Effect of dye doping and multilayer structures in polyurethane waveguides

The effect of dye doping and four-layer structuring in polyurethane-based waveguides is presented. The waveguides were fabricated using a dip coating method and characterized by the prism coupling technique. It was found that using these two effects, the various optical parameters of polyurethane waveguides, e.g. refractive index, birefringence, propagation losses, number of modes, can be suitably controlled. Polyurethane films are highly transparent (above 90%) in the UV-VIS region and this high transparency was found to be present in dye-doped polyurethane films.     

End-face scattering loss in integrated-optical waveguides

An experimental technique to determine the end-face scattering loss in electro-optic polymer channel waveguides is presented. The technique combines the cut-back and the optimum end-fire coupling methods. A loss resulting from the scattering was a prominent source of waveguide coupling loss and was strongly dependent on the end-face roughness of the guiding and cladding layers induced by cleaving. With the use of our investigation methods, other losses could also be examined with ease and high reliability.     

Coupling losses between standard single-mode fibers and rectangular waveguides for integrated optics

The butt-coupling loss between different tapered rectangular waveguides and a standard single-mode optical fiber has been calculated. Losses as low as 0.16 dB can be reached for waveguides with a refractive-index contrast in the range of 0.5% to 1.96%. The fabrication tolerances are such that practical devices with coupling losses below 0.25 dB are feasible.     

Low loss high mesa optical waveguides based on InGaAsP/InP heterostructures

Low loss high mesa optical waveguides were fabricated on InGaAsP/InP heterostructures by utilizing inductively-coupled-plasma reactive ion etching (ICP-RIE) and electron beam lithography technique. The fabrication process was optimized by measuring sidewall roughness of deep-etched waveguides. Atomic force microscope loaded with carbon nanotude was used to obtain three-dimensional image of the etched sidewall of waveguides. The obtained statistical information such as rms roughness and correlation length was used to theoretically calculate scattering loss of waveguides. Several waveguides with different number of sharp bends and the length were fabricated and their propagation losses were measured by modified Fabry-Perot method. The measured propagation losses were compared with theoretically calculated losses.     

Fabrication method of low-loss large single mode ridge Ti:LiNbO3 waveguides

We present a method for fabrication of smooth ridge waveguides by wet etching technique, using a special mixture of acids and applying a pretreatment procedure. By implementing this method, we fabricated 4.5 μm-deep large single mode ridge waveguides with walls and edges roughness comparable with the roughness of the non-etched regions, namely, less than 20 nm. Optical extra losses caused by the ridge creation were measured by the Fabry Perot technique and were 0.2 dB/cm@TM and 0.7 dB@TE for 1550 nm wavelength. Surface roughness, morphology, etching rates and propagation losses are presented and compared to the characteristics achieved by previously reported wet etching recipes.     

Freestanding, Micromachined, Multimode Silicon Optical Waveguides at lambda = 1.3 mum for Microelectromechanical Systems Technology

Freestanding, multimode optical channel waveguides formed by micromachining silicon are demonstrated. Fabrication utilizes standard microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. Losses in the 0.57-0.80-dB/cm range are measured for channel waveguides with an air-silicon-air structure, whereas losses in the 1.12-1.52-dB/cm range are measured for channel waveguides with a SiO(2)-silicon-SiO(2) structure. Freestanding channel waveguides, along with optical fibers and other MEMS structures, can readily be mounted on a silicon MEMS platform to provide optimal alignment for maximizing optical coupling, and they are thus expected to be useful in devices that involve light and MEMS structures.     

Very low-loss passive fiber-to-chip coupling with tapered fibers

A novel passive fiber-to-chip coupling based on the use of fiber tapers embedded in a guiding structure is proposed. By beam-propagation calculations it is verified that this new coupling method exhibits a very low insertion loss. Major advantages of the proposed method compared with butt coupling are demonstrated by simulation results: first, tolerance requirements for the fibers, e.g., diameter variations and core eccentricity, and for fabrication of the alignment structure are reduced by at least 1 order of magnitude. Second, coupling to waveguides of nearly arbitrary dimensions and refractive indices seems to be possible. Experimental results on thermal drawing of fiber tapers are presented and used as input data for the simulations. A concept for fabrication of the new coupling method with the Lithographic Galvanik Abformung (LIGA) technique is presented.     

