High frequency optical modulator with laterally displaced conduction plane relative to modulating electrodes

An optical modulator comprising:

• a submount comprising a conducting plane;
• electrical conduction pathways designed to carry RF signals;
• and
• an optical chip comprising a substrate two conductive RF electrodes and two semiconductor optical waveguides with electrical conductive elements along at least a portion of a surface of the optical waveguide,
• wherein the optical chip is attached to the submount with the optical chip substrate oriented away from the submount and the two semiconductor optical waveguides oriented toward the submount,
• wherein the conducting plane is offset from the conductive RF electrodes and the semiconductor optical waveguides of the optical chip and is electrically isolated from the optical chip,
• wherein the two conductive RF electrodes are adjacent respectively to corresponding optical waveguides and additional conductive elements connecting one of the conductive RF electrodes to the corresponding conductive element along a surface of the corresponding semiconductor waveguide, and
• wherein the electrical conduction pathways electrically connect to the conductive RF electrodes of the optical chip.