Semiconductor optical device and array of the same

Claim 2

A semiconductor optical device array including means for changing a propagation direction of light waves comprising: a plurality of input waveguides for receiving input light waves and a plurality of output waveguides for providing output light waves; a plurality of switching function portions respectively disposed at intersections of said input and output waveguides; and a plurality of light wave amplifying means provided in said switching function portions to compensate for losses in the switching function portions so that said output waves have substantially the same amplitude or a greater amplitude than said input light wave, respectively.

Claim 3

The semiconductor optical device array as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said switching function portions respectively amplifies only a predetermined light wave to be propagated between a predetermined input waveguide and a predetermined output waveguide.

Claim 4

The semiconductor optical device array as set forth in claim 2, wherein said switching function portions include bypass waveguides which propagate only a predetermined light wave propagated through a specific one of said input waveguides, said light wave amplifying means being respectively provided in said bypass waveguides.

Claim 5

A semiconductor optical switch including means for changing the propagation direction of light waves to travel along a bypass waveguide provided in the optical switch comprising light amplifying means provided in the bypass waveguide, which is defined by part of a slip of either a single or double slip structure type optical switch, to compensate for losses along the bypass waveguide so that light waves output from said optical switch have an amplitude substantially equal to or greater than light waves input into said optical switch.

Claim 6

A semiconductor optical switch including means for changing the propagation direction of light waves to travel along a bypass waveguide provided in the optical switch comprising light amplifying means provided in the bypass waveguide, which is defined by part of a slip of either a single or double slip structure type optical switch, to compensate for losses along the bypass waveguide so that light waves output from said optical switch have an amplitude substantially equal to or greater than light waves input into said optical switch.

Claim 7

An optical device array comprising: a plurality of input waveguides for receiving input light waves; a plurality of output waveguides for providing output light waves; a plurality of coupling regions for changing propagation direction of the light waves between the input and output waveguides, said coupling regions being disposed at predetermined points where the input waveguides and the output waveguides are optically coupled; and a plurality of light wave amplifying means disposed in the coupling regions to compensate for losses in the coupling regions so that said output light waves have substantially the same amplitude or a greater amplitude than said input light waves.

Claim 8

An optical device array comprising: a plurality of input waveguides for receiving input light waves; a plurality of output waveguides for providing output light waves; a plurality of coupling regions for changing propagation direction of the light waves between the input and output waveguides, said coupling regions being disposed at predetermined points where the input waveguides and the output waveguides are optically coupled; and a plurality of light wave amplifying means disposed in the coupling regions to compensate for losses in the coupling regions so that said output light waves have substantially the same amplitude or a greater amplitude than said input light waves.

Claim 9

A photonic switching system comprising: an input portion for inputting a light wave; a plurality of output portions for outputting the light wave; and means for photonic switching for changing the propagation direction of the light wave, having a waveguide for guiding the light wave from the input portion to the output portions, wherein the means for photonic switching includes means for amplifying the light wave on the waveguide to compensate for losses in the photonic switching means so that the amplitude of the light wave output from the output portions is substantially the same as or greater than the amplitude of the light wave when it was inputted into said input portion.

Claim 10

A photonic switching system comprising: an input portion for inputting a light wave; a plurality of output portions for outputting the light wave; and means for photonic switching for changing the propagation direction of the light wave, having a waveguide for guiding the light wave from the input portion to the output portions, wherein the means for photonic switching includes means for amplifying the light wave on the waveguide to compensate for losses in the photonic switching means so that the amplitude of the light wave output from the output portions is substantially the same as or greater than the amplitude of the light wave when it was inputted into said input portion.

Claim 11

An X-crossing optical waveguide comprising: first, second, third and fourth optical waveguide legs comprising an X shape; a first bypass waveguide coupled between the first and second optical waveguide legs, having an optical amplification portion; a first carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the first optical waveguide leg and the first bypass waveguide; and a second carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the second optical waveguide leg and the first bypass waveguide.

Claim 12

An X-crossing optical waveguide comprising: first, second, third and fourth optical waveguide legs comprising an X shape; a first bypass waveguide coupled between the first and second optical waveguide legs, having an optical amplification portion; a first carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the first optical waveguide leg and the first bypass waveguide; and a second carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the second optical waveguide leg and the first bypass waveguide.

Claim 13

An X-crossing optical waveguide according to claim 7, further comprising: a second bypass waveguide leg, having an optical amplification portion; a third carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the third optical waveguide leg and the second bypass waveguide; and a fourth carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the fourth optical waveguide leg and the second bypass waveguide.

