OPTICAL MODULATOR

• Main Authors: JINRIKI TAKASHI, ICHIOKA MASAYUKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 27.10.2011
• Subjects: DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical modulator whose frequency response characteristic can be widened in bandwidth while suppressing an increase in a drive voltage, and which is suppressed in an increase in manufacturing time and cost.SOLUTION: In an optical modulator which has a substrate 1 having an electro-optical effect, an optical waveguide 2 formed on the substrate 1, and a modulating electrode modulating light waves propagating through the optical waveguide 2, the modulating electrode is a coplanar electrode comprising a signal electrode S and grounding electrodes G disposed so as to sandwich the signal electrodes S, and gaps (G1 and G2) between the signal electrode and the grounding electrodes are configured so as to gradually become wider in the direction from the portion closest to the substrate to the portion far away from the substrate, and at least the entire signal electrode is configured from a single material.