Optical modulator comprising photonic crystals

摘要

Optical components are formed from integrated optical waveguides that have, least segmentwise, a periodic variation in the permittivities after the fashion of a photonic crystal. Said period variation is appropriately chosen so as to reduce the group velocity of signals to be transmitted in the optical waveguide. According to the invention, a field that has an influence on the interaction in said optical waveguide and transmitted optical signals is provided along at least part of the integrated photonic crystal. Reducing the group velocity increases the interaction under the influence of the field of an electrical or magnetic nature.