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 vertical directional coupler or switch comprising a lower and an upper waveguide, integrated with an optical phase change material disposed between the lower and upper waveguides to control a directional of optical coupling between the lower and upper waveguides.

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.

Photonic ring modulators with high tuning efficiency and small footprint can be formed in a hybrid material platform from a silicon bus waveguide vertically coupled to an optically active compound semiconductor (e.g., III-V) ring resonator. The performance of the modulator, e.g., in terms of the tuning efficiency and the maximum insertion loss, may be optimized by suitable levels of an applied bias voltage and a heater power of a heater optionally included in the ring modulator. The disclosed hybrid photonic ring modulators may be used, e.g., in photonic transceiver circuits with high lane count.

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.

A vertical directional coupler or switch comprising a lower and an upper waveguide, integrated with an optical phase change material disposed between the lower and upper waveguides to control a directional of optical coupling between the lower and upper waveguides.

Photonic ring modulators with high tuning efficiency and small footprint can be formed in a hybrid material platform from a silicon bus waveguide vertically coupled to an optically active compound semiconductor (e.g., III-V) ring resonator. The performance of the modulator, e.g., in terms of the tuning efficiency and the maximum insertion loss, may be optimized by suitable levels of an applied bias voltage and a heater power of a heater optionally included in the ring modulator. The disclosed hybrid photonic ring modulators may be used, e.g., in photonic transceiver circuits with high lane count.

An optical signal processing device with a transponder aggregator function by which theoretical loss is not increased even if the number of necessary transponders is increased. Optical signals inputted from input ports are inputted to a PLC. The PLC has SBTs. The input ports are connected to the input-end SBT, and a plane wave is outputted from an output end of the PLC to the space side at an angle different for each input port. Optical signals outputted by the PLC are changed in their optical paths on the x-z plane by a cylindrical lens (Lsp) designed to refract optical signals in the x-axis direction, and are reflected by an LCOS at different regions corresponding to the positions of the input port. The reflected optical signals are incident on the output-end SBTs on the PLC, and are outputted to output ports via demultiplex parts.

The present invention provides an optical signal processing device with a transponder aggregator function by which theoretical loss is not increased even if the number of necessary transponders is increased. Optical signals inputted from input ports are inputted to a PLC. The PLC has SBTs. The input ports are connected to the input-end SBT, and a plane wave is outputted from an output end of the PLC to the space side at an angle different for each input port. Optical signals outputted by the PLC are changed in their optical paths on the x-z plane by a cylindrical lens (Lsp) designed to refract optical signals in the x-axis direction, and are reflected by an LCOS at different regions corresponding to the positions of the input port. The reflected optical signals are incident on the output-end SBTs on the PLC, and are outputted to output ports via demultiplex parts.