US5892857A — Electro-optic compound waveguide intensity modula…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 95 words

An optical intensity modulator, comprising: a substrate for holding at least a portion of a first, elongate waveguide propagating an optical signal along a propagation axis thereof; and a second, channel waveguide positioned in optical proximity to the portion of the first waveguide, said second waveguide having a first, propagation axis aligned with the propagation axis of the portion of the first waveguide, said second waveguide further having a coupling surface through which optical energy is coupled to or from the optical signal propagating in the first waveguide to thereby intensity modulate the optical signal.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 95 words

An optical intensity modulator, comprising: a substrate for holding at least a portion of a first, elongate waveguide propagating an optical signal along a propagation axis thereof; and a second, channel waveguide positioned in optical proximity to the portion of the first waveguide, said second waveguide having a first, propagation axis aligned with the propagation axis of the portion of the first waveguide, said second waveguide further having a coupling surface through which optical energy is coupled to or from the optical signal propagating in the first waveguide to thereby intensity modulate the optical signal.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 39 words

The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein said second waveguide is shaped to confine distribution of the optical energy therein along a second axis perpendicular to both its first axis and a third axis normal to its coupling surface.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 60 words

The optical modulator of claim 2, wherein said second waveguide is elongated along its first axis and has a generally rectangular cross-section and therefore a first pair of opposing optical boundaries disposed generally perpendicular to its coupling surface, the first pair of opposing optical boundaries confining the distribution of the optical energy in said second waveguide along its second axis.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 53 words

The optical modulator of claim 3, wherein said second waveguide includes a second pair of opposing optical boundaries a first of which comprises the coupling surface, the second optical boundary of the second pair of opposing optical boundaries confining the distribution of the optical energy in said second waveguide along its third axis.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 68 words

The optical modulator of claim 4, further comprising: a pair of electrodes each being disposed along a respective boundary of the first pair of opposing optical boundaries of said second waveguide, the pair of electrodes for applying an electric field between the first pair of opposing optical boundaries, said electric field controlling the coupling of said optical energy by said second waveguide to thereby modulate the optical signal.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 32 words

The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein said second waveguide is shaped to confine distribution of the optical energy therein along axes of said second waveguide transverse to its first, propagation axis.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 79 words

The optical modulator of claim 6, wherein said second waveguide comprises an optically bounded first region within a layer disposed over the substrate, the first region having an index of refraction different than that of other regions of said layer, wherein optical boundaries formed by the intersections of the first region and the other regions confine the distribution of the optical energy within said second waveguide along the axes of said second waveguide transverse to its first, propagation axis.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 36 words

The optical modulator of claim 6, wherein said second waveguide comprises an optically bounded region within a layer disposed over the substrate, the optically bounded region being formed by a surface relief structure on said layer.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 54 words

The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein the first, elongate waveguide comprises a fiber waveguide, and wherein the portion of the first waveguide comprises a side-polished portion of the fiber waveguide, the coupling surface of the second, channel waveguide evanescently coupling the optical energy to or from the side-polished portion of the fiber waveguide.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 35 words

The optical modulator of claim 9, wherein the fiber waveguide comprises a core region and a surrounding cladding region, and wherein the fiber waveguide is side-polished into the cladding region but not the core region.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 35 words

The optical modulator of claim 9, wherein the fiber waveguide comprises a core region and a surrounding cladding region, and wherein the fiber waveguide is side-polished through the cladding region and into the core region.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 54 words

The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein said second waveguide is formed from an electro-optically active material, the modulator further comprising: at least one electrode positioned to apply an electric field to said second waveguide to electrically control the coupling of the optical energy by said second waveguide to thereby modulate the optical signal.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 63 words

The optical modulator of claim 12, wherein the optical signal comprises a fixed wavelength signal and wherein the electric field controls a coupling wavelength at which the coupling of the optical energy by said second waveguide occurs, the control of the coupling wavelength about the fixed wavelength of the optical signal by the electric field imparting an intensity modulation upon the optical signal.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 48 words

The optical modulator of claim 13, wherein said second waveguide comprises a multimode waveguide having a high order mode, the electric field controlling the coupling wavelength at which the high order mode index corresponds to the first waveguide's index, thereby imparting the intensity modulation upon the optical signal.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 64 words

The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein the optical energy is coupled to or from said first waveguide by said second waveguide along an interaction area between said second waveguide and said first waveguide, the optical energy being coupled according to an oscillating energy transfer function, an interaction length of the interaction area being determined as a function of the oscillating energy transfer function.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 61 words

The optical modulator of claim 15, wherein the interaction length of the interaction area is substantially equal to an odd multiple of one half of the period of the oscillating energy transfer function, such that the optical energy coupled from the optical signal by said second waveguide rises from a near minimum to a near maximum value along the interaction length.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 100 words

An optical intensity modulator for intensity modulating an optical signal propagating along a propagation axis of a side-polished fiber optic by coupling optical energy to or from the optical signal, comprising: a multimode channel waveguide having a propagation axis alignable with the propagation axis of the side-polished fiber optic, said multimode channel waveguide including a coupling surface through which the optical energy is coupled to or from the optical signal propagating in the side-polished fiber optic, thereby intensity modulating the optical signal the multimode channel waveguide confining distribution of the optical energy therein along axes transverse to its propagation axis.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 100 words

