Ring modulators based on interdigitated junctions may be driven in full or partial standing wave mode and, active regions (providing the modulation) and light-absorptive regions (e.g. providing electrical conduction) are placed in a pattern inside a resonant cavity in order to match the maxima and minima of the optical field, respectively. The pattern may be periodic to match the periodicity of a typical electromagnetic field which is periodic with the wavelength. It may also be aperiodic in the case that the cross-section or materials are engineered along the direction of propagation such that the propagation constant (and thus wavelength, i.e. optical wave “local periodicity”) change along the propagation direction.

A device for guiding and absorbing electromagnetic radiation, the device including: absorbing means for absorbing the electromagnetic radiation; and a coupled to the absorbing means for guiding the electromagnetic radiation to the absorbing means, wherein the waveguide and the absorbing means are formed from a structure including a first cladding layer, a second cladding layer over the first cladding layer, and a quantum-well layer between the first and second cladding layers, the quantum-well layer being formed of a material having a different composition to the first and second cladding layers, wherein the thickness and the composition of the quantum-well layer is optimised to provide an acceptable level of absorption of electromagnetic radiation in the waveguide while providing an appropriate band gap for absorption of the electromagnetic radiation in the absorbing means.

An optical isolator for suppressing back reflections from a downstream optical system is described. The optical isolator includes a plurality of optical paths between a splitter and a combiner. One or more of the optical paths include two phase modulators that are driven by oscillating signals having predefined phase relationships. At least one bypass optical path does not include two phase modulators driven by oscillating signals. Amplitude and phase of an optical signal traversing the bypass optical path may be tuned to further suppress residual reflections from a downstream optical system.

Apparatuses and methods for a temperature insensitive electro-absorption modulator and laser. The device comprising a laser capable of emitting light. The laser itself includes a laser gain section, a first mirror and a second mirror. Each of the mirrors are coupled to the laser gain section. The laser gain section contains quantum wells. The first mirror and the second mirror have a wavelength bandwidth sufficient for a lasing wavelength range of the laser. A modulator is coupled to the laser to receive the light and is capable of modulating the light to vary the output from the modulator. The modulator contains quantum wells and has a quantum well confinement factor that is greater than 0.1. An output coupler is coupled to the modulator and the output coupler has a back reflection that is less than half of a back reflection of the second mirror. The laser has a lasing wavelength that tracks the absorption spectrum of the modulator. The device is operated at a temperature range comprising a first temperature and a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature by at least 15 degrees Celsius.

A variable wavelength light source and an apparatus including the same are disclosed. The variable wavelength light source includes: a first waveguide; a second waveguide spaced apart from the first waveguide; a first optical amplifier including a first gain medium; and a second optical amplifier including a second gain medium that is different from the first gain medium.

Provided is a technique for enabling an α parameter to be approximated to zero. A multiple quantum well structure includes a layer structure including a first barrier layer, an intermediate layer, a well layer, and a second barrier layer. The conduction band energies of the first and second barrier layers, the intermediate layer, and the well layer are larger in this order, and the valence band energies of the intermediate layer, the well layer, and the first and second barrier layers are larger in this order.

Provided is a technique for reducing, using a simple circuit configuration, an amplitude difference between electric signals that are input to respective optical waveguide arms. An optical modulator includes: an optical demultiplexer that splits continuous wave light as received; first and second optical waveguide arms through which the continuous wave light as split propagates; an optical phase n shifter that introduces a phase shift of π to the continuous wave light as split; an optical multiplexer combines the continuous wave light propagating through the first and second optical waveguide arms; first and second signal electrodes that respectively input the electric signals to the first and second optical waveguide arms; a junction capacitance connected in shunt to at least one of the first and second signal electrodes; and a DC voltage source that applies a DC voltage to the junction capacitance.

Preferable simultaneous achievement of the target characteristics with respect to both of the modulation bandwidth and the extinction ratio in the optical intensity modulation using the electro-absorption optical modulator is realized with a simple circuit configuration. The modulator integrated semiconductor laser element includes a plurality of EA modulators disposed in series in an optical signal path, and each adapted to absorb light in accordance with an applied voltage. The modulator driver for supplying the EA modulator with the applied voltage is provided for each of the EA modulators. The plurality of modulator drivers generates the applied voltage common to the plurality of EA modulators in accordance with a control signal. The modulator lengths of the plurality of EA modulators are set so that the closer to the light source the EA modulator is, the shorter the modulator length is.

In an embodiment, a phase shifter includes: a light input end; a light output end; a p-type semiconductor material, and an n-type semiconductor material contacting the p-type semiconductor material along a boundary area, wherein the boundary area is greater than a length from the light input end to the light output end multiplied by a core width of the phase shifter.

A method of producing a heterogeneous photonic integrated circuit includes integrating at least one III-V hybrid device on a source substrate having at least a top silicon layer, and transferring by transfer-printing or by flip-chip bonding the III-V hybrid device and at least part of the top silicon layer of the source substrate to a semiconductor-on-insulator or dielectric-on-insulator host substrate.