Vertical fiber-to-waveguide coupling using adapted fibers with an angled facet fabricated by a simple molding technique

Vertical coupling between silicon-on-insulator waveguides and optical fibers is achieved using adapted fibers with an angled facet. The proposed coupling scheme is demonstrated for waveguides containing uniform one-dimensional grating couplers. A coupling efficiency of 32% and a 1 dB bandwidth of 32 nm are measured at a wavelength of 1550 nm. We demonstrate single-step fabrication of these fibers using a simple molding technique.     

A procedure to obtain the complete electromagnetic scattering properties at discontinuities between integrated optical waveguides

Abstract

A method to obtain the complete electromagnetic scattering properties of discontinuities between arbitrary integrated optical waveguides is presented. The method involves a new generalized scattering matrix concept, together with the generalized telegraphist equations formulism and the modal matching technique. Radiation losses, as well as reflection and transmission coefficients between proper modes, can be obtained. Single and multiple discontinuities in planar and channel optical waveguides have been analysed. Numerical results of complex scattering coefficients are given. The possibilities of the method for analysing waveguide photonic crystals, as well as optical devices in waveguide periodic waveguide structures, are demonstrated.     

Ferroelectric liquid-crystal waveguide modulation based on a switchable uniaxial-uniaxial interface

Liquid crystals have effective electro-optic coefficients that are orders of magnitude larger than other integrated optical materials such as lithium niobate. However, previous studies of liquid-crystal waveguides have mainly focused on nematic liquid crystals, which exhibit impractically large scattering losses as waveguides. Studies of smectic liquid crystals and liquid crystals under strong confinement suggest the losses in these materials may be more manageable. In this study, the possibility of using ferroelectric liquid crystals in active waveguide modulators is explored through the analysis of several modulator configurations: a cutoff modulator, a deflection modulator, and an input coupler. As a way to study these structures, a mode-matching technique was developed to analyze the effects of a discontinuity in a uniaxial slab waveguide whose optic axis is in the plane of the waveguide. The results from the mode-matching technique were compared with those from simple bulk models. The analysis shows that ferroelectric liquid-crystal modulators have many desirable performance characteristics and could form the basis for practical waveguide modulators.     

Propagation losses in curved integrated optical waveguides based on oxidized porous silicon

The propagation losses are evaluated for the first time in curved integrated (buried) optical waveguides (WGs) based on oxidized porous silicon. In the visible red range, the losses decrease from 20 to 5 dB per 90° bending (for about 0.4 dB/cm loss in the straight WG) when the WG curvature radius increases from 125 to 2500 μm. The main component of the total bending losses in WGs is related to the coupling loss on the passage from straight to curved WG parts. Additional losses are introduced by the regions of incompletely oxidized porous silicon on the walls of curved WGs.     

Low loss, low refractive index fluorinated self-crosslinking polymer waveguides for optical applications

Synthesis and optical applications of low loss methacrylate-based fluorinated polymers are described. The synthesis of well defined self-crosslinking fluorinated polymers has been carried out in order to tune refractive index in the range of 1.390 < n < 1.450. After thermal crosslinking, one single lithographic step followed by reactive ion etching is necessary to monomode optical waveguide fabrication on silicon substrates. Optical losses lower than 1 dB/cm at 1300 nm and 2 dB/cm at 1550 nm were measured for highly confined modes. Efficient chip coupling to lensed optical fibers was obtained. Using waveguides with an effective index close to that of bulk silica, a significant coupling interaction between the guided modes and the whispering gallery modes of a silica microsphere was evidenced thus opening the way for new device applications.     

Sol–gel chirowaveguides investigated via MLine technique

Chirowaveguides, planar waveguides with a chiral core, are made of a chiral organo-modified silane sol–gel material. The losses, optical rotation (OR), absorption spectra and circular dicroism (CD) are measured and discussed. The optical activity for the organic chiral molecule 1,1′-binaphtyl-2,2′-dyil hydrogen phosphate is preserved in solid thin films. The specific OR of the film material is 11°/mm at λ = 488 nm. It is shown that the prism coupling, known as m-line technique, is not appropriated to put into evidence the polarization feature of the chirowaveguides.     