An optical intensity modulator for intensity modulating an optical signal propagating along a propagation axis of a side-polished fiber optic by coupling optical energy to or from the optical signal, comprising: a multimode channel waveguide having a propagation axis alignable with the propagation axis of the side-polished fiber optic, said multimode channel waveguide including a coupling surface through which the optical energy is coupled to or from the optical signal propagating in the side-polished fiber optic, thereby intensity modulating the optical signal the multimode channel waveguide confining distribution of the optical energy therein along axes transverse to its propagation axis.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 67 words

The optical modulator of claim 17, wherein the optical energy is coupled to or from the side-polished fiber optic by said multimode channel waveguide along an interaction area between the multimode channel waveguide and the fiber optic, the optical energy being coupled according to an oscillating energy transfer function, an interaction length of the interaction area being determined as a function of the oscillating energy transfer function.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 61 words

The optical modulator of claim 18, wherein the interaction length of the interaction area is substantially equal to an odd multiple of one half of the period of the oscillating energy transfer function, such that the optical energy coupled from the optical signal by the channel waveguide rises from a near minimum to a near maximum value along the interaction length.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 77 words

The optical modulator of claim 17, wherein said multimode channel waveguide comprises an optically bounded first region within a layer, the first region having an index of refraction different than that of other regions of said layer, wherein optical boundaries formed by the intersections of the first region and the other regions confine the distribution of the optical energy within said multimode channel waveguide along the axes of said multimode channel waveguide transverse to its propagation axis.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 33 words

The optical modulator of claim 17, wherein said multimode channel waveguide comprises an optically bounded region within a layer, the optically bounded region being formed by a surface relief structure on said layer.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 57 words

The optical modulator of claim 17, wherein said multimode channel waveguide is formed from an electro-optically active material, the device further comprising: at least one electrode positioned to apply an electric field to said multimode channel waveguide to electrically control the coupling of the optical energy by said multimode channel waveguide to thereby modulate the optical signal.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 63 words

The optical modulator of claim 22, wherein the optical signal comprises a fixed wavelength signal and wherein the electric field controls a coupling wavelength at which the coupling of the optical energy by said second waveguide occurs, the control of the coupling wavelength about the fixed wavelength of the optical signal by the electric field imparting an intensity modulation upon the optical signal.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 46 words

The optical modulator of claim 23, wherein said multimode channel waveguide comprises a high order mode, the electric field controlling the coupling wavelength at which the high order mode index corresponds to the first waveguide's mode index, thereby imparting the intensity modulation upon the optical signal.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 76 words

A method for intensity modulating an optical signal propagating along a first propagation axis of a first, elongate waveguide by coupling optical energy to or from the optical signal, comprising: (a) placing a second, multimode channel waveguide in optical proximity to a portion of said first waveguide; and (b) evanescently coupling the optical energy to or from the optical signal through a coupling surface of said second, multimode channel waveguide thereby intensity modulating the optical signal.

Claim 28

Independent Claim 76 words

A method for intensity modulating an optical signal propagating along a first propagation axis of a first, elongate waveguide by coupling optical energy to or from the optical signal, comprising: (a) placing a second, multimode channel waveguide in optical proximity to a portion of said first waveguide; and (b) evanescently coupling the optical energy to or from the optical signal through a coupling surface of said second, multimode channel waveguide thereby intensity modulating the optical signal.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method of claim 25, wherein said evanescently coupling (b) comprises coupling the optical energy according to an oscillating energy transfer function along an interaction area between the portion of said first waveguide and said second waveguide.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 73 words

The method of claim 26, wherein said evanescently coupling (b) comprises coupling the optical energy along an interaction length of said interaction area, the interaction length being substantially equal to an odd multiple of one half of the period the oscillating energy transfer function, such that the optical energy coupled from the optical signal by said second waveguide rises from a near minimum value to a near maximum value along the interaction length.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 25, wherein said evanescently coupling (b) includes electrically controlling coupling characteristics of said second waveguide by applying an electric field thereto and thereby modulating the optical signal according to the electric field.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 28, wherein the coupling characteristics controlled by said electrically controlling include a coupling wavelength at which the optical energy is coupled to or from the optical signal.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 41 words

The method of claim 29, wherein said second waveguide comprises a high order mode and wherein the coupling wavelength comprises the wavelength at which the high order mode index of refraction corresponds to the index of refraction of the first waveguide.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 30, wherein said electrically controlling includes controlling the high order mode index of refraction with the electric field and thereby controlling the coupling wavelength.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method of claim 25, wherein said first waveguide comprises a fiber waveguide and wherein the portion of said first waveguide comprises a side-polished portion of the fiber waveguide.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-04-05	2002-10-05	2003-04-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-04-05	2006-10-05	2007-04-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-04-05	2010-10-05	2011-04-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Electro-optic compound waveguide intensity modular and method using same

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