Active optical isolators and active optical circulators

摘要

An apparatus includes a controllable optical interferometer having first and second external optical ports and a traveling-wave modulation electrode. The apparatus also includes an electrical driver configured and connected to apply a voltage with a periodic modulation to the traveling-wave modulation electrode such that the controllable optical interferometer operates as an optical isolator over a wavelength range.

主权项

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a controllable optical interferometer having first and second external optical ports and one or more traveling-wave modulation electrodes; and an electrical driver configured and connected to apply a voltage with a periodic modulation to the one or more traveling-wave modulation electrodes such that the controllable optical interferometer operates as an optical isolator over a wavelength range; and wherein the controllable optical interferometer includes a Mach-Zehnder optical interferometer having first and second internal optical paths, in parallel, connecting the first external optical port to the second external optical port; and wherein the electrical driver is configured to operate the controllable optical interferometer such that light substantially co-propagating on the internal optical paths with electrical current waves on the one or more traveling-wave modulation electrodes is more attenuated than light substantially counter-propagating on the internal optical paths with the electrical current waves on the one or more traveling-wave modulation electrodes.