An example system includes a high-side electrode layer including a number of discrete electrodes and a low-side electrode layer. The system further includes an electro-optic (EO) layer including an EO active material positioned between the high-side electrode layer and the low-side electrode layer, thereby forming a number of active cells of the EO layer. Each of the number of active cells of the EO layer includes a portion of the EO layer that is positioned between one of the discrete electrodes and the low-side electrode layer. The example system further includes an insulator operationally coupled to the active cells of the EO layer, and at least partially positioned between a first one of the active cells and a second one of the active cells.

Embodiments of an optical modulator device are described. An example optical modulator includes a ridge laser configured to emit light, a ridge waveguide configured to transition between a transparent state and an absorbing state, and a waveguide tap formed between the ridge laser and the ridge waveguide. The waveguide tap is configured to optically couple a fraction of light generated in the ridge laser to the ridge waveguide. In the transparent state of the ridge waveguide, the ridge waveguide is configured to output the fraction of light for interference with light emitted from the ridge laser. In the absorbing state of the ridge waveguide, the ridge waveguide is configured to absorb the fraction of light. Depending upon whether the fraction of light is output from the ridge waveguide for interference, the output power of the laser seen at the far-field of the optical modulator can be modulated for data communications.

Provided is an optical switch including a substrate, a first optical waveguide disposed on the substrate and having a conductive portion disposed on one surface thereof, and a second optical waveguide disposed on the substrate being spaced apart from the first optical waveguide and having an electrode portion disposed on one surface thereof. The electrode portion and the conductive portion face each other. The electrode portion controls an optical field between the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide.

An optical device includes a first waveguide that includes a plurality of first portions coupled with regions doped with first dopants, and a plurality of second portions coupled with regions doped with second dopants, distinct from the first dopants, the plurality of first portions being interleaved with the plurality of second portions. And the optical device includes a second waveguide located adjacent to the first waveguide for coupling light from the first waveguide to the second waveguide. The second waveguide includes a third portion coupled with a third region doped with the first dopants and a fourth portion coupled with a fourth region doped with the second dopants, wherein the first portion is located adjacent to the third portion and the second portion is located adjacent to the fourth portion.

An optical switch is provided which is capable of driving control by the same FPGA and the same driving circuit configuration, and hence is capable of driving at a high speed and a low consumption power. The optical switch of the present disclosure is a 1?N optical switch having a structure in which with respect to an optical switch, a driving circuit of the optical switch is integrated in the vicinity of a control electrode of the optical switch. The optical switch includes a plurality of 2?2 optical switches and N optical gates. Different bias voltages (V.sub.b) are set between the optical switches and the optical gates, and a driver for the 2?2 optical switch of the driving circuit and a driver for the optical gate are of the same circuit form.

An optoelectronic component including an optical waveguide, an integrated optical resonator, in which the waveguide or at least a portion of the waveguide is arranged, and a heat source which can increase the temperature of the resonator during operation. A web region adjoins laterally the waveguide when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the waveguide. The web region forms a jacket portion of the waveguide and has a smaller thickness than the waveguide. The heat source is thermally connected to the waveguide by means of the web region.

A method includes propagating light in a first waveguide of a 12 optical switch. The first waveguide is adjacent to a second waveguide in a coupling region. The 12 optical switch comprising an input to receive the light and couple the light to the first waveguide. The 12 optical switch further comprising a first output to output light from the first waveguide and a second output to output the light from the second waveguide. The method further includes coupling the light to the first output and the second output based on absorption values of the second waveguide in the coupling region; adjusting absorption values of the second waveguide in the coupling region such that light is directed from the input to only the first output; and coupling light to only the first output based on the adjusted absorption values of the second waveguide in the coupling region.

Provided is an optical switch including a substrate, a first optical waveguide disposed on the substrate and having a conductive portion disposed on one surface thereof, and a second optical waveguide disposed on the substrate being spaced apart from the first optical waveguide and having an electrode portion disposed on one surface thereof. The electrode portion and the conductive portion face each other. The electrode portion controls an optical field between the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide.

An optoelectronic component including an optical waveguide, an integrated optical resonator, in which the waveguide or at least a portion of the waveguide is arranged, and a heat source which can increase the temperature of the resonator during operation. A web region adjoins laterally the waveguide when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the waveguide. The web region forms a jacket portion of the waveguide and has a smaller thickness than the waveguide. The heat source is thermally connected to the waveguide by means of the web region.

An optical routing element may include a planar dielectric photonic crystal which includes a lattice of holes having a first linear defect adjacent a second linear defect, with the two defects being separated by a central row of lattice holes. The first linear defect in the lattice of holes may form a first single mode line defect waveguide, and the second linear defect in the lattice of holes may form a second single mode line defect waveguide. Optical energy may be selectively coupled between the first and second waveguides across the central row of lattice holes. A free-carrier injector may be included to inject free-carriers into the dielectric photonic crystal, activation of which may alter selectivity of the optical coupling between the first and second waveguides. A plurality of optical routing elements with associated free-carrier injectors may be interconnected to form a bi-directional optical routing array.