Patent ID: 6356382
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: B82Y,G02F,H01S

Abstract:
An optical wavelength converter for converting an input optical pulse signal having a first wavelength into an output optical pulse signal having a second wavelength which is different from said first wavelength comprising:a first waveguide constructed by an active waveguide and receiving the input optical pulse signal having the first wavelength, a propagation constant of said first waveguide being changed in accordance with an optical power of the input optical pulse signal; and a second waveguide arranged in parallel with said first waveguide to partially overlap with said first waveguide such that the first and second waveguides are optically coupled with each other to such an extent that evanescent light of light propagating along one of the first and second waveguides extends into the other waveguide; wherein said first and second waveguides have a waveguide length L which is substantially equal to a coupling length at which a power transition of an optical signal propagating along the first waveguide into the second waveguide becomes maximum; and said first and second waveguides are constructed such that a propagation constant difference &Dgr;&bgr; between the first and the second waveguides in a case that only an optical signal having a second wavelength propagates along said first waveguide is smaller than a propagation constant difference &Dgr;&bgr; between the first and the second waveguides when both the input optical signal having the first wavelength and the optical signal having the second wavelength propagate along the first waveguide.