US Patent 7876491 Multilevel optical phase modulator

To take out monitor light unaffected by a multilevel optical phase-modulated component. For the purpose, a phase-shift unit that controls phases of plural (n, n is an integral number equal to or greater than 2) input lights, plural (n, n is an integral number equal to or greater than 2) phase modulating units that respectively phase-modulate the input lights from the phase-shift units, a first coupling unit that couples and outputs the phase-modulated lights from the plural phase modulating units as multilevel optical phase-modulated signal light, and a second coupling unit that couples and outputs non-phase-modulated lights from the plural phase modulating units as coupled light are provided.