Sol-gel glass waveguide and grating on silicon

This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of hybrid organic-inorganic glass sol-gel slab and channel waveguides by ultraviolet light imprinting in thin films deposited by a one-step dip-coating process. The adjustment of chemical composition of the materials provides precise selection of refractive index from 1.48 to 1.52 at the wavelength of 632.8 mn. The refractive index of the waveguides at 1.55 μm is similar to that of optical fiber, thus reducing the reflection loss between the two to less than 0.01 dB. The effect of ultraviolet light exposure and heat treatment on waveguide refractive index is studied. Fabrication parameters to produce ridge waveguides are optimized to achieve very smooth side walls. Propagation losses in these waveguides are ~0.1 dB/cm. Single mode buried waveguides, at 1.55 μm wavelength, with circular mode profile are demonstrated     

Fluorinated polyimide waveguides with low polarization-dependentloss and their applications to thermooptic switches

Fluorinated polyimide waveguides with low polarization dependent loss (PDL) and thermooptic (TO) switches made from them were demonstrated. The waveguides showed loss of less than 0.3 dB/cm at the wavelength of 1.3 μm and 0.6 dB/cm at 1.55 μm for both TE and TM polarizations. The PDL's were less than 0.1 dB/cm. Extinction ratios of Y-branching-type TO switches fabricated from these waveguides were larger than 20 dB when over 160 mW of electric power was applied at 1.3 μm, and over 150 mW at 1.55 μm. The switching speed was faster than 8 ms     

Compression-molded three-dimensional tapered polymeric waveguidesfor low-loss optoelectronic packaging

We report for the first time, three-dimensionally tapered polymeric waveguides fabricated by the compression-molding technique. The waveguides presented herein provide a feasible solution to bridge discrete optoelectronic devices having apertures of a few micrometers to hundreds of microns. 1-cm-long tapered channel waveguides with the end cross sections of 5 μm×5 μm and 100 μm×100 μm were fabricated. These waveguides have a propagation loss of 0.5 dB/cm when the 632.8-nm He-Ne laser light is coupled from the small end and of 1.1 dB/cm when coupled from the large end. By confining the energy to the fundamental mode, when coupling from large end to the small end, a low-loss packaging can be achieved bidirectionally     

Germanium-diffused waveguides in silicon for λ=1.3 μm andλ=1.55 μm with losses below 0.5 dB/cm

The authors present a simple technique for the fabrication of integrated optical channel waveguides that are prepared by indiffusion of an E-beam evaporated amorphous alloy of germanium and silicon into commercially available silicon with low dopant concentration, using only simple technological processes such as standard lithography, PVD, and diffusion. The waveguides are polarization independent and have waveguide losses as low as 0.3 dB/cm at wavelengths of λ=1.3 μm and λ=1.55 μm. The spot sizes are well suited for low-loss single-mode fiber device coupling, being on the order of a few microns in both horizontal and vertical directions     

Low-loss polymeric optical waveguides fabricated with deuteratedpolyfluoromethacrylate

Deuterated polyfluoromethacrylate which has high transparency, low birefringence and good processability was newly synthesized for use as optical waveguide materials, and both single-mode and multimode optical waveguides were fabricated using the polymer. The propagation loss and waveguide birefringence of the single-mode waveguides were as low as 0.10 dB/cm and -5.5×10^-6 at 1.31 μm, respectively. The propagation losses of the multimode waveguides were less than 0.02 dB/cm at both 0.68 and 0.83 μm, and 0.07 dB/cm at 1.31 μm     

Optical waveguides in SIMOX structures

Propagation characteristics determined experimentally and theoretically for planar optical waveguides formed in separation by implantation of oxygen (SIMOX) structures are discussed. All samples were found to support both TE and TM modes at both 1.15 μm and 1.523 μm with a lowest propagation loss of 8 dB/cm. This loss was measured at a wavelength of 1.15 μm for the TE₀ mode of a planar waveguide with a 2.0-μm-thick Si guiding layer     

Low-loss single-mode GaAs/AlGaAs miniature optical waveguides withstraight and bending structures

Low-loss single-mode GaAs/AlGaAs miniature optical waveguides fabricated for use in monolithically integrated optical circuits are discussed. The propagation characteristics of these waveguides with straight and S-bending structures have been investigated at wavelengths of 1.30 and 1.55 μm. The lowest propagation losses are estimated to be 0.58 dB/cm and 0.69 dB/cm at wavelengths of 1.30 and 1.55 μm, respectively. The total loss of an S-bending waveguide with a curvature radius of 2 mm and with a lateral displacement of 200 μm was 0.61 dB and 0.46 dB at wavelengths of 1.30 and 1.55 μm. The fabricated single-mode strip-loaded waveguides proved to be suitable for application of the semiconductor waveguide into monolithically integrated optical circuits     

