Abstract: A semiconductor electrooptic monolithic component comprising successively a first section capable of emitting light at a first wavelength and including a first active layer, a second section capable of absorbing light at the said first wavelength and including a second active layer, and a third section capable of detecting light at a second wavelength and including a third active layer. The component is characterized in that the second active layer is designed to ensure in the said second section an absorption higher than that which would be allowed by an active layer identical to the said first layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical device comprising an ionic conductor and a pair of electrodes, the ionic conductor being made of a material that is transparent to light and contains mobile ions and the electrodes being suitable for absorbing and desorbing the ions and being in ionic contact with the ionic conductor. The refractive index in at least a zone of the ionic conductor can be varied under the effect of the voltage applied between the electrodes. The electrodes contain an electrochemically active material selected from an active carbon, a conductive polymer, and an insertion material suitable for inserting ions in its structure.

Abstract: The invention concerns a tunable edge-emitting semiconductor laser (10) including a resonant cavity delimited by two reflectors (15, 20), one of which is a fixed reflector (15) and the other of which is a mobile reflector (20), and including an active section (1) with gain of length L1 and a tunable section (2) of length L2, characterized in that the total length of the cavity L=L1+L2 is less than or equal to 20 ?m.

Abstract: A semiconductor electrooptic monolithic component comprising successively a first section capable of emitting light at a first wavelength and including a first active layer, a second section capable of absorbing light at the said first wavelength and including a second active layer, and a third section capable of detecting light at a second wavelength and including a third active layer. The component is characterized in that the second active layer is designed to ensure in the said second section an absorption higher than that which would be allowed by an active layer identical to the said first layer.

Abstract: A wavelength-tunable laser consists of a resonant semiconductor cavity coupled to a sampled Bragg reflector grating having reflectivity peaks for N optical frequencies. The resonant cavity is formed of two opposite reflector members that are not wavelength selective and delimit an amplifier section coupled to a phase tuning section. The optical length of the cavity is adjustable electro-optically as a function of a control voltage applied to it. The laser can be tuned quickly over a wide band.

Abstract: An optical resonant cavity (50) defined between two mirrors (13′, 40), one of which (40) is a variable pitch Bragg reflector grating, is characterized in that a parameter CS of variation of the Bragg wavelength of the grating is such that the cavity resonates continuously from a first optical frequency to a second optical frequency higher than the first optical frequency. The invention can be used in particular to produce broadband band-pass filters with steep flanks, broadband amplifiers with no gain fluctuation, and continuous emission spectrum lasers and light-emitting diodes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical device comprising an ionic conductor and a pair of electrodes, the ionic conductor being made of a material that is transparent to light and contains mobile ions and the electrodes being suitable for absorbing and desorbing the ions and being in ionic contact with the ionic conductor. The refractive index in at least a zone of the ionic conductor can be varied under the effect of the voltage applied between the electrodes. The electrodes contain an electrochemically active material selected from an active carbon, a conductive polymer, and an insertion material suitable for inserting ions in its structure.

Abstract: The wavelength tunable optical filter (1) comprises a resonant cavity (4) delimited by two opposite reflective elements (8, 8′) which are not wavelength selective, and a reflector (7) external to the cavity (4). The external reflector (7) exhibits transmission peaks for an integer number N of optical frequencies and the Fabry-Perot cavity (4) delimiting a phase tuning section (11) is sized so that the distance between the optical frequencies of any two resonant modes of the cavity (4) is never equal to the difference between the optical frequencies of any two transmission peaks of the external reflector (7).

Abstract: The wavelength tunable optical filter (1) comprises a resonant cavity (4) delimited by two opposite reflective elements (8, 8′) which are not wavelength selective, and a reflector (7) external to the cavity (4).

Abstract: A light pulse generator (1) having a distributed Bragg reflector is characterized in that the reflector is a sampled Bragg reflector grating (40) a plurality of reflection peaks, each peak corresponding to a reflection frequency value, the difference between consecutive reflection frequency values being equal to an integer multiple P of the difference between consecutive values of mode frequency at which an optical cavity formed between a rear face (13′) of an active layer and a reflection point of the reflector (40) is resonant. Very short pulses are thus obtained with low time jitter.

