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EP0443839A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Optical waveguide device for polarization rotation

Assignee: Nikon Corp
•
Filing: 1991-02-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-02-20
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Abstract

Abstract The device comprises a substrate (10), a waveguide path (20) arranged on the substrate, a mode converting element (30) arranged halfway in the waveguide path, and polarization rotating means (40) arranged at a location in the waveguide path between a place where light is inputted (22) and the mode converting element (30). The mode converting element (30) includes a phase shifter (32) for relatively shifting a phase between TE and TM components of light transmitted through the waveguide path (20) in response to an applied voltage, and also includes a mode converter (34) for converting modes between the TE and TM components. The polarization rotating means rotates a polarization plane of the light transmitted through the waveguide path by (90 + 180 x n) degree, where n being zero or an integer.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hideki Akasaka
  • 👤 Hiroshi Ohki
  • 👤 Masaaki Doi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 17:32
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/03; G02F1/035; G02F1/0353; G02F1/0136; G02F1/0142; G02F2203/00; G02F2203/07

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 128 words
An optical waveguide device comprising: a substrate; a waveguide path arranged on said substrate; a mode converting element arranged halfway in said waveguide path, said mode converting element including a phase shifter for relatively shifting a phase between the TE and TM components of light being transmitted through said waveguide path in response to an applied voltage, and mode converter for converting modes bewteen said TE and TM components; and means for polarization rotation, arranged at a location in the waveguide path between where light is inputted in said waveguide path and said mode converting element at which said light arrives, for rotating the polarization plane of the light transmitted through said waveguide path by 90 + 180 x n degree (where n is zero or an integer).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 82 words
An optical waveguide device according to Claim 1, wherein said waveguide path includes a first waveguide path for enabling said inputted light to reach said means for polarization rotation, and a second waveguide path being present between said means for polarization rotation and said mode converting element, and the lengths of said first and second waveguide paths are determined to make the phase difference generated between said TE and TM components almost identical while the light is proceeding in the waveguide paths.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 22 words
An optical waveguide device according to Claim 2, wherein the lengths of said first and second waveguide paths are almost the same.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 42 words
An optical waveguide device according to Claim 2, wherein said waveguide path further includes an incident part provided for said light to be inputted, and said first waveguide path is arranged to connect said incident part and said means for polarization rotation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 27 words
An optical waveguide device according to Claim 1, wherein said means for polarization rotation includes a mode converter for converting modes between said TE and TM components.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 114 words
An optical waveguide device comprising a waveguide path having disposed therein a mode converter for converting modes between the TE and TM components of lights being transmitted along the waveguide and received by the mode converter, characterised by means disposed in the waveguide path before the mode converter for rotating the plane of polarisation of the light by 90 + 180 x n degrees (where n = O or an integer) so that different phase shifts associated with different wavelengths introduced by the waveguide path preceding the polarization rotating means are at least partially compensated by the different phase shifts introduced by the waveguide path between the polarization rotating means and the mode converter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 27 words
A device as claimed in claim 6, including a phase shifter to establish a phase difference between the TE and TM components applied to the wave converter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 18 words
A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the phase shifter is disposed immediately before the wave converter.

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