With a wavelength conversion device based on a nonlinear optical effect, when arrayed waveguides including an intended nonlinear waveguide are fabricated, unwanted slab waveguides are inevitably formed. The slab waveguides can cause an erroneous measurement in the selection of a waveguide having desired characteristics from the arrayed waveguides. The erroneous measurement can lead to redoing steps for fabricating the wavelength conversion device and a decrease in the yield and inhibit the evaluation of the characteristics in selection of the waveguide and the subsequent fabrication of the wavelength conversion device from being efficiently performed. A wavelength conversion device according to the present invention includes a plurality of waveguides formed on a substrate, and a plurality of slab waveguides that are arranged substantially in parallel with and spaced apart from the plurality of waveguides, and a guided light attenuator is formed in each of the slab waveguides. The guided light attenuators allow efficient selection of a waveguide having desired optical characteristics from the plurality of waveguides. The light attenuation by the guided light attenuators can be changed in steps for fabricating the wavelength conversion device.

The present invention provides a configuration of a novel optical transmitter which outputs stable PDM signals. The novel optical transmitter generates phase conjugate light using a single second-order non-linear optical element included in a phase conjugate light generator with a looped configuration. A relative phase of main signal light with respect to excitation light and phase conjugate light of the main signal light stabilizes between two polarized components, and a PDM signal including a pair of a polarization-multiplexed signal and phase conjugate light in a stable phase state can be generated and transmitted. The present invention can provide an optical transmitter that generates a PDM signal in which a variation in a phase between quadrature polarized waves is suppressed. By stabilizing quality of a PDM transmission signal on a side of the optical transmitter, a phase sensitive amplifier in a polarization diversity configuration can be operated in a stable manner.

The present invention provides a configuration of a novel optical transmitter which outputs stable PDM signals. The novel optical transmitter generates phase conjugate light using a single second-order non-linear optical element included in a phase conjugate light generator with a looped configuration. A relative phase of main signal light with respect to excitation light and phase conjugate light of the main signal light stabilizes between two polarized components, and a PDM signal including a pair of a polarization-multiplexed signal and phase conjugate light in a stable phase state can be generated and transmitted. The present invention can provide an optical transmitter that generates a PDM signal in which a variation in a phase between quadrature polarized waves is suppressed. By stabilizing quality of a PDM transmission signal on a side of the optical transmitter, a phase sensitive amplifier in a polarization diversity configuration can be operated in a stable manner.

A wavelength conversion device that restrains output power of light that has a wavelength converted from reducing due to a pyroelectric effect when a temperature of a wavelength conversion element including a ferroelectric substrate is changed is a wavelength conversion device that includes, in a casing, the wavelength conversion element, a temperature control element that controls a temperature of the wavelength conversion element, a static elimination mechanism and a surface potential measurement mechanism, and eliminates static electricity by driving the static elimination mechanism when the surface potential measurement mechanism detects a change in surface potential of the wavelength conversion element.

A wavelength conversion device that restrains output power of light that has a wavelength converted from reducing due to a pyroelectric effect when a temperature of a wavelength conversion element including a ferroelectric substrate is changed is a wavelength conversion device that includes, in a casing, the wavelength conversion element, a temperature control element that controls a temperature of the wavelength conversion element, a static elimination mechanism and a surface potential measurement mechanism, and eliminates static electricity by driving the static elimination mechanism when the surface potential measurement mechanism detects a change in surface potential of the wavelength conversion element.

Provided is a wavelength conversion element capable of achieving highly efficient wavelength conversion, without relying on a method of applying electric fields. A wavelength conversion element is formed of a second-order nonlinear optical crystal and has a z-axis, running along a direction of spontaneous polarization, within a substrate plane. The wavelength conversion element includes a waveguide in which, when a plurality of circles having their centers on a straight line parallel to the z-axis and having the same radius are depicted so that circumferences of the plurality of circles contact each other, semicircular waveguides corresponding to one semicircles of the circumferences with the straight line as a boundary, are alternately connected.

A wavelength conversion apparatus using a nonlinear optical medium having a periodically poled structure is operated at an optimal temperature in a stable manner. The wavelength conversion apparatus includes a wavelength converter using a nonlinear optical medium and a controller for controlling temperature of the wavelength converter. The wavelength conversion apparatus further includes a first optical branch coupler for branching part of output light from the wavelength converter, and first and second wavelength separation filters for separating and outputting, from part of the output light, each of two light components generated by parametric fluorescence in the wavelength converter. The controller controls the temperature of the wavelength converter on the basis of difference in light intensity of the two light components.

Improved efficiency for nonlinear optical interactions is provided by using strongly confining waveguides for simultaneous imposition of dispersion design constraints at two or more dispersion orders. Quasi-phase-matching allows for phase-matching to be accomplished independently of the waveguide design, which helps provide sufficient design freedom for the dispersion design.

A method, apparatus, and system for non-linear optical process. A first light of a first wavelength is routed in a first loop in a main nonlinear optical waveguide. The first loop has a first length for the first light of the first wavelength. A second light of a second wavelength is routed in a second loop that includes portions of the main nonlinear optical waveguide and a first extension optical waveguide. The second loop has a second length for the second light of the second wavelength. A third light of a third wavelength is routed in a third loop that include portions of the main nonlinear optical waveguide and a second extension optical waveguide. The third loop has a third length for the third light of the third wavelength.

An optical waveguide structure comprises a first coupler and a second coupler that, in combination, direct a first-wavelength light to travel through a nonlinear-optical waveguide, the two couplers and an extension waveguide but not a secondary waveguide, a first resonator loop is defined for which the first-wavelength light is resonant. The two couplers, in combination, also direct a second-wavelength light to travel through the nonlinear-optical waveguide, the two couplers and the secondary waveguide but not the extension waveguide, wherein a different second resonator loop is defined for which the second-wavelength light is resonant.