Slow wave electrooptic light modulator apparatus and method

A slow wave electrooptic intensity modulator for changing the intensity of an incident light wave comprising:

• (a) a substrate of a material which exhibits a linear electrooptic effect;
• (b) an optical waveguide interferometer formed on said substrate and positioned to receive said incident light wave, comprising of an input single mode waveguide section, a waveguide branch diverging to two single mode waveguide sections, and a second waveguide branch whereby said two single mode waveguide sections converge to form an output single mode waveguide section;
• (c) two slow wave optical propagation regions, disposed in said two single mode waveguide sections between two said branches, each comprising a grating structure integrated with said two waveguide sections, such that said grating structure is disposed to produce contradirectional coupling of light in said optical waveguide, thereby decreasing the forward propagation velocity of said light;
• (d) a source of electrical potential;
• and
• (e) electrodes connected to said source disposed to produce electric fields of opposite sense in said slow wave propagation regions of said two waveguide sections, in response to said source.

A slow wave electrooptic phase modulator method for changing the phase of an incident light wave comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a substrate of material which exhibits a linear electrooptic effect;
• (b) forming a single mode optical waveguide on said substrate and positioning it so as to receive said incident light wave;
• (c) integrating a grating structure with said optical waveguide disposed so as to produce contradirectional coupling of light in said optical waveguide, thereby decreasing the forward propagation velocity of said light;
• (d) providing a source of electrical potential;
• (e) connecting electrodes to said source and disposing said electrodes so as to produce an electrical field in and around said optical waveguide in response to said source;
• and
• (f) activating said source of electrical potential.

A slow wave electrooptic intensity modulator method for changing the intensity of an incident light wave comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a substrate material which exhibits a linear electrooptic effect;
• (b) forming an optical waveguide interferometer on said substrate and positioning said optical waveguide interferometer to receive said incident light wave, said optical waveguide interferometer comprising an input single mode waveguide section, a waveguide branch diverging two single mode waveguide sections, and a second waveguide branch whereby said two single mode waveguide sections converged to form an output single mode waveguide section;
• (c) disposing two slow wave optical propagation regions in said two single mode waveguide sections between said two branches, each comprising a grating structure integrated with said two waveguide sections, such that said grating structure is disposed to produce contradirectional coupling of light in said optical waveguide, thereby decreasing the forward propagation velocity of said light;
• (d) providing a source of electrical potential;
• (e) connecting electrodes to said source of electrical potential and disposing said electrodes so as to produce electric fields of opposite sense in said slow wave propagation regions of said two waveguide sections, in response to said source of electrical potential;
• and
• (f) activating said source of electrical potential.