Small-bore hollow waveguides for delivery of 3-µm laser radiation

Flexible hollow glass waveguides with bore diameters as small as 250 μm have been developed for 3-μm laser delivery. All the guides exhibit straight losses between 0.10 and 1.73 dB/m, and the loss increases to between 2.4 and 5.1 dB/m upon bending 1 m of the guides into 15-cm-diameter coils. This behavior is shown to depend strongly on the launch conditions and mode quality of the input beam. The waveguides are capable of efficiently delivering up to 8 W of Er:YAG laser power with proper input coupling, and they are suitable for use in both medical and industrial applications.     

Planar fabrication process of a high-coupling-efficiency interface between optical waveguides of large index difference

A high-coupling-efficiency interface connecting two optical waveguides of large index difference is reported. Both theoretical analysis and an experimental study were performed. High coupling efficiency is achieved by matching the mode profiles in two waveguides as well as connecting the waveguides with an antireflection (AR) section. Analysis shows a coupling efficiency as high as 98% between glass-SiO(2) and Ga(0.72)Al(0.28)As-Ga(0.59)Al(0.41)As waveguides with an AR section of TiO(2). An index difference of 1.8 for the TE(0) mode between these two waveguides is obtained. To implement the glass-SiO(2) waveguide with an AR section in the host AlGaAs waveguide, a new quadrilevel photomasking and lift-off process is developed. A coupling efficiency of 83% was measured for the TE(0) mode at the 1.15-μm wavelength, a very high value considering the large index difference (1.75) between the two waveguides that were connected. The design concept and the fabrication process developed should facilitate efficient integration of low- and high-index waveguides on the same substrate to produce a greater variety of photonic devices and modules.     

Analysis of coupling between two slab waveguides in the presence of ring resonators

The coupling phenomena between two slab waveguides in the presence of ring resonators are investigated through a rigorous integral equation analysis. A Green's-function-theory approach is utilized to develop the integral equation formulation. The solution is obtained by applying an entire-domain Galerkin technique, using the orthogonality properties of involved wave functions in the ring resonators. The field's transmission and reflection coefficients are accurately computed and a practical directional-coupler approach is discussed. The presented results reveal strong resonant coupling phenomena between the two waveguides and the resonators.     

Tunable ultrashort electro-optical power divider using coupled photonic crystal waveguides

Photonic crystals (PCs) have many potential applications because of their ability to control lightwave propagation. We have investigated a tunable ultrashort electro-optical power divider in two-dimensional PC structures. The power divider, composed of a dielectric cylinder in air, is studied by solving Maxwell's equations using the plane wave expansion method and finite-difference time-domain method. The power-splitting mechanism is analogous to that of conventional directional couplers, utilizing coupling between guided modes supported by line defect waveguides. To increase the coupling coefficient of the PC coupler, the radius of the rods between two waveguides is reduced. The switching mechanism is a change in the conductance in the coupling region between the waveguides and hence modulating the coupling coefficient, and eventually switching is achieved. Such a mechanism of wavelength multiplexing should open up a new application for designing components in photonic integrated circuits.     

Experimental study of bent multimode optical waveguides

Bend losses of bent multimode waveguides have been experimentally studied. The results experimentally verify a simple analytical expression based on ray optics that can be used to determine bend losses in bent multimode waveguides. We have also shown that bend-induced losses in such multimode optical waveguides are wavelength independent.     

光子晶体平行波导耦合效应研究及应用

在二维矩形阵列结构硅光子晶体中去除相间三排硅柱的两排平行硅柱形成平行线波导对.利用时城有限差分法(FDTD)模拟仿真以及数值分析研究平行线波导时之间的耦合特性,发现改变硅柱半径和背景折射率可以明显改变波导的耦合周期长度.基于此结构,提出了一种新的液体折射率检测方法,以间隔三排硅柱的平行波导对为基本结构,设计了一款液体折...     

Fabrication of polymer waveguides between two optical fibers using spatially controlled light-induced polymerization

A new method for the fabrication of polymer waveguides between two optical fibers using a spatially controlled photopolymerization is reported. By taking advantage of the self-guiding effect of light through a photopolymerizable medium, polymer waveguides perfectly aligned with the fiber cores and strongly anchored to their surfaces are fabricated. The process is characterized by following in situ the coupling efficiency of a nonactinic laser source. Examples of waveguides exhibiting good coupling efficiency and high flexibility are given. By selecting the suitable monomers and adjusting the photonic parameters, the optical and mechanical waveguide properties (diameter, length, refractive index, rigidity, and flexibility) can be controlled in view of optical sensor applications.