0.15 dB/cm loss in Unibond SOI waveguides

The optical loss of Unibond waveguides is measured and reported for the first time, using grating couplers. At a wavelength of 1.3 μm, a loss of 0.15±0.05 dB/cm is obtained for TE polarisation. This allows good quality low loss integrated optical circuits to be fabricated at low cost     

Fabrication of light-induced self-written waveguides with a W-shaped refractive index profile

This paper proposes a novel technique for automatic waveguide formation by means of the self-trapping effect of optical fiber irradiation into a photopolymerizing resin. We investigate experimentally the phenomenon of thin cladding layer formation surrounding the core following the core creation. In the proposed technique, a counterdiffusion effect involving polymerizing monomers via the core/cladding interface causes enrichment of a low refractive index monomer, and a resultant "W-shaped" refractive index profile is realized. The measured propagation loss of the fabricated waveguide is 1.7 dB/cm at 0.68 /spl mu/m wavelength. This technology is appropriate for the fabrication of large-core optical waveguides of greater than 0.5 mm in diameter and is useful for automating the optical fiber connection and packaging process by virtue of being an all-passive optically induced process.     

Leaky mode propagation in planar multilayer birefringentwaveguides: longitudinal dielectric tensor configuration

In this paper we examine leaky mode propagation in a general five-layered c-rotated optical structure with longitudinal dielectric tenser configuration that can be considered a useful pattern for many actual waveguides. The dependence of the leaky mode propagation on the longitudinal angle φ (between the optical c-axis and laboratory axis) is shown and the dispersion characteristics for different types and thicknesses of buffer and metal layer are reported. The guided mode losses at the wavelength λ=0.633 μm assume the lowest values (about 1 dB/cm) for an Ag layer and for φ=0°. Furthermore, we investigate the variation in the propagation characteristics of the leaky and guided modes with respect to the source wavelength. We obtain the transition wavelength from (G) guided modes to lowest order (L¹ ) leaky mode, having the ordinary component that leaks into the substrate; the transition wavelength to a higher order (L²) leaky mode, which has both ordinary and extraordinary leaky components and the leaky cutoff wavelength. As an example, for φ=10° and an Ag metal layer, the first-order G₁₁ mode transforms from guided to leaky L₁₁¹ at λ_gl≃0.9 μm. The losses exhibit a change of several dB near the wavelength transition from guided to leaky mode (e.g. The attenuation constant of the G₁₁ mode changes from 0.26×10² dB/cm at λ=0.633 μm to 0.18×10 ⁵ dB/cm at λ=0.95 μm where its ordinary component is a leaky one). A similar change is found near the transition wavelength from a lowest-order mode to the highest-order leaky mode     

Single-mode, phosphorus-doped silica waveguides in siliconV-grooves

Single-mode, phosphorus-doped glass waveguides have been formed in silicon V-grooves by chemical vapor deposition. The fabrication process is reproducible, involves few steps, and produces waveguides with a loss on the order of 0.1 dB/cm at a wavelength of 0.633 μm. These waveguides are compatible with passive V-groove fiber alignment and out-of-plane coupling from integrated taps and end facets to surface-mounted optoelectronic devices     

Low-loss substrate-removed (SURE) optical waveguides in GaAs-AlGaAsepitaxial layers embedded in organic polymers

Low-loss single-mode semiconductor rib optical waveguides fabricated in GaAs-AlGaAs epitaxial layers are removed from GaAs substrates and bonded to transfer substrates using a benzocyclobutene organic polymer. Optical quality facets were obtained by cleaving through the transfer substrate. An average propagation loss of 0.39 and 0.48 dB/cm at 1.55 μm wavelength for TE and TM polarizations, respectively, were measured. This was on average 0.05 dB/cm greater than control guides fabricated in GaAs-AlGaAs epilayers on GaAs substrates with air as the top cladding. This demonstrates the feasibility of a process enabling semiconductor polymer integration and processing both sides of an epitaxial layer     

Field-induced waveguides and their application to modulators

The fabrication and characterization of field-induced waveguides (FIGs) as well as guide/antiguide modulators which utilize the FIG concept are presented. Both theoretical and experimental results promise that a relatively strongly confined, low-loss optical waveguide can be achieved. By applying the appropriate bias to the modulator, a guiding or antiguiding situation can be created which corresponds to on- and off-states, respectively. An optical bandwidth from 1 to 1.55 μm, and a propagation loss of 1 dB at 1.3 μm has been achieved     

Design and characterization of compact single-section passivepolarization rotator

In this paper an improved design for a short and low-loss polarization rotator is proposed, consisting of a single-section asymmetrical waveguide butt-coupled between two standard rib waveguides. At a wavelength of 1.55 μm, nearly 100% polarization conversion ratio is obtained, with a relatively short (320 μm) device length and an extremely low 0.5 dB total insertion loss. The simulation results are obtained using the full vectorial finite-element-based beam propagation, the junction analysis, and the modal solution approaches     

