This paper proposes an optical power limiter composed of serially connected two tapered velocity couplers consisting partly of nonlinear material. The method of device designing is explained and it is exemplified that the optical output can be regulated stably to a prescribed value over a wide range of optical input. The device performance is simulated by means of FD-BPM algorithm.

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.

We investigate a three-waveguide tapered velocity coupler which consists of a uniform linear, tapered linear and tapered nonlinear slab waveguide. The coupling characteristics depending on the gap width between the waveguides and sloping angle of the tapered waveguides are analyzed by means of the finite difference method. The numerical results show that with realistic structural parameters flat output power characteristics can be obtained over a wide range of input power. It is found that it is possible to use the present structure as a power limiter.

A new type of variable beam splitter at optical frequencies is proposed. The basic structure of the device utilizes a tapered velocity coupler which is composed of a center slab waveguide of constant-thickness, constant-index type and two identical outer slab waveguides of constant-thickness, variable-index type. The coupler is assumed to be fabricated on a LiNbO3 substrate, whith an external electric field applied in parallel with the optical axis. The numerical results obtained with the finite difference method show that a wide range of splitting ratios can be obtained with moderate drive voltages and that the splitting characteristics are stable over a wide range of frequencies.

A new polarization splitter at optical frequencies is proposed. The basic structure of the device is a tapered velocity coupler which is composed of a straight and a dimensionally tapered slab waveguide on a LiNbO3 substrate. The numerical results obtained with the finite difference method indicate that extinction ratios of polarization less than 2% for both TE and TM modes are possible of realization under moderate control voltages and that the splitting characteristics are stable over a wide range of frequencies.