An optical waveguide element includes: a rib waveguide and a pair of slab portions including a first slab portion and a second slab portion connected to both sides of the rib portion so as to sandwich the rib portion. The rib portion has a cross-sectional dimension which allows the propagation of a fundamental mode and a higher order mode in a predetermined single polarization state, and has a first P-type semiconductor and a first N-type semiconductor forming a PN junction, the first slab portion has a second P-type semiconductor and a P-type conductor connected to each other, the second P-type semiconductor is connected to the first P-type semiconductor of the rib portion, the second slab portion has a second N-type semiconductor and an N-type conductor connected to each other, and the second N-type semiconductor is connected to the first N-type semiconductor of the rib portion.