Electro-optic modulator with waveguide vertical coupling

Abstract

An integrated electro-optic (EO) modulator implemented on a vertical coupling platform. It features inverse taper mode converters to match spot sizes with lasers or optical fibers, microreflectors for redirecting optical paths, and microlenses for coupling to and from modulator waveguides. The modulator may be either a bulk LiNbO3 modulator or a hybrid thin-film LiNbO3 modulator, where an electro-optical modulation layer is bonded to a cladding layer overlying a substrate. A modulation zone waveguide is optically coupled to the electro-optical modulation layer and integrated with the waveguiding structure embedded in the cladding layer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.