Abstract: An optical resonant cavity (50) defined between two mirrors (13′, 40), one of which (40) is a variable pitch Bragg reflector grating, is characterized in that a parameter CS of variation of the Bragg wavelength of the grating is such that the cavity resonates continuously from a first optical frequency to a second optical frequency higher than the first optical frequency. The invention can be used in particular to produce broadband band-pass filters with steep flanks, broadband amplifiers with no gain fluctuation, and continuous emission spectrum lasers and light-emitting diodes.

Abstract: The invention concerns a tunable edge-emitting semiconductor laser (10) including a resonant cavity delimited by two reflectors (15, 20), one of which is a fixed reflector (15) and the other of which is a mobile reflector (20), and including an active section (1) with gain of length L1 and a tunable section (2) of length L2, characterized in that the total length of the cavity L=L1+L2 is less than or equal to 20 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A wavelength-tunable laser consists of a resonant semiconductor cavity coupled to a sampled Bragg reflector grating having reflectivity peaks for N optical frequencies. The resonant cavity is formed of two opposite reflector members that are not wavelength selective and delimit an amplifier section coupled to a phase tuning section. The optical length of the cavity is adjustable electro-optically as a function of a control voltage applied to it. The laser can be tuned quickly over a wide band.

Abstract: A common InP semiconductor substrate device includes a laser emitter H1 for emitting waves having a first wavelength such as 1,300 nm, a photodiode H2 for receiving and detecting waves having a second wavelength such as 1,550 nm, and a separator G absorbing the waves having the first wavelength, the separator being interposed between the laser emitter H1 and the photodiode G for protecting the photodiode against the waves having the first wavelength. An absorption measurement mechanism Q delivers a signal iG representative of the power of the waves absorbed by the separator G, to make it possible to regulate operation of the laser emitter H1. The semiconductor substrate device is particularly applicable to implementing end devices to be installed on subscriber premises for subscribers to optical fiber interactive local area networks.

Abstract: Two semiconductor layers of the laser form a tunnel junction enabling an electrical current for pumping the laser to pass from an N doped semiconductor Bragg mirror to a P doped injection layer belonging to the light-amplifying structure. The Bragg mirror co-operates with another mirror of the same type having the same doping to include said structure in an optical cavity of the laser. In a variant, the tunnel junction may be buried and located so as to constitute confinement means for said pumping current. The laser can be used in an optical fiber communications network.

Abstract: An epitaxial deposition process is used to deposit materials that can be crystallized lattice matched to gallium arsenide onto an indium phosphide crystalline wafer. A material of this kind forms a metamorphic layer. Metamorphic layers of this kind constitute two semiconductor Bragg mirrors to form resonant cavities of surface emitting lasers of a matrix. This matrix is consolidated by a silicon support. Applications include optical telecommunications.

Abstract: In a method of fabricating a surface-emitting laser, to assure good electrical confinement and good flatness of the mirrors defining the resonant cavity of the laser an electrical confinement layer is formed by carrying out the following steps:forming an undercut layer,at least one growth step on the undercut layer,forming a mesa defining the shape and the location of the top mirror and exposing the undercut layer on its vertical walls, andcontrolled lateral etching of the undercut layer. Applications include the fabrication of a semiconductor laser on a III-V (e.g. InP or GaAs) substrate.

Abstract: In a method of fabricating a surface emitting semiconductor layer, to achieve good electrical confinement and good flatness of the mirrors delimiting the resonant cavity of the laser, an electrical confinement layer is made by growing a localized aluminum alloy layer on the active layer, except for an opening area on top of which the mirror is to be formed. After epitaxial regrowth, the alloy layer is oxidized laterally. Applications include the fabrication of semiconductor lasers on III-V substrates such as InP and GaAs.

Abstract: An integrated opto-electronic component includes an amplifying segment coupled to a tuning segment to provide a wavelength tunable laser oscillator function insensitive to the polarization of optical waves that it receives. The amplifying segment is designed to be insensitive to polarization. The tuning segment includes a Bragg grating and a waveguide dimensioned to procure transversely monomode laser emission with rectilinear polarization. Applications include wavelength converters and stabilized gain amplifiers, in particular for optical transmission.

Abstract: In this laser two successive sections of a light guide form a light amplifier (S1) and a saturable absorber (S2). In the invention a passive section (S3) of the guide follows the absorber. The invention is applicable especially to processing an optical signal.