Regrowth-free waveguide-integrated photodetector with efficienttotal-internal-reflection coupling

A novel technique utilizing an etched total-internal-reflection mirror for vertical waveguide-to-photodetector coupling is described. An 83% quantum efficiency and 5-GHz bandwidth are achieved at λ=0.84 μ in a GaAs MSM photodetector illuminated by a low-loss (0.5 dB/cm) AlGaAs double-heterostructure (DH) waveguide. A significant advantage of total-internal-reflection coupling is its compatibility with the integration of low-loss active DH waveguide components without requiring epitaxial regrowth. This coupling technique is independent of both optical wavelength and polarization, and permits efficient waveguide coupling to extremely small-area photodetectors     

Low-loss fluorinated poly(arylene ether sulfide) waveguides withhigh thermal stability

Some novel cross-linkable fluorinated poly(arylene ether sulfides) (FPAESI) were synthesized for use in optical waveguide applications. The materials have high thermal stability, high optical transparency in the infrared communication region, and much less birefringence than other thermally stable fluorinated polyimides. The refractive index of FPAESI after storage at 100°C for 1000 h remains almost constant, demonstrating their thermal stability. Furthermore, the refractive index of the material can be easily controlled by changing the fluorine content of the materials. The propagation loss of channel waveguides, which were fabricated using reactive ion etching was less than 0.42 dB/cm and 0.4 dB/cm at the wavelength of 1.55 μm for TE and TM polarizations, respectively     

Passive integrated-optical waveguide structures by Ge-diffusion insilicon

The realization of low loss optical channel waveguides and passive waveguide structures by a germanium indiffusion process into silicon will be discussed. Employing relatively simple technological processing like standard lithography, e-beam evaporation and diffusion, single-mode waveguides could be produced exhibiting polarization independent losses of as low as 0.3 dB/cm at wavelengths of λ=1.3 μm and λ=1.55 μm. S-bends fabricated with the same technology offered an excess loss of 1 dB at a radius of around 5 mm without any optimization. For a Y-junction designed with S-bends the maximum opening angle was determined to be 1.8° if an excess loss of 1 dB is allowed. The examination of directional couplers with various coupling lengths and distances revealed an excellent agreement between measurement and theory     

Fabrication of single-mode polymeric optical waveguides bylaser-beam writing

A laser-beam writing system is developed for large-area optical waveguide fabrication. Single-mode embedded channel optical waveguides are successfully fabricated on both 4- and 8-in silicon substrates using deuterated fluoromethacrylate polymers by laser-beam writing in photoresist and dry etching. The propagation loss of the waveguides is as low as 0.1 dB/cm at 1.3 μm     

Monolithic integrated wavelength demultiplexer based on a waveguideRowland circle grating in InGaAsP/lnP

We present detailed modeling and experimental results for an improved design of an InGaAsP-InP wavelength demultiplexer based on a monolithically integrated Rowland circle grating. The design incorporated ten wavelength channels at 1.55 μm with a uniform spacing of 2 nm. The total on-chip loss was about 10 dB and the crosstalk between adjacent channels was as low as -25 dB. It was shown that low-loss etched turning mirrors can reduce the total on-chip loss by about 4 dB compared to traditional 90° curved multimode waveguides. By replacing standard flat grating facets with retro-reflecting V-shaped facets in the echelle grating, the loss was further reduced by 4 dB. Polarization independent operation within a passband of 0.5 nm was achieved by using multimode output waveguides. The potential sources producing the crosstalk have been analyzed and fabrication modifications for further improvement are suggested     

Fabrication of planar optical waveguides in LiB3O5 by 2 MeV He+ ion implantation

The fabrication of planar optical waveguides in LiB₃O ₅ is discussed. Using 2-MeV ⁴He⁺ implantation with a dose of 1.5×10¹⁶ ions/cm² at 300 K, the refractive indexes of a 0.2-μm-thick layer 5.1 μm below the crystal surface are reduced to form optical barrier guides. For this ion dose the maximum change from the bulk values of refractive index at a wavelength of 0.488 μm are 1.5%, 5.25%, and 4% for n_x, n_y, and n_z, respectively. The refractive indexes of the guiding region change by less than 0.02% from the bulk values. The dose dependence of the optical barrier height has been measured. A threshold ion dose of about 0.75×10¹⁶ ions/cm² is required to form a refractive index barrier and ion doses higher than about 2.5×10¹⁶ ions/cm². saturate the refractive index decrease. Waveguide propagation losses for annealed single energy implants of dose 1.5×10¹⁶ ions/cm² are dominated by tunneling and are estimated to be ~8.9 dB/cm for the z-cut waveguides used. Multiple energy implants broaden the optical barrier, and losses of <4 dB/cm have been observed