Compact mach-zehnder interferometer and wavelength reference employing same

摘要

The present invention includes a MZI comprising a pair of folded waveguides disposed between a pair of couplers. Each folded waveguide comprises a pair of segments intersecting at a reflector. The respective reflectors are different distances from the couplers to provide a major portion of the differential path length between the two arms. In a preferred embodiment, the reflectors are polysilicon mirrors and can be formed by etching through the intersecting waveguides and depositing polysilicon. The result is a compact MZI that can be used as a multiwavelength reference for a laser light source on a common silicon optical bench chip.