer (14). A non-linear optical thin film layer (18) is epitaxially grown on an upper surface of the perovskite layer (16) and is lattice matched to this layer.
Abstract:
An electro-optical waveguide element with reduced DC drift phenomena is presented. The waveguide element is made up of an optical waveguide formed on a substrate possessing electro-optical effects, at least a pair of electrodes closely attached to the optical waveguide with a buffer layer sandwiched between the substrate and the electrodes, and a driver circuit for applying a voltage between the electrodes. The buffer layer is made of a material having a dielectric constant in the range of 20-1000. The buffer layer is more preferably made of a material having a dielectric constant in the range of 20-200. The material of the buffer layer is selected from the group consisting of HfO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, SrTiO.sub.3, BaTiO.sub.3, LiNbO.sub.3, LiTaO.sub.3, Pb(Zr, Ti)O.sub.3, and (Pb, La)(Zr, Ti)O.sub.3.
Abstract:
A waveguide type electro-optical element is made up of a proton-exchanged optical waveguide formed on a substrate which possesses an electro-optical effect. At least one pair of electrodes is formed on the substrate adjacent to the optical waveguide with a buffer layer being disposed between the substrate and the electrodes. A guide beam propagating through the waveguide is diffracted as a result of the application of a voltage to the electrodes. The buffer layer is made of material which has a specific resistance ranging between 10.sup.7 -10.sup.11 .OMEGA.cm. The optical waveguide may be of a form having a split-type optical waveguide consisting of the combination of two Y-shaped waveguides, and a pair of channel optical waveguides constituting a directional coupler.