Optical modulator

An optical modulator having a structure composed of a multilayer stack, comprising:

• a first metallic contact layer on the top of the stack and a second metallic contact layer on the bottom of the stack, said contact layer serving as electrodes for an external electrical control signal,
• a plurality of semiconductor layers between said contact layers,
• an input opening in the first metallic contact layer, enabling injection of an external optical signal into the stack and propagation of said external optical sianal perpendicularly through the semiconductor layers, wherein a first optical path is formed,
• an internal semiconductor waveguide laser formed from adjacent layers inside the stack, the internal waveguide laser generating a modulating laser beam parallel with said adjacent semiconductor layers in response to the external electrical control signal, wherein the waveguide forms a second optical path perpendicular to the first optical path, and
• an absorber section integrated to the internal semiconductor waveguide laser in a region, where the first optical signal path intersects the second optical signal path, saturation intensity of the absorber being altered by the modulating laser beam from the internal semiconductor waveguide laser in response to the external electrical control signal,
• wherein the external optical signal passing through the absorber is modulated by alternating the saturation intensity of the absorber.