An electro-optic modulator for a waveguide is presented. The electro-optic modulator includes a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, a dielectric layer interposed between the second semiconductor layer and the first semiconductor layer and a coupling layer for coupling a guided mode of the waveguide to at least one of the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer. The electro-optic modulator is configured to induce a modulation on the guided mode of the waveguide by changing a refractive index in response to a voltage applied between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer.

A multi-section optical modulator and related method are disclosed wherein two waveguide arms traverse a plurality of successive modulating sections. A differential drive signal is applied separately to each waveguide arm of each modulating sections in synchronism with the transmission of light along the waveguide arms, effecting a dual differential driving of each section. By suitably selecting the number of modulating sections and the section length, a high modulation bandwidth and a high modulation efficiency may be achieved simultaneously for a given peak-to-peak voltage swing of the drive signal.

A problem is to provide a planar lightwave circuit optical device capable of facilitating mounting of connection to a printed circuit board and realizing downsizing of a device chip. A planar lightwave circuit optical device of the present invention is characterized by mounting an electrical connector (FPC connector) by means of soldering on an electrode pad of an electrical wire connected to an electrical drive unit (such as a heater) in a device formed by using a planar lightwave circuit (PLC).

The present application relates to a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device, wherein a waveguide (3) is provided (S1), a planarization coat (7) overlapping at least a section of the waveguide (3) is fabricated (S2), the planarization coat (7) is provided with a spin-on-glass coating (9) (S3), at least in the region of the spin-on-glass coating (9), a preferably dry chemical etching treatment is carried out (S4), optionally, the steps of providing the planarization coat (7) with a spin-on-glass coating (9) and the etching treatment are repeated at least once (S5, S6), and an active element (10) is provided (S7) on or above the planarization coat (7) and above the waveguide (3).

A semiconductor Mach-Zehnder optical modulator includes input-side lead-out lines, phase modulation electrode lines, and electrodes that apply modulation signals propagating through the phase modulation electrode lines to waveguides, respectively. The semiconductor Mach-Zehnder optical modulator further includes a conductive layer between a substrate and the waveguides, a plurality of first wiring layers connected to the conductive layer, and a second wiring layer that connects an electrode pad and the plurality of first wiring layers.

A phase shift keying modulator. The modulator comprises: a plurality of silicon waveguides provided in a device layer of a silicon-on-insulator platform, the silicon-on-insulator platform including one or more cavities; one or more III-V semiconductor based devices located within the one or more cavities of the silicon-on-insulator platform, each III-V semiconductor-based device including a III-V semiconductor based waveguide which is coupled at an input end to one of the plurality of silicon waveguides and coupled at an output end to another of the plurality of silicon waveguides, each III-V semiconductor based waveguide comprising an active phase modulating portion; and one or more contacts in electrical contact with each active phase modulating portion, such that the phase shift keying modulator is operable to modulate the phase of an optical wave passing through each active phase modulating portion.

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.

A silicon photonics-based optical modulator is disclosed. The optical modulator includes first radio frequency (RF) metal electrodes that operate as a ground, phase shifters disposed between the first RF metal electrodes for optically modulating an optical signal transmitted along an optical waveguide, second RF metal electrodes disposed between the phase shifters for providing an RF electrical signal received from a driving driver located outside of the optical modulator through one end, resistor-inductors (RL) connected to another end of the second RF metal electrodes, an inductive line disposed between the RLs and a power supply for applying a bias voltage to the optical modulator and the driving driver, and a silicon capacitor disposed between the RLs and the power supply for preventing a degradation of an RF response characteristic of the silicon photonics-based optical modulator caused by the inductive line.

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.

Embodiments are disclosed for generating an optical Pulse Amplitude Modulation 4-level (PAM-4) signal from bandwidth-limited duobinary electrical signals in a Mach-Zehnder modulator. An example system includes an MZM structure that comprises a first waveguide interferometer arm structure associated with a first semiconductor device and a second waveguide interferometer arm structure associated with a second semiconductor device. A polybinary electrical signal is applied to or between the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device to convert an input optical signal provided to the MZM structure into an optical PAM-4 signal.