Optical control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9519200-B2
Application number	US-201414780526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2014
Priority date	Mar 26, 2013
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

Provided is an optical control device including first and second optical waveguides, a first control signal electrode including a first input-side signal electrode, a second control signal electrode including a second input-side signal electrode, an inter-signal-electrode ground electrode, a first ground electrode, and a second ground electrode. The substrate has a first groove that is provided between the first input-side signal electrode and the inter-signal-electrode ground, a second groove that is provided between the first input-side signal electrode and the first ground electrode, a third groove that is provided between the second input-side signal electrode and the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode, and a fourth groove that is provided between the second input-side signal electrode and the second ground electrode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical control device, comprising:
a substrate;
first and second optical waveguides provided on the substrate, and extending along a main surface of the substrate;
a first control signal electrode provided on the main surface of the substrate so as to change a refractive index of light propagating through the inside of the first optical waveguide on the basis of a first electrical signal supplied from an outer side, the first control signal electrode including a first operating electrode part extending along the first optical waveguide to apply an electrical field to the first optical waveguide, and a first input-side signal electrode extending along the main surface of the substrate to transmit the first electrical signal to the first operating electrode part;
a second control signal electrode provided on the main surface of the substrate so as to change a refractive index of light propagating through the inside of the second optical waveguide on the basis of a second electrical signal supplied from an outer side, the second control signal electrode including a second operating electrode part extending along the second optical waveguide to apply an electrical field to the second optical waveguide, and a second input-side signal electrode extending along the main surface of the substrate to transmit the second electrical signal to the second operating electrode part;
an inter-signal-electrode ground electrode provided on the main surface of the substrate between the first input-side signal electrode and the second input-side signal electrode, the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode being positioned to be spaced away from the first input-side signal electrode and the second input-side signal electrode in a plan view;
a first ground electrode provided on the main surface of the substrate on a side opposite to an inter-signal-electrode ground electrode side with the first input-side signal electrode interposed between the first ground electrode and the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode, the first ground electrode being positioned to be spaced away from the first input-side signal electrode in a plan view; and
a second ground electrode provided on the main surface of the substrate on a side opposite to an inter-signal-electrode ground electrode side with the second input-side signal electrode interposed between the second ground electrode and the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode, the second ground electrode being positioned to be spaced away from the second input-side signal electrode in a plan view,
wherein, in a plan view, the substrate includes a first groove provided between the first input-side signal electrode and the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode, a second groove provided between the first input-side signal electrode and the first ground electrode, a third groove provided between the second input-side signal electrode and the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode, and a fourth groove provided between the second input-side signal electrode and the second ground electrode,
one end of the first ground electrode, one end of the first input-side signal electrode, one end of the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode, one end of the second input-side signal electrode, and one end of the second ground electrode are arranged along a first direction along the main surface of the substrate in this order, and
when a spaced distance between the one end of the first input-side signal electrode and the one end of the second input-side signal electrode along the first direction is set as D, and a spaced distance between the one end of the first ground electrode and the one end of the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode along the first direction or a spaced distance between the one end of the second ground electrode and the one end of the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode along the first direction is set as K, a value of D/K is 3.0 or less.

2. The optical control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the depth of the first groove, the second groove, the third groove, and the fourth groove is 2 μm or more.

3. The optical control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode includes a main part, and a first small-thickness part provided on a first groove side in comparison to the main part and being thinner than the main part and/or a second small-thickness part provided on a third groove side in comparison to the main part and being thinner than the main part, and/or
wherein the first ground electrode includes a main part, and a small-thickness part provided on a second groove side in comparison to the main part and being thinner than the main part, and/or
wherein the second ground electrode includes a main part, and a small-thickness part provided on a fourth groove side in comparison to the main part and being thinner than the main part.

4. The optical control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first control signal electrode includes a main part, and a first small-thickness part provided on a first groove side in comparison to the main part and being thinner than the main part, and/or a second small-thickness part provided on a second groove side in comparison to the main part and being thinner than the main part, and/or
wherein the second control signal electrode includes a main part, and a first small-thickness part provided on a third groove side in comparison to the main part and being thinner than the main part and/or a second small-thickness part provided on a fourth groove side in comparison to the main part and being thinner than the main part.

5. The optical control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode, the first ground electrode, and the second ground electrode has a through-hole.

6. The optical control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an in-first-groove ground electrode provided in the first groove and being electrically connected to the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode, and/or an in-second-groove ground electrode provided in the second groove and being electrically connected to the first ground electrode, and/or an in-third-groove ground electrode provided in the third groove and being electrically connected to the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode, and/or an in-fourth-groove ground electrode provided in the fourth groove and being electrically connected to the second ground electrode.

7. The optical control device according to claim 6 ,
wherein at least one of the in-first-groove ground electrode, the in-second-groove ground electrode, the in-third-groove ground electrode, and the in-fourth-groove ground electrode has a through-hole.

8. The optical control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the inter-signal-electrode ground electrode, the first ground electrode, and the second ground electrode has a concave portion.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kataoka Toshio
• Motoya Masayuki
• Ichikawa Junichiro

Classifications

• G02F1/2255 Primary

  controlled by a high-frequency electromagnetic component in an electric waveguide structure · CPC title

• G02F2001/212

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02F2201/122

  having a particular pattern · CPC title

• G02F2201/127

  travelling wave · CPC title

• G02F1/212

  Mach-Zehnder type · CPC title