Optical waveguides – With optical coupler – Particular coupling function
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-01
2004-04-27
Lee, John D. (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With optical coupler
Particular coupling function
C385S140000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06728438
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a higher order mode generator device capable of converting the 0
th
order fundamental waveguide mode into the higher order waveguide modes through an external control.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Combining different orders of waveguide modes in a waveguide type device is very difficult and also has a fundamental problem. If solving these problems, it can be applied to various devices such as a switch or an attenuator. As such passive devices capable of combining the fundamental mode into the higher order modes, only passive devices composed of adiabatic Y-branch type waveguides having different widths have been reported. There has been no device that can control the amount of combination using external voltage or current. In case of using the adiabatic Y-branch type waveguide, fabrication of optical devices such as 2×2 switches and optical attenuators is possible by combining two Y-branches in the form of Mach-Zehnder interferometer. In these cases, however, there are difficulties in the fabrication since the branching angle of a Y-branch is very small, and also thie optical loss is large since the length is lengthened very long.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a higher order mode generator device for converting the 0
th
order fundamental waveguide mode into the higher order waveguide modes more than a first order, which has a very simple structure composed of a straight waveguide and an electrode.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a higher order mode generator device which can simplify the structure of an optical device and a driving method thereof.
These and other objects can be accomplished by a higher order mode generator according to the present invention, comprising a linear waveguide including upper and lower cladding layers
2
,
3
and core layer
1
which support higher order modes higher than the 0
th
order and a linear heater
4
which is disposed across the waveguide at a tilt angle &agr; with respect to the waveguide, wherein for combining the 0
th
order optical guiding mode with the m
th
order optical guiding mode, a tilt angle &agr; of the heater and the m
th
order mode propagation angle &thgr;
m
satisfy the condition of &agr;>&thgr;
m
/2.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4737003 (1988-04-01), Matsumura et al.
patent: 5841913 (1998-11-01), Marcuse et al.
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Lee John D.
Song Sarah U
Zen Photonics Co., Ltd.
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