US 7,689,069 B2Granted

Semiconductor optical switch

AssigneeYokogawa Electric Corporation

InventorsMasayuki Suehiro, Shinji Iio, Shinichi Nakajima, Yoshiyuki Asano, Morio Wada

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Abstract

A semiconductor optical switch may include an optical waveguide, a first electrode, and a first reflector. The optical waveguide may include a branching point, a first incoming path and first and second outgoing paths. The first electrode is provided at the branching point to give carrier injection into the branching point to allow that the branching point reflects an optical signal that is propagating through the first incoming path so that the reflected optical signal propagates through the second outgoing path. The first electrode may give no carrier injection into the branching point to allow that the branching point allows the optical signal to transmit through the branching point and propagate through the first outgoing path. The first reflector is provided on the first outgoing path. The first reflector reflects a leakage of light that has propagated from the branching point.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A semiconductor optical switch comprising:

an optical waveguide that comprises a branching point, a first incoming path and first and second outgoing paths;
a first electrode provided at the branching point, the first electrode giving carrier injection into the branching point to allow that the branching point reflects an optical signal that is propagating through the first incoming path so that the reflected optical signal propagates through the second outgoing path, the first electrode giving no carrier injection into the branching point to allow that the branching point allows the optical signal to transmit through the branching point and propagate through the first outgoing path;
and
a first reflector provided on the first outgoing path, the first reflector reflecting a leakage of light that has propagated from the branching point, the leakage of light being generated upon carrier injection into the branching point;
wherein the first reflector adjusts its first transmission wavelength so as to control whether the first transmission wavelength is identical to or different from the wavelength of the leakage of light.

2 more elements

A semiconductor optical switch comprising:

an optical waveguide that comprises a branching point, a first incoming path and first and second outgoing paths;
a first electrode provided at the branching point, the first electrode giving carrier injection into the branching point to allow that the branching point reflects an optical signal that is propagating through the first incoming path so that the reflected optical signal propagates through the second outgoing path, the first electrode giving no carrier injection into the branching point to allow that the branching point allows the optical signal to transmit through the branching point and propagate through the first outgoing path;
and;
a first reflector provided on the first outgoing path, the first reflector reflecting a leakage of light that has propagated from the branching point, the leakage of light being generated upon carrier injection into the branching point;
a second reflector provided on the second outgoing path, the second reflector reflecting a cross-talk light from the branching point, the cross-talk light being generated upon no carrier injection into the branching point;
wherein the second reflector adjusts its second transmission wavelength so as to control whether the second transmission wavelength is identical to or different from the wavelength of the cross- talk light.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.