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US 2009/0214161 A1Published application

Multimode Interference Waveguide Type Optical Switch

AssigneeKeio Univeristy

InventorsHiroyuki Tsuda, Mitsuhiro Yasumoto

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Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a multimode interference waveguide type optical switch that has a wide tolerance and that digitally performs switching with respect to a change in an applied voltage or injected current. The multimode interference waveguide type optical switch of the present invention includes an input single-mode waveguide (102) into which input light is entered, a multimode rectangular slab waveguide (103) into which light emitted from the input single-mode waveguide is entered, two electrodes (105a, 105b) that are arranged in parallel in a waveguide direction on the slab waveguide and that decrease the refractive index of the slab waveguide (103) disposed thereunder by injecting current or applying voltage, and a plurality of output single-mode waveguides (104a, 104b) into which light emitted from the slab waveguide (103) is entered and from which output light is emitted.

Claims11

Dependent claims

Claim at position 11-12. (canceled) · 2 wordsNo dependents Claim 13A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch · 341 words3 dependent Claim 14A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch · 463 wordsNo dependents Claim 15A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch · 333 wordsNo dependents Claim 16A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch · 395 wordsNo dependents Claim 17A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch · 647 wordsNo dependents Claim 18A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch · 647 wordsNo dependents Claim 19A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch · 305 wordsNo dependents

1-12. (canceled)

A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch comprising:

an input single-mode waveguide into which input light is entered;
a multimode rectangular slab waveguide into which light emitted from the input single-mode waveguide is entered;
two electrodes that are arranged in parallel in a waveguide direction on the slab waveguide and that decrease the refractive index of the slab waveguide disposed thereunder by injecting current or applying voltage;
and
a plurality of output single-mode waveguides into which light emitted from the slab waveguide is entered and from which output light is emitted;
wherein:
a connection end between the input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by a straight line along an inner side surface of a first electrode, a straight line along a side surface of the slab waveguide farther from the first electrode, a straight line that passes through the connection end between the input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and that is perpendicular to the waveguide direction, and a straight line that passes through the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and that is perpendicular to the waveguide direction, and
a connection end between the input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by a straight line along an inner side surface of a second electrode, a straight line along a side surface of the slab waveguide farther from the second electrode, a straight line that passes through the connection end between the input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and that is perpendicular to the waveguide direction, and a straight line that passes through the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and that is perpendicular to the waveguide direction.

5 more elements

A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch comprising:

an input single-mode waveguide into which input light is entered;
a multimode rectangular slab waveguide into which light emitted from the input single-mode waveguide is entered;
two electrodes that are arranged in parallel in a waveguide direction on the slab waveguide and that decrease the refractive index of the slab waveguide disposed thereunder by injecting current or applying voltage;
and
a plurality of output single-mode waveguides into which light emitted from the slab waveguide is entered and from which output light is emitted;
wherein:
the number of the input single-mode waveguides is two;
the number of the output single-mode waveguides is two;
a connection end between a first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of the slab waveguide;
a connection end between a second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to the center of the slab waveguide;
the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by a straight line along an inner side surface of a first electrode, a straight line along an inner side surface of a second electrode, a straight line that passes through the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide, and a straight line that passes through the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide;
and
the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by a straight line along an inner side surface of a first electrode, a straight line along an inner side surface of a second electrode, a straight line that passes through the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide, and a straight line that passes through the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide.

10 more elements

A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch comprising:

an input single-mode waveguide into which input light is entered;
a multimode rectangular slab waveguide into which light emitted from the input single-mode waveguide is entered;
four electrodes that are arranged in parallel in a waveguide direction on the slab waveguide and that decrease the refractive index of the slab waveguide disposed thereunder by injecting current or applying voltage;
and
a plurality of output single-mode waveguides into which light emitted from the slab waveguide is entered and from which output light is emitted;
wherein:
a connection end between the input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by a straight line along an inner side surface of a first electrode, a straight line along an inner side surface of a third electrode, a straight line that passes through the connection end between the input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and that is perpendicular to the waveguide direction, and a straight line that passes through the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and that is perpendicular to the waveguide direction;
and
a connection end between the input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by a straight line along an inner side surface of a second electrode, a straight line along an inner side surface of a fourth electrode, a straight line that passes through the connection end between the input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and that is perpendicular to the waveguide direction, and a straight line that passes through the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and that is perpendicular to the waveguide direction.

