The present invention discloses a TEOS with a high extinction ratio based on slab PhCs which comprises an upper slab PhC and a lower slab PhC connected as a whole; the upper slab PhC is a first square-lattice slab PhC, the unit cell of the first square-lattice slab PhC includes a high-refractive-index rotating-square pillar, three first flat dielectric pillars and a background dielectric, the first flat dielectric pillars include a high-refractive-index dielectric pipe and a low-refractive-index dielectric, or 1 to 3 high-refractive-index flat films, or a low-refractive-index dielectric; the lower slab PhC is a second square-lattice slab PhC with a complete bandgap, the unit cell of the second square-lattice slab PhC includes a high-refractive-index rotating-square pillar, three second flat dielectric pillars and a background dielectric is a low-refractive-index dielectric; and an normalized operating frequency of the TEOS is 0.4057 to 0.406.

The present invention discloses a TMOS with a high extinction ratio based on slab PhCs which comprises an upper slab PhC and a lower slab PhC connected as a whole; the upper slab PhC is called as a first square-lattice slab PhC, wherein the unit cell of the first square-lattice slab PhC includes a high-refractive-index rotating-square pillar, three first flat dielectric pillars and a background dielectric, and the first flat dielectric pillars includes a high-refractive-index dielectric pipe and a low-refractive-index dielectric, or of 1 to 3 high-refractive-index flat films, or of a low-refractive-index dielectric; the lower slab PhC is a second square-lattice slab PhC with a complete bandgap, the unit cell of the second square-lattice slab PhC includes a high-refractive-index rotating-square pillar, three second flat dielectric pillars and a background dielectric is a low-refractive-index dielectric and an normalized operating frequency of the TMOS is 0.4057 to 0.406.

The present invention discloses a TEOS based on slab PhCs with a high DOP and large EXR, which comprises an upper slab PhC and a lower slab PhC; the upper slab PhC is a first square-lattice slab PhC with a TM bandgap and a complete bandgap, wherein the unit cell of the first square-lattice slab PhC includes a high-refractive-index rotating-square pillar, a single first flat dielectric pillar and a background dielectric, the first flat dielectric pillar includes a high-refractive-index dielectric pipe and a low-refractive-index dielectric, or a high-refractive-index flat film, or a low-refractive-index dielectric; the lower slab PhC is a second square lattice slab PhC with a TM bandgap and complete bandgap, wherein the unit cell of the second square-lattice slab PhC includes a high-refractive-index rotating-square pillar, a single second flat dielectric pillar and a background dielectric, and an normalized operating frequency of the TEOS is 0.453 to 0.458.

Provided is an optical modulator including: a relay substrate; a first transmission line that is provided on a flat surface of the relay substrate, and transmits, along the flat surface of the relay substrate, an electrical signal that has been input from an outer side; a second transmission line that is provided in the relay substrate, and transmits the electrical signal in a direction that is not included in the flat surface; a modulation unit that modulates an optical signal by using the electrical signal that is transmitted by the first transmission line and the second transmission line; and a shield that shields a radiation component of the electrical signal that is radiated from a contact of the first transmission line and the second transmission line.

A method for manufacturing an electro-optically coupled switch in accordance with the present invention requires a sequential reconfiguration of a layer of semiconductor material. To begin, a base member is created wherein the semiconductor layer is positioned on a layer of insulator material with the insulator material positioned between the semiconductor layer and a semiconductor substrate. In sequence, with a first etch, the semiconductor layer is etched to create waveguides on opposite sides of a slot. In a second etch, the slot is deepened to expose the layer of insulator material in the slot. With a third contact pad doping process, pads can be positioned on top of the layer of insulator material for electrical contact with the respective waveguides. Metal contacts can then be placed on the contact pads, the slot can be filled with an electro-optical polymer and, if needed, the polymer can be poled.

An optical modulator for switching an optical signal of wavelength λ from one waveguide-electrode to another requires that both waveguide-electrodes be made of an electrically conducting material. Also, a non-conducting cross-coupling material fills a slot along a length L between the waveguide-electrodes. Importantly, cross-coupling material in the slot provides a separation distance x.sub.c between the waveguide-electrodes that is less than 0.35 microns. When a switching voltage V.sub.π is selectively applied to the waveguide-electrodes, a strong uniform electric field E is created within the cross-coupling material. Thus, E modulates the cross-coupling length of the optical signal by an increment ±Δ each time it passes back and forth through the cross-coupling material along the length L. Thus, after an N number of cross-coupling length cycles along the length L, when NΔ equals one cross-coupling length, the optical signal is switched from one waveguide-electrode to the other.

A device, includes: a ring waveguide; a diode comprising a junction extending at least partly in the ring waveguide; and a first circuit configured to supply a signal representative of a leakage current in the diode.

An example deformable mirror includes a number of cells defining an aperture plane of the mirror. Each of the cells includes a first transparent electrode layer and a second reflective electrode layer, with a solid crystal electro-optical (EO) active layer between the electrode layers. The deformable mirror includes a reflective layer optically coupled to each of the cells on the reflective side of the cell.

Described embodiments include photonic integrated circuits and systems with photonic devices, including thermal isolation regions for the photonic devices. Methods of fabricating such circuits and systems are also described.

An optical coupler includes a first waveguide including a first multi-mode waveguide section having a cross-section characterized by a first height and a first width that is greater than the first height and a second waveguide including a second multi-mode waveguide section having a cross-section characterized by a second height and a second width that is greater than the second height. The first multi-mode waveguide section is positioned adjacent to the second multi-mode waveguide section at least partially above or below the second multi-mode waveguide so that light entering the first multi-mode waveguide section is coupled from the first multi-mode waveguide section to the second multi-mode waveguide section. Methods for coupling light between waveguides with the optical coupler and optical devices that include the optical coupler are also described.