Patent ID: 6584240
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
An optical modulator, comprising:a substrate having an electro-optical effect and having formed thereon a ridge, first and second grooves which are positioned on the opposite sides of said ridge, and first and second banks which are positioned on the outer sides of said first and second grooves, respectively; a Mach-Zehnder optical waveguide formed on said substrate and including a first Y branching waveguide, first and second arm waveguides which are branched from said first Y branching waveguide and one of which is included in said ridge, and a second Y branching waveguide at which said first and second arm waveguides join together; an electrode formed on said substrate and including a signal electrode formed on said ridge and two grounding electrodes formed on said first and second banks for controlling light propagating in said optical waveguide; and first and second recesses formed at symmetrical positions with respect to said ridge on said first and second banks, respectively.