An electro-optic modulator includes a waveguide of a nonlinear optical material and an electrode line for generating an electrical field in a modulating region of the waveguide when a voltage is applied to the electrode line, thereby modulating light passing through the waveguide. Therein, the forward electro-optic response of the modulating region is the same as the backward electro-optic response; and the electro-optic response has a band-pass or a low-pass characteristic. A distance measuring device includes a light source emitting light, and such an electro-optic modulator arranged such that the emitted light passes through the electro-optic modulator in a first direction before being emitted from the distance measuring device, and after being reflected from a target passes through the electro-optic modulator in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.

An interface for an optical modulator and the optical modulator are described. The interface includes first and second differential line pairs. The first differential line pair has a first negative line and a first positive line arranged on opposing sides of a first waveguide. The first negative line is on a distal side of the first waveguide relative to a second waveguide. The first positive line is on a proximal side of the first waveguide relative to the second waveguide. The second differential line pair has a second negative line and a second positive line arranged on opposing sides of the second waveguide. The second negative line is on a distal side of the second waveguide relative to the first waveguide. The second positive line is on a proximal side of the second waveguide relative to the first waveguide. The first and second waveguides each include lithium niobate and/or lithium tantalate.

Provided is an optical modulator having an optical modulation high frequency line through which a high frequency electrical signal can be efficiently input to an optical modulation region and which is in a broadband. High frequency lines of an optical modulator, that is, an input high frequency line, an optical modulation high frequency line, and an output high frequency line have a line configuration in which each of the input high frequency line and the output high frequency line is divided into a plurality of segments, and adjacent segments of the plurality of the segments have different characteristic impedances and propagation constants. The input high frequency line and the output high frequency line may be implemented by changing a width or a thickness of a signal electrode formed on a dielectric forming a micro-strip line between adjacent segments. The characteristic impedances and the propagation constants may be changed by changing a dielectric constant of the dielectric instead of changing the width or the thickness of the signal electrode.

An EO polymer modulator including a substrate with a cladding layer formed on a surface and a passive waveguide core, having a cross-sectional area, formed in the cladding layer and including an elongated tapered active section. An elongated trench in the cladding layer, the elongated tapered active section of the waveguide core positioned in the elongated trench, electrodes positioned on a surface of the cladding layer on opposite sides of the elongated trench, and an elongated strip of EO polymer overlying the elongated tapered active section of the waveguide core. The elongated strip of EO polymer positioned between and parallel with the electrodes and coplanar with the electrodes.

An optical device includes a plurality of first Si waveguides that split and output an optical signal received from an input unit, plurality of LN waveguides that are included in a LN modulator and that transmit the optical signals that are split and output by the first Si waveguides, and a plurality of second Si waveguides that multiplex and output the associated optical signals that are output from the plurality of respective LN waveguides. The device includes an output unit that outputs the optical signal multiplexed by the second Si waveguides, and a plurality of Mach-Zehnder interferometers disposed on each of waveguides connected by the first Si waveguides, the LN waveguides, and the second Si waveguides, respectively. When there are differences among waveguide lengths of the LN waveguides, the device is configured such that the optical path lengths of the waveguides for the respective Mach-Zehnder interferometers are equalized.

In an optical waveguide element, performance deterioration due to recoupling of unnecessary light leaking from an optical waveguide with the optical waveguide is prevented. An optical waveguide element includes an optical substrate on which an optical waveguide is formed, and a support substrate that is bonded to the optical substrate, on a bonded surface of the support substrate bonded to the optical substrate, a recess portion along the optical waveguide on the optical substrate is formed directly under the optical waveguide, a portion of the support substrate from an upper surface of the support substrate to at least a depth of a bottom surface of the recess portion has a refractive index higher than a substrate refractive index of the optical substrate, and the recess portion is filled with a substance having a refractive index lower than the substrate refractive index.

An optical device has a silicon (Si) substrate, a ground electrode, a lithium niobate (LN) optical waveguide, and a signal electrode. The ground electrode is an electrode that is at ground potential and that is layered on the Si substrate. The LN optical waveguide is an optical waveguide that is formed by a thin film LN substrate that is layered on the ground electrode. The signal electrode is an electrode that is disposed at a position opposite the ground electrode with the LN optical waveguide interposed therebetween and that applies a high-frequency signal.

Disclosed is an electro-optic modulator. The electro-optic modulator includes a lower clad layer disposed on a substrate, an optical waveguide disposed on the lower clad layer, traveling-wave electrodes respectively disposed on both sides of the optical waveguide and each having a first distance to the optical waveguide, and ferroelectric blocks disposed between the traveling-wave electrodes and the lower clad layer and each having a second distance to the optical waveguide, which is less than the first distance

In some implementations, an electro-optic modulator may include a waveguide to propagate an optical signal in a direction of propagation. The electro-optic modulator may include a signal electrode, associated with the waveguides, to modulate the optical signal. The signal electrode may include a base structure. The signal electrode may include a loading line structure comprising one or more segments, where a segment, of the one or more segments, connects to the base structure via a plurality of electrically-conductive bridges.

An optical waveguide element is provided to effectively reduce an optical absorption loss of waveguide light which may occur at an intersecting part between an optical waveguide and an electrode without causing deterioration in optical characteristics and degradation of long-term reliability of the optical waveguide element. The optical waveguide element includes an optical waveguide formed in a substrate, and an electrode controlling optical waves propagated in the optical waveguide and having an intersecting part intersecting the optical waveguide thereabove. A portion of a resin layer is provided between the optical waveguide and the electrode in a portion of the substrate including the intersecting part. A corner of the resin layer on a side of the electrode is constituted to be a curve in a cross section in an extending direction of the electrode.