Optically Controlled Broadband Millimeter Wave Beam-Splitter-Type Coupler

Recently, Laser-controlled four-port beam-splitter-type couplers with photoinduced plasma layer and band-limited coupling characteristics at millimeter wave frequencies have been proposed for use in dielectric and image guides and circuits. In order to achieve a large dynamic range regarding the optical control of the coupling coefficient narrowband destructive interference in the dark state has been used. In this paper an ultra-broadband coupler for applications at millimeter wave band is proposed. This configuration requires waveguides to be transparent for the optical excitation. Numerical examples for the lowest order modes are presented and discussed considering fused quartz for the dielectric strips of the guides and a 50 m GaAs film for the active layer.