Multimode interferometer, mach-zehnder modulation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018373114-A1
Application number	US-201816017359-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 25, 2018
Priority date	Jun 27, 2017
Publication date	Dec 27, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A multimode interferometer includes: a multimode waveguide mesa having a top face extending in a direction of a first axis, a first side face and a second side face that extend in the direction of the first axis, and a first end face and a second end face that are arranged in the direction of the first axis; and a waveguide mesa connected to the first end face at a port; first and second waveguide mesas connected to first and second ports on the second end face. The multimode waveguide mesa has a first side edge line shared by the top face and the first side face, and an end line shared by the top face and the first end face. The first side edge line forms an acute angle with the end line at an outer vertex where the first side edge line and the end line meet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A Mach-Zehnder modulator comprising:
a first arm waveguide mesa; a second arm waveguide mesa; a waveguide mesa; and a merger optically coupled to the first arm waveguide mesa, the second arm waveguide mesa, and the waveguide mesa, the merger including a multimode waveguide mesa, the multimode waveguide mesa having a top face extending in a direction of a first axis, a first side face and a second side face that extend in the direction of the first axis, and a first end face and a second end face that are arranged in the direction of the first axis, the multimode waveguide mesa being connected to the waveguide mesa at a port on the first end face, the multimode waveguide mesa being connected to the first arm waveguide mesa at a first port on the second end face, the multimode waveguide mesa being connected to the second arm waveguide mesa at a second port on the second end face, the multimode waveguide mesa having a first side edge line shared by the first side face and the top face of the multimode waveguide mesa, and a front edge line shared by the first end face and the top face of the multimode waveguide mesa, the first side edge line and the front edge line meeting at an outer vertex, and the first side edge line forming an acute angle with the front edge line at the outer vertex.

2 . The Mach-Zehnder modulator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the merger includes a 2×1 multimode interferometer.

3 . The Mach-Zehnder modulator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the waveguide mesa includes a top face, a first side face and a second side face, the waveguide mesa has a first side edge line shared by the top face and the first side face, and a second side edge line shared by the top face and the second side face, the front edge line and the first side edge line of the waveguide mesa meet at a first inner vertex, the front edge line and the second side edge line of the waveguide mesa meet at a second inner vertex, and the front edge line of the multimode waveguide mesa forms an acute angle with a line passing through the first inner vertex and the second inner vertex.

4 . The Mach-Zehnder modulator according to claim 3 wherein
the front edge line extends along a first reference line,
the multimode waveguide mesa has a rear edge line shared by the second end face and the top face of the multimode waveguide mesa,
the rear edge line extends along a second reference line, and
the first reference line and the second reference line form substantially the same angle as the acute angle at the first inner vertex.

5 . A Mach-Zehnder modulator comprising:
a first arm waveguide mesa; a second arm waveguide mesa; a waveguide mesa; and a divider optically coupled to the first arm waveguide mesa, the second arm waveguide mesa, and the waveguide mesa, the divider including a multimode waveguide mesa, the multimode waveguide mesa having a top face extending in a direction of a first axis, a first side face and a second side face that extend in the direction of the first axis, and a first end face and a second end face that are arranged in the direction of the first axis, the multimode waveguide mesa being connected to the waveguide mesa at a port on the first end face, the multimode waveguide mesa being connected to the first arm waveguide mesa at a first port on the second end face, the multimode waveguide mesa being connected to the second arm waveguide mesa at a second port on the second end face, the multimode waveguide mesa having a first side edge line shared by the top face and the first side face of the multimode waveguide mesa, and a rear edge line shared by the top face and the first end face of the multimode waveguide mesa, the first side edge line and the rear edge line meeting at an outer vertex, and the first side edge line forming an acute angle with the rear edge line at the outer vertex.

6 . The Mach-Zehnder modulator according to claim 5 ,
wherein the divider includes a 1×2 multimode interferometer.

7 . The Mach-Zehnder modulator according to claim 5 ,
wherein the waveguide mesa includes a top face, a first side face and a second side face, the waveguide mesa has a first side edge line shared by the top face thereof and the first side face thereof, and a second side edge line shared by the top face thereof and the second side face thereof, the rear edge line and the first side edge line of the waveguide mesa meet at a first inner vertex, the rear edge line and the second side edge line of the waveguide mesa meet at a second inner vertex, and the rear edge line of the multimode waveguide mesa forms an acute angle with a line passing through the first inner vertex and the second inner vertex.

8 . The Mach-Zehnder modulator according to claim 7 ,
wherein the rear edge line extends along a first reference line, the multimode waveguide mesa has a front edge line shared by the top face thereof and the second end face thereof, the front edge line extends along a second reference line, and the first reference line and the second reference line form substantially the same angle as the acute angle at the first inner vertex.

9 . A multimode interferometer comprising:
a multimode waveguide mesa having a top face extending in a direction of a first axis, a first side face and a second side face that extend in the direction of the first axis, and a first end face and a second end face that are arranged in the direction of the first axis; a waveguide mesa connected to the first end face at a port of the multimode waveguide mesa; a first waveguide mesa connected to the second end face at a first port of the multimode waveguide mesa; and a second waveguide mesa connected to the second end face at a second port of the multimode waveguide mesa, the multimode waveguide mesa having a first side edge line shared by the top face thereof and the first side face thereof, and an end line shared by the top face thereof and the first end face thereof, the first side edge line and the end line meeting at an outer vertex, and the first side edge line forming an acute angle with the end line at the outer vertex.

10 . The multimode interferometer according to claim 9 wherein
the waveguide mesa includes a top face, a first side face and a second side face,
the waveguide mesa has a first side edge line shared by the top face thereof and the first side face thereof, and a second side edge line shared by the top face thereof and the second side face thereof,
the end line and the first side edge line of the waveguide mesa meet at a first inner vertex.
the end line and the second side edge line of the waveguide mesa meet at a second inner vertex, and
the end line of the multimode waveguide mesa forms an acute angle with a line passing through the first inner vertex and the second inner vertex.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Tanaka Hajime

Classifications

• G02B6/29395

  configurable, e.g. tunable or reconfigurable (switching G02B6/35) · CPC title

• G02B6/29344

  operating by modal interference or beating, i.e. of transverse modes, e.g. zero-gap directional coupler, MMI · CPC title

• G02B2006/12142

  Modulator · CPC title

• G02B6/125 Primary

  Bends, branchings or intersections · CPC title

• G02B6/12007

  forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer · CPC title