Integrated optics wavelength stabilization unit

Claim 2

An integrated optics device comprising: mismatched-pathlength waveguide means for guiding first and second lightwaves along first and second optical paths, respectively, on a chip; and electro-optic thermal compensation means for compensating a difference in optical path length between said first and second optical paths due to a change in temperature of said chip, operatively connected to one of said waveguide means, said electro-optic thermal compensation means comprising means for applying an electrical field, said electrical field having a strength (E) equal to 2T C1 n e 2 r 33 R, to one of said optical paths, to compensate for the effects of temperature, and wherein said one optical path comprises a material exhibiting an electro-optic effect, and wherein r 33 is the electrolytic coefficient of the material, n e is the extraordinary refractive index of said material, T C1 is the difference, if any, between the thermo-optic coefficient for said first and second optical paths, and R is equal to (1/r 33 )(dr 33 /dT) plus 2C n1 , where T is temperature and C n1 is the thermo-optic coefficient for the first optical path.

Claim 3

An integrated-optics interferometric device comprising: a substrate; a first waveguide path on said substrate having first and second ends; a second waveguide path on said substrate having first and second ends, said first waveguide path and said second waveguide path comprising a mismatched-pathlength interferometer; means for altering the index of refraction along said first waveguide path in real time, coupled to said first waveguide path, said altering means comprising means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said first waveguide path, said electrical potential difference (E) equalling 2T C1 /n e 2 r 33 R, where n e is the extraordinary refractive index of the waveguide, r 33 is the electrolytic coefficient of the waveguide, R is equal to (1/r 33 )(dr 33 /dT) plus 2C n1 , where T is temperature and C n1 is the thermo-optic coefficient for the first optical path, and T C1 is the difference, if any, between the thermo-optic coefficient of said first and said second waveguide paths; means for simultaneously introducing portions of a light beam into said first ends of said first and second waveguide paths, coupled to said first ends of said first and second waveguide paths; and means for simultaneously extracting said portions of said light beam from said second ends of said first and second waveguide paths, coupled to said second ends of said first and second waveguide paths.

Claim 4

An integrated-optics interferometric device comprising: a substrate; a first waveguide path on said substrate having first and second ends; a second waveguide path on said substrate having first and second ends, said first waveguide path and said second waveguide path comprising a mismatched-pathlength interferometer; means for altering the index of refraction along said first waveguide path in real time, coupled to said first waveguide path, said altering means comprising means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said first waveguide path, said electrical potential difference (E) equalling 2T C1 /n e 2 r 33 R, where n e is the extraordinary refractive index of the waveguide, r 33 is the electrolytic coefficient of the waveguide, R is equal to (1/r 33 )(dr 33 /dT) plus 2C n1 , where T is temperature and C n1 is the thermo-optic coefficient for the first optical path, and T C1 is the difference, if any, between the thermo-optic coefficient of said first and said second waveguide paths; means for simultaneously introducing portions of a light beam into said first ends of said first and second waveguide paths, coupled to said first ends of said first and second waveguide paths; and means for simultaneously extracting said portions of said light beam from said second ends of said first and second waveguide paths, coupled to said second ends of said first and second waveguide paths.

Claim 5

The device of claim 2 further comprising means for altering the index of refraction along said second waveguide path in real time, coupled to said second waveguide path.

Claim 6

The device of claim 3 wherein said means for altering the index of refraction along said second waveguide path comprises means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said second waveguide path.

Claim 7

The device of claim 4 wherein said means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said second waveguide path comprises first and second spaced-apart electrodes adjacent and to either side of said second waveguide path on said substrate.

Claim 8

The device of claim 4 wherein said means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said second waveguide path comprises first and second spaced-apart electrodes above and adjacent to said second waveguide path.

Claim 9

The device of claim 4 wherein said means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said first waveguide path comprises first and second spaced-apart electrodes adjacent and to either side of said first waveguide path on said substrate.

Claim 10

The device of claim 7 wherein said means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said first waveguide path comprises first and second spaced-apart electrodes above and adjacent to said first waveguide path.

Claim 11

The device of claim 2 wherein said substrate comprises monocrystalline LiNbO 3 .

Claim 12

The device of claim 9 wherein each of said first and second waveguide paths comprises titanium-indiffused LiNbO 3 .

Claim 13

The device of claim 9 wherein said substrate is an x-cut y-propagating chip, said first waveguide path is generally linear in shape over at least a portion thereof which is substantially aligned with the y-axis of said chip, and said first and second electrodes are located on opposite sides of said generally linear portion of said first waveguide path.

Claim 14

The device of claim 9 wherein said substrate is a z-cut y-propagating chip, said first waveguide path is generally linear in shape over at least a portion thereof which is substantially aligned with the y-axis of said chip, and said first and second electrodes are located above and adjacent to said linear portion of said first waveguide path.

Claim 15

The device of claim 12 further comprising a layer of SiO 2 between said generally linear portion of said first waveguide path and said first electrode.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising means for altering the index of refraction along said second waveguide path, coupled to said second waveguide path.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said means for altering the index of refraction along said second waveguide path comprises means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said second waveguide path, coupled to said portion of said second waveguide path.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said first waveguide path comprises first and second spaced-apart electrodes adjacent and to either side of said second waveguide path on said substrate.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said second waveguide path comprises first and second spaced-apart electrodes above and adjacent to said second waveguide path.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said means for altering the index of refraction along said first waveguide path comprises means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said first waveguide path, coupled to said portion of said first waveguide path.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said first waveguide path comprises first and second spaced-apart electrodes adjacent and to either side of said first waveguide path on said substrate.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a modulation source means for providing a source of modulation voltage to said first and second electrodes, electrically connected to said first and second electrodes.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said means for applying an electrical potential difference across at least a portion of said first waveguide path comprises first and second spaced-apart electrodes above and adjacent to said first waveguide path.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a modulation source means for providing a source of modulation voltage to said first and second electrodes, electrically connected to said first and second electrodes.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said substrate comprises monocrystalline LiNbO 3 .

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each of said first and second waveguide paths comprises titanium-indiffused LiNbO 3 .

Claim 31

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said substrate is an x-cut y-propagating chip, said first waveguide path is generally linear in shape over at least a portion thereof which is substantially aligned with the y-axis of said chip, and said first and second electrodes are located on opposite sides of said generally linear portion of said first waveguide path.

Claim 32

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said substrate is a z-cut y-propagating chip, said first waveguide path is generally linear in shape over at least a portion thereof which is substantially aligned with the y-axis of said chip, and said first and second electrodes are located above and adjacent to said linear portion of said first waveguide path.

Claim 33

The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising a first layer of SiO 2 between said generally linear portion of said first waveguide path.

Claim 34

The apparatus of claim 29 wherein an electric field of strength E z [2n e T C1 /[r 33 R] 2T C1 /n e 2 r 33 R is applied between said first and second electrodes to compensate said first waveguide path for the effects of temperature, where n e is the extraordinary refractive index of the material in said first waveguide path, r 33 is the electrolytic coefficient of said material, R is equal to (1/r 33 )(dr 33 /dT) plus 2C n1 , where T is temperature and C n1 is the thermo-optic coefficient for the first optical path, and T C1 is the difference, if any, between the thermal-optical coefficients for the materials in said first and in said second optic waveguide paths.