Optical logic gates for OR, AND, NOT, and NOR operations in waveguides consisting of nonlinear material are numerically investigated by means of FD-BPM (Finite Difference Beam Propagation Method). The proposed devices are designed utilizing the self-routing characteristics of nonlinear X-crossing structures when they are operated with one input beam or two. The numerical simulations show that the proposed structures can favorably be applied to optical data processing and computing as fundamental logic gates.

We examine crossing waveguides with three channels consisting of nonlinear material by means of FD-BPM (Finite Difference Beam Propagation Method). Specifically, we investigate how the insertion of a multimode waveguide into the crossing section of both 13 and 23 structures influences the switching characteristics of output power. We then confirm that these structures can be favorably applied to a wide variety of all-optical devices for integrated optics such as intensity-dependent optical switches, optical power distributors and so on.

Investigated is a guided-wave device for dividing optical power into three equal parts. The device fundamentally consists of a three-waveguide tapered-velocity coupler which is designed to operate under the adiabatic condition. Field distributions of the local normal modes along the coupler explain basic principles of the device. Its performance is confirmed through numerical simulations by means of finite difference beam propagation method.

A new type of guided-wave polarization splitter is proposed for the operation at optical frequencies. The basic structure of the device is a bifurcating waveguide fabricated in a uniaxial crystalline material such as LiNbO3. The splitting behavior of optical waves into two waves with mutually perpendicular directions of polarization by an optically anisotropic material is utilized in the branching section of the present polarization splitter. Once of the conspicuous features of the device is free of any electrical control via the electro-optic effects. Some numerical results obtained with the finite difference beam propagation method indicate that extinction ratios better than 20dB are possible of realization for both TE and TM modes.

A two-waveguide tapered velocity coupler is presented for a variable divider of optical beams. The coupler consists of one tapered slab waveguide in dimension and the other slab waveguide with a constant film thickness. It is assumed that the device is fabricated on a LiNbO3 substrate, with a push/pull external electric field parallel with the optic axis applied only in the film regions of the coupler. Various numerical simulations through the finite difference beam propagation analysis show that a wide range of dividing ratios from - 15 dB to 15 dB or more can be achieved with considerably small values of driving-voltage electrode-length product and that the dividing characteristics are stable over a wide range of frequencies.