초록 ▼

An optical mode coupling apparatus includes an optical waveguide in which an optical signal at a signal wavelength propagates in a first spatial propagation mode and a second spatial propagation mode of the waveguide. The optical signal propagating in the waveguide has a beat length. The coupling ap

An optical mode coupling apparatus includes an optical waveguide in which an optical signal at a signal wavelength propagates in a first spatial propagation mode and a second spatial propagation mode of the waveguide. The optical signal propagating in the waveguide has a beat length. The coupling apparatus includes a source of perturbational light signal at a perturbational wavelength that propagates in the waveguide in the first spatial propagation mode. The perturbational signal has a sufficient intensity distribution in the waveguide that it causes a perturbation of the effective refractive index of the first spatial propagation mode of the waveguide in accordance with the optical Kerr effect. The perturbation of the effective refractive index of the first spatial propagation mode of the optical waveguide causes a change in the differential phase delay in the optical signal propagating in the first and second spatial propagation modes. The change in the differential phase delay is detected as a change in the intensity distribution between two lobes of the optical intensity distribution pattern of an output signal. The perturbational light signal can be selectively enabled and disabled to selectively change the intensity distribution in the two lobes of the optical intensity distribution pattern.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus for controlling an optical signal, comprising: an optical waveguide segment having first and second spatial propagation modes, said first and second modes having first and second indices of refraction, respectively; and a perturbational signal source coupled to introduce a perturbationa

An apparatus for controlling an optical signal, comprising: an optical waveguide segment having first and second spatial propagation modes, said first and second modes having first and second indices of refraction, respectively; and a perturbational signal source coupled to introduce a perturbational signal into at least one of said spatial modes to optically perturb at least one of said first and second indices of refraction, said perturbational signal controllably varying the spatial intensity distribution of said optical signal.