Optical wavelength converter device and method of manufacturing same

Claim 1

An optical wavelength converter device comprising a three-dimensional optical waveguide including: (i) a cladding having a first refractive index; (ii) a waveguide element embedded in said cladding and having a second refractive index higher than said first refractive index, at least one of said cladding and said waveguide element being made of a nonlinear optical material, whereby said waveguide element converts the wavelength of a fundamental wave guided therein; (iii) each of said cladding and said waveguide element being made of a III - V group, mixed-crystal compound semiconductor material or a II - VI group, mixed-crystal compound semiconductor material; and (iv) said cladding including portions covering all surfaces of said waveguide element which fully reflect the fundamental wave.

Claim 6

A method of manufacturing an optical wavelength converter device in the form of a three-dimensional optical waveguide including a cladding having a first refractive index, and a waveguide element embedded in said cladding and having a second refractive index higher than said first refractive index, at least one of said cladding and said waveguide element being made of a nonlinear optical material, whereby said waveguide element converts the wavelength of a fundamental wave guided therein, said method comprising the steps of: (i) depositing a double-heterostructure on a substrate, said double-heterostructure having an upper layer, a central layer, and a lower layer, each of said upper, central, and lower layers being made of a III - V group, mixed-crystal compound semiconductor material or a II - VI group, mixed-crystal compound semiconductor material, said central layer having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of said upper and lower layers; (ii) removing opposite ends of said double-heterostructure, thereby producing a mesa on said substrate; and (iii) growing a homogeneous crystal of a III - V group, mixed-crystal compound semiconductor material or a II - VI group, mixed-crystal compound semiconductor material, on said substrate in contact with opposite ends of said mesa, so that said central layer is embedded as a waveguide element in a cladding which is composed of said homogeneous crystal and said upper and lower layers.

Claim 7

A method of manufacturing an optical wavelength converter device in the form of a three-dimensional optical waveguide including a cladding having a first refractive index, and a waveguide element embedded in said cladding and having a second refractive index higher than said first refractive index, at least one of said cladding and said waveguide element being made of a nonlinear optical material, whereby said waveguide element converts the wavelength of a fundamental wave guided therein, said method comprising the steps of: (i) depositing a double-heterostructure on a substrate, said double-heterostructure having an upper layer, a central layer, and a lower layer, each of said upper, central, and lower layers being made of a III - V group, mixed-crystal compound semiconductor material or a II - VI group, mixed-crystal compound semiconductor material, said central layer having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of said upper and lower layers; (ii) removing opposite ends of said double-heterostructure, thereby producing a mesa on said substrate; and (iii) growing a homogeneous crystal of a III - V group, mixed-crystal compound semiconductor material or a II - VI group, mixed-crystal compound semiconductor material, on said substrate in contact with opposite ends of said mesa, so that said central layer is embedded as a waveguide element in a cladding which is composed of said homogeneous crystal and said upper and lower layers.