6 more elements

A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch comprising:

an input single-mode waveguide into which input light is entered;
a multimode rectangular slab waveguide into which light emitted from the input single-mode waveguide is entered;
four electrodes that are arranged in parallel in a waveguide direction on the slab waveguide and that decrease the refractive index of the slab waveguide disposed thereunder by injecting current or applying voltage;
and
a plurality of output single-mode waveguides into which light emitted from the slab waveguide is entered and from which output light is emitted;
wherein:
the input single-mode waveguide is an input single-mode waveguide array;
the output single-mode waveguide is a plurality of output single-mode waveguide arrays;
a connection end between a center line of the input single-mode waveguide array and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a center line of a first output single-mode waveguide array and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by a straight line along an inner side surface of a first electrode, a straight line along an inner side surface of a third electrode, a straight line that passes through the connection end between the center line of the input single-mode waveguide array and the slab waveguide and that is perpendicular to the waveguide direction, and a straight line that passes through the connection end between the center line of the first output single-mode waveguide array and the slab waveguide and that is perpendicular to the waveguide direction;
and
a connection end between the center line of the input single-mode waveguide array and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a center line of a second output single-mode waveguide array and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by a straight line along an inner side surface of a second electrode, a straight line along an inner side surface of a fourth electrode, a straight line that passes through the connection end between the center line of the input single-mode waveguide array and the slab waveguide and that is perpendicular to the waveguide direction, and a straight line that passes through the connection end between the center line of the second output single-mode waveguide array and the slab waveguide and that is perpendicular to the waveguide direction.

8 more elements

A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch comprising:

an input single-mode waveguide into which input light is entered;
a multimode rectangular slab waveguide into which light emitted from the input single-mode waveguide is entered;
four electrodes that are arranged in parallel in a waveguide direction on the slab waveguide and that decrease the refractive index of the slab waveguide disposed thereunder by injecting current or applying voltage;
and
a plurality of output single-mode waveguides into which light emitted from the slab waveguide is entered and from which output light is emitted;
wherein:
the number of the input single-mode waveguides is two;
the number of the output single-mode waveguides is two;
a connection end between a first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by a straight line along an inner side surface of a first electrode, a straight line along an inner side surface of a fourth electrode, a straight line that passes through the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide, and a straight line that passes through the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide;
a connection end between a second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to the center of the rectangle formed by the straight line along the inner side surface of the first electrode, the straight line along the inner side surface of the fourth electrode, the straight line that passes through the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide, and the straight line that passes through the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide;
the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by the straight line along the inner side surface of the first electrode, a straight line along an inner side surface of a second electrode, the straight line that passes through the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide, and the straight line that passes through the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide;
and
the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by a straight line along an inner side surface of a third electrode, the straight line along the inner side surface of the fourth electrode, the straight line that passes through the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide, and the straight line that passes through the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide.

10 more elements

A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch comprising:

an input single-mode waveguide into which input light is entered;
a multimode rectangular slab waveguide into which light emitted from the input single-mode waveguide is entered;
four electrodes that are arranged in parallel in a waveguide direction on the slab waveguide and that decrease the refractive index of the slab waveguide disposed thereunder by injecting current or applying voltage;
and
a plurality of output single-mode waveguides into which light emitted from the slab waveguide is entered and from which output light is emitted;
wherein:
the number of the input single-mode waveguides is two;
the number of the output single-mode waveguides is two;
a connection end between a first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by a straight line along an inner side surface of a first electrode, a straight line along an inner side surface of a fourth electrode, a straight line that passes through the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide, and a straight line that passes through the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide;
a connection end between a second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by the straight line along the inner side surface of the first electrode, the straight line along the inner side surface of the fourth electrode, the straight line that passes through the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide, and the straight line that passes through the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide;
a connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by a straight line along an inner side surface of a second electrode, a straight line along an inner side surface of a third electrode, a straight line that passes through the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide, and a straight line that passes through the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide;
and
a connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of a rectangle formed by the straight line along the inner side surface of the second electrode, the straight line along the inner side surface of the third electrode, the straight line that passes through the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide, and the straight line that passes through the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide.

10 more elements

A multimode interference waveguide type optical switch comprising:

an input single-mode waveguide into which input light is entered;
a multimode rectangular slab waveguide into which light emitted from the input single-mode waveguide is entered;
four electrodes that are arranged in parallel in a waveguide direction on the slab waveguide and that decrease the refractive index of the slab waveguide disposed thereunder by injecting current or applying voltage;
and
a plurality of output single-mode waveguides into which light emitted from the slab waveguide is entered and from which output light is emitted;
wherein:
the number of the input single-mode waveguides is two;
the number of the output single-mode waveguides is two;
a connection end between a first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to a center of the slab waveguide;
a connection end between a second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and a connection end between a first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged in a point-symmetric manner with respect to the center of the slab waveguide;
the connection end between the first input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the first output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged between a straight line along an inner side surface of a first electrode and a straight line along an inner side surface of a second electrode;
and
the connection end between the second input single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide and the connection end between the second output single-mode waveguide and the slab waveguide are arranged between a straight line along an inner side surface of a third electrode and a straight line along an inner side surface of a fourth electrode.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/988,308Filed 10 Feb 2006
Priority: JP 2005 2009958 Jul 2005
Published: 27 Aug 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G02F 1/3132
In an optical waveguide structure: of directional coupler type
G02B 6/2813
Using a mixing element which evenly distributes an input signal over a number of outputs: based on multimode interference effect, i.e. self-imaging
G02B 6/354
Having switching means: switching arrangements, i.e. number of input/output ports and interconnection types
G02F
Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light by modification of

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