An optical modulator includes a Mach-Zehnder interferometer including (i) a first optical waveguide including a first semiconductor junction diode, and (ii) a second optical waveguide including a second semiconductor junction diode. A semiconductor region connects the first and second semiconductor junction diodes such that a distance between the first and second optical waveguides is less than 2.0 μm for at least a portion of a longitudinal direction of the optical modulator. In another aspect, a method of modulating an optical signal includes splitting input light into first and second optical transmission paths; modulating a phase difference between light in the first optical transmission path and light in the second optical transmission path without applying a bias voltage through an impedance less than 100 ohm between the first and second optical transmission paths; and combining light that is output from the first and second optical transmission paths.

An optical device includes a rib optical waveguide that is a thin-film lithium niobate (LN) crystal formed of a thin-film LN substrate, and a buffer layer that is laminated on the optical waveguide. The optical device further includes an electrode that is laminated on the buffer layer, and sub electrodes that are arranged parallel to the electrode on the buffer layer, and attract a charge in the optical waveguide in accordance with electrification.

Structures for an optical power modulator and methods of fabricating a structure for an optical power modulator. A first waveguide core includes first and second sections. A second waveguide core includes a first section laterally adjacent to the first section of the first waveguide core and a second section laterally adjacent to the second section of the first waveguide core. An interconnect structure is formed over the first waveguide core and the second waveguide core. The interconnect structure includes first and second transmission lines. The first transmission line is physically connected within the interconnect structure to the first section of the first waveguide core. The second transmission line includes a first section physically connected within the interconnect structure to the second section of the first waveguide core and a second section adjacent to the first transmission line.

An interferometer comprises a plurality of waveguide branches comprising a plurality of bus waveguides and a plurality of photonic resonators. A first waveguide branch of the plurality of waveguide branches comprises a first photonic resonator coupled to a first bus waveguide. The first photonic resonator is disposed to couple and circle a first portion of an optical beam at the first photonic resonator to generate a first phase shift of the first portion of the optical beam, where the first phase shift is the same as a second phase shift of a second photonic resonator coupled to a second bus waveguide. The interferometer forms at least a portion of an in-phase and quadrature (IQ) modulator.

An optical device includes a substrate, a first cladding layer that is laminated on one surface of the substrate, and a first optical waveguide that is formed in the first cladding layer at a side opposite to the substrate in the first cladding layer. The optical device further includes an electro-optic crystal layer that is laminated on a surface of the first cladding layer at a side opposite to the substrate, and a second optical waveguide that is formed of the electro-optic crystal layer on a surface of the electro-optic crystal layer at a side opposite to the first cladding layer. The optical device further includes a second cladding layer that is laminated on a surface of the electro-optic crystal layer at a side opposite to the first cladding layer.

An electro-optic modulator is disposed on a surface of a substrate including: an optical waveguide layer disposed on the substrate, a modulation electrode disposed on the optical waveguide layer, and a metal electrode disposed on the modulation electrode and electrically connected to the modulation electrode. A first end of the metal electrode is coupled to a radio frequency driver, and receives a modulation signal input by the radio frequency driver. The modulation electrode is configured to perform electro-optic modulation on the optical waveguide layer based on the modulation signal. A second end of the metal electrode is coupled to a direct-current voltage end, and the direct-current voltage end is configured to input a voltage signal and provide a bias voltage for the radio frequency driver by using the metal electrode. This reduces costs and a size of the electro-optic modulator, and is conducive to device miniaturization.

An optical transceiver including a submount, a Mach-Zehnder Modulator (MZM), bonding wires, and a low pass filter type matching network is provided. The MZM includes an input port and an output port and disposed on the submount. The bonding wires are coupled to the submount and the MZM. The low pass filter type matching network is coupled to the bonding wires and is configured to absorb inductance of the bonding wires at a high frequency.

Provided is an optical control element that can minimize an optical path difference between branched waveguides while reducing a difference in structure between the branched waveguides by disposing an input portion and an output portion of an optical waveguide on the same side of a substrate on which the optical waveguide is formed. An optical control element includes a substrate 1 having an electro-optic effect, an optical waveguide 2 formed on the substrate, and a control electrode controlling a light wave propagating through the optical waveguide, in which an input portion (input light L1) and an output portion (output light L2) of the optical waveguide are formed on the same side of the substrate, the optical waveguide includes at least one Mach-Zehnder type optical waveguide portion (MZ) that has two branched waveguides (21, 22) branched from one optical waveguide and combines the two branched waveguides to form one optical waveguide, and the branched waveguides have an even number of turned-back potions (A1, A2).

A optical device including: a substrate; an optical waveguide formed at the substrate; and a protective layer formed adjacent to the optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide includes multiple side surfaces that intersect the substrate, at least one side surface of the optical waveguide is provided with a rough surface. According to the optical device, the light propagation loss can be reduced.

An optical modulator includes a Mach-Zehnder interferometer including (i) a first optical waveguide including a first semiconductor junction diode, and (ii) a second optical waveguide including a second semiconductor junction diode. A semiconductor region connects the first and second semiconductor junction diodes such that a distance between the first and second optical waveguides is less than 2.0 .Math.m for at least a portion of a longitudinal direction of the optical modulator. In another aspect, a method of modulating an optical signal includes splitting input light into first and second optical transmission paths; modulating a phase difference between light in the first optical transmission path and light in the second optical transmission path without applying a bias voltage through an impedance less than 100 ohm between the first and second optical transmission paths; and combining light that is output from the first and second optical transmission paths.