Claim 14

An optical device array comprising: a plurality of X-crossing optical waveguides forming a lattice pattern, each of the X-crossing optical waveguides comprising: first, second, third and fourth optical waveguide legs composing an X in shape; a first bypass waveguide coupled between the first and second optical waveguide legs, having an optical amplification portion; a first carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the first optical waveguide leg and the first bypass waveguide; and a second carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the second optical waveguide leg and the first bypass waveguide.

Claim 15

An optical device array comprising: a plurality of X-crossing optical waveguides forming a lattice pattern, each of the X-crossing optical waveguides comprising: first, second, third and fourth optical waveguide legs composing an X in shape; a first bypass waveguide coupled between the first and second optical waveguide legs, having an optical amplification portion; a first carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the first optical waveguide leg and the first bypass waveguide; and a second carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the second optical waveguide leg and the first bypass waveguide.

Claim 16

An optical device array according to claim 9, wherein each of the X-crossing optical waveguides further comprises: a second bypass waveguide coupled between the third and fourth optical waveguide legs, having an optical amplification portion; a third carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the third optical waveguide leg and the second bypass waveguide; and a fourth carrier injection region located between the crossing point of the X-crossing waveguide and the coupling point of the fourth optical waveguide leg and the second bypass waveguide.

Claim 17

An optical device comprising: a first waveguide having an input and an output; a second waveguide having an input and an output; a switch coupled at least between the input of said first waveguide and the output of said second waveguide to change the propagation direction of waves input to the first waveguide, wherein a light wave applied to the input of the first waveguide will be output at the output of the first waveguide when the switch has a first state, and wherein said light wave applied to the input of the first waveguide will be output at the output of the second waveguide when the switch has a second state; and means for amplifying said light wave when said switch has said second state so that the light wave at the output of the second waveguide will have substantially the same or a greater amplitude than it did at the input of the first waveguide, and wherein any leakage of the light wave to the output of the first waveguide when the switch is in the second state will not be amplified.

Claim 18

An optical device comprising: a first waveguide having an input and an output; a second waveguide having an input and an output; a switch coupled at least between the input of said first waveguide and the output of said second waveguide to change the propagation direction of waves input to the first waveguide, wherein a light wave applied to the input of the first waveguide will be output at the output of the first waveguide when the switch has a first state, and wherein said light wave applied to the input of the first waveguide will be output at the output of the second waveguide when the switch has a second state; and means for amplifying said light wave when said switch has said second state so that the light wave at the output of the second waveguide will have substantially the same or a greater amplitude than it did at the input of the first waveguide, and wherein any leakage of the light wave to the output of the first waveguide when the switch is in the second state will not be amplified.

Claim 19

An optical device according to claim 11, wherein the first waveguide and the second waveguide cross one another to form an X configuration.

Claim 20

An optical device according to claim 12, wherein said switch includes a bypass waveguide coupled to the first waveguide at a point between the input of the first waveguide and the intersection of the first and second waveguides and coupled to the second waveguide at a point between the output of the second waveguide and the intersection of the first and second waveguides.

Claim 21

An optical device according to claim 13, wherein said amplifying means is located at said bypass waveguide.

Claim 22

An optical device according to claim 14, wherein a first carrier injection region is located at the point where the bypass waveguide is coupled to the first waveguide and wherein a second carrier injection region is located at the point where the bypass waveguide is coupled to the second waveguide.

Claim 23

A photonic switching system comprising: an input portion for inputting a light wave; a plurality of output portions of outputting the light wave; and a photonic switch for changing the propagation direction of the light wave, said photonic switch including a waveguide for guiding the light wave from the input portion to at least one selected one of the output portions, wherein the photonic switch includes an amplifier to compensate for losses in the photonic switch so that the amplitude of light wave output from any of the output portions is substantially the same as or greater than the amplitude of the light wave when it was inputted into the input portion.

Claim 24

A photonic switching system comprising: an input portion for inputting a light wave; a plurality of output portions of outputting the light wave; and a photonic switch for changing the propagation direction of the light wave, said photonic switch including a waveguide for guiding the light wave from the input portion to at least one selected one of the output portions, wherein the photonic switch includes an amplifier to compensate for losses in the photonic switch so that the amplitude of light wave output from any of the output portions is substantially the same as or greater than the amplitude of the light wave when it was inputted into the input portion.