Waveguide device, optical scanning device and optical modulation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12436442-B2
Application number	US-202418411196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2024
Priority date	Jul 14, 2021
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A waveguide device includes: a photonic crystal layer having holes periodically formed in an electro-optical crystal substrate; a line-defect optical waveguide formed in the photonic crystal layer; a first electrode arranged above the electro-optical crystal substrate, the first electrode being transparent to light; and a second electrode arranged below the electro-optical crystal substrate. Each of an optical scanning device and an optical modulation device includes the above-mentioned waveguide device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical scanning device, comprising:
a photonic crystal layer having holes periodically formed in an electro-optical crystal substrate;
a line-defect optical waveguide formed in the photonic crystal layer;
a first electrode arranged above the electro-optical crystal substrate, the first electrode being transparent to light;
a second electrode arranged below the electro-optical crystal substrate, and
a diffraction grating arranged in at least one portion selected from an upper portion, a left side surface portion, and a right side surface portion of the optical waveguide,
wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode overlaps the optical waveguide in a thickness direction of the photonic crystal layer,
wherein a refractive index of the first electrode is lower than a refractive index of the electro-optical crystal substrate,
wherein a refractive index difference between the electro-optical crystal substrate and the first electrode is 0.2 or more and 1.2 or less,
wherein the first electrode is configured to change an emission angle of light emitted from an upper surface of the optical waveguide and to transmit the emitted light.

2. The optical scanning device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second electrode is transparent to light, and is brought into contact with the electro-optical crystal substrate, and
wherein the second electrode has a refractive index lower than the refractive index of the electro-optical crystal substrate.

3. The optical scanning device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a substrate arranged below the second electrode; and
a low-refractive index portion positioned between the second electrode and the substrate, the low-refractive index portion having a refractive index lower than the refractive index of the electro-optical crystal substrate,
wherein at least part of the low-refractive index portion overlaps the optical waveguide in the thickness direction of the photonic crystal layer.

4. The optical scanning device according to claim 3 , further comprising a joining portion arranged between the second electrode and the substrate to join the second electrode and the substrate to each other,
wherein the joining portion has a cavity configured to function as the low-refractive index portion.

5. The optical scanning device according to claim 1 , further comprising a low-refractive index portion positioned between the electro-optical crystal substrate and the second electrode, the low-refractive index portion having a refractive index lower than the refractive index of the electro-optical crystal substrate,
wherein the low-refractive index portion overlaps the optical waveguide in the thickness direction of the photonic crystal layer.

6. The waveguide optical scanning device according to claim 5 , further comprising a joining portion arranged between the electro-optical crystal substrate and the second electrode to join the electro-optical crystal substrate and the second electrode to each other,
wherein a lower surface of the electro-optical crystal substrate, an upper surface of the second electrode, and the joining portion define a cavity configured to function as the low-refractive index portion.

7. The optical scanning device according to claim 1 , wherein the electro-optical crystal substrate includes one selected from the group consisting of: lithium niobate; lithium tantalate; potassium titanate phosphate; potassium lithium niobate; potassium niobate; potassium tantalate niobate; and a solid solution of lithium niobate and lithium tantalate.

8. The optical scanning device according to claim 1 , wherein the refractive index of the first electrode is 1.8 or less.

Assignees

• Ngk Insulators Ltd

Inventors

• Tani Kentaro
• Kondo Jungo
• Asai Keiichiro
• Higashihara Shuhei
• Fujita Naoki

Classifications

• G02F1/313 Primary

  in an optical waveguide structure · CPC title

• G02F1/295 Primary

  {Analog deflection from or} in an optical waveguide structure] · CPC title