Monolithically integrated InGaAs-AlGaInAs Mach-Zehnder Interferometer optical switch using quantum-well intermixing

A highly efficient monolithically integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) optical switch based on a 1.5-/spl mu/m InGaAs-AlGaInAs multiple-quantum-well structure is reported. The device was fabricated by integrating phase shifter sections with bandgap-shifted low-loss waveguides obtained by a single step sputtered SiO/sub 2/-annealing quantum-well intermixing technique. Evaluation of the refractive index change induced by current injection (plasma, band-filling, band-shrinkage effects) and applied electric field (quantum confined Stark effect) based on the MZI was investigated. A device with an active length of 400 /spl mu/m in one of the MZI arms had an extinction ratio /spl ges/20 dB with a half-wavelength current (I/sub /spl pi//) and half-wavelength voltage V/sub /spl pi// as low as 3.2 mA and 3.5 V (1.9 V in push-pull configuration), respectively.     

SiO2基Mach-Zehnder型传感芯片的制备与敏感性研究

设计并制作了一种基于SiO2/Si材料的Mach-Zehnder干涉仪(MZI)型集成光波导传感芯片.采用不同浓度的NaCl溶液对传感芯片的敏感特性进行了测试分析,研究结果表明,该传感芯片对特定浓度NaCl溶液的响应和恢复时间分别为1.0 s和0.6 s,可测最小折射率变化为2×10-4RIU(单位折射率变化),在Na...     

Optical waveguide electric field sensor with controllable operating point using asymmetric Mach-Zehnder structure

For an integrated electro-optical sensor, the operating point has a significant effect on the performance of the sensor. In this paper, an optical waveguide electric field sensor with controllable operating point is designed using LiNbO3 materials, which has an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) structure. Theoretical results show that the optimal operating point can be obtained and controlled by tuning the output wavelength of the tunable laser used in the sensing system. The simulation results show that the sensitivity about 83 dB·μV/m can be obtained, and the linear dynamic range as large as 60 dB can be achieved. And the fabrication tolerance of the center-to-center distance for the 3 dB coupler used in the asymmetric MZI is ~0.5 μm, while the power splitting ratio of the Y branch is with more tolerance.     

Design and analysis of silicon antiresonant reflecting opticalwaveguides for evanescent field sensor

Silicon based antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides (ARROW's) have been designed in order to obtain a high sensitive optical transducer for sensing applications. The designed sensor has an integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration. The optical waveguides that form its structure have to verify two conditions: monomode behavior and high surface sensitivity. In this paper, we present a theoretical modeling of the propagation characteristics and surface sensitivity of the ARROW structure     

An optical fiber magnetic field sensor based on fiber spherical structure interferometer coated by magnetic fluid

A novel magnetic field sensor based on optical fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) coated by magnetic fluid (MF) is proposed. The MZI consists of two spherical structures formed on standard single mode fiber (SMF). The interference wavelength and the power of the sensing structure are sensitive to the external refractive index (RI). Since RI of the MF is sensitive to the magnetic field, the magnetic field measurement can be realized by detecting the variation of the interference spectrum. Experimental results show that the wavelength and the power of interference dip both increase with the increase of magnetic field intensity.     

Fiber in-line magnetic field sensor based on Mach-Zehnder interferometer integrated with magnetic fluid

In this paper, magnetic fluid (MF), a new type of optical functional nanomaterial with interesting optical characteristics under the external magnetic field, is adopted to form a novel fiber-optic magnetic field sensor. The proposed sensor is based on Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) and has a multimode-singlemode-multimode (MSM) fiber structure. The MSM structure was fabricated by splicing a section of uncoated single mode fiber (SMF) between two short sections of multimode fibers (MMFs) using a fiber fusion splicer. The magnetic field sensing probe was made by inserting the fiber-optic structure in an MF-filled capillary tube. Variations in an external magnetic field is seen to cause changes in the refractive index of MF. This tunable change in the refractive index with magnetic field strengths between 0.6 mT to 21.4 mT produces a shift in the peak position of the wavelength. The shift of the valley wavelength with magnetic field intensity has a good linearity of up to 99.6%. The achieved sensitivity of the proposed magnetic field sensor is 0.123 nm/mT,which is improved by several folds compared with those of most of the other reported MF-based magnetic field sensors. Furthermore, we build the corresponding circuit-based measurement system, and the experimental results show that the voltage change indirectly reflects the change of the external magnetic field strength. Therefore, this provides the potential to fiber-based magnetic field sensing applications.     

A rib optical waveguide with cutoff mesa isolation

A rib optical waveguide using the concept of optical cutoff to provide isolation between adjacent waveguides in a photonic integrated circuit is disclosed. Due to the evanescent nature of light propagation in cutoff waveguides, this cutoff mesa rib waveguide permits fabrication of single-moded rib waveguides with minimal self-interference and crosstalk by means of light guided in a remaining slab waveguide. Design rules are given and operation of a single-moded cut-off mesa rib waveguide and an MZI using this waveguide are demonstrated     

玻璃波导有效折射率的原位测量（特邀）

飞秒激光直写玻璃波导是快速制备三维集成光子芯片的一种重要手段,波导有效折射率的准确测量对于设计光子器件意义重大。设计并制备了一种断臂马赫-曾德尔干涉仪（MZI）结构对玻璃波导有效折射率进行原位精密测量。激光在断线区域和波导内的有效折射率不同,在传输相同长度下产生一定的相位差,最终导致不同的干涉结果。对断臂MZI结构的相位干涉结果进行处理,得到激光直写玻璃波导的有效折射率为1.504+7.7×10?4。利用RSOFT软件光束传播算法对器件进行模拟仿真,仿真结果与实验吻合良好。该精确测量玻璃波导有效折射率的方法对于提升光子芯片设计与制造能力具有重要意义。     

聚合物波导马赫-曾德折射率传感器的设计和制备

以聚合物ZPU44和ZPU46作为波导包层和芯层材料,设计并制备了基于Mach-Zehnder干涉仪(MZI)的集成折射率传感器。设计并优化了波导截面参数、弯曲半径和传感窗长度等结构参数,分析了其折射率传感特性,进而采用光刻、反应离子刻蚀(RIE)等传统的微加工工艺制备了聚合物MZI折射率传感芯片。测试结果表明,制备的聚合物MZI传感器在1.33~1.44的折射率变化范围内具有较好的线性度,折射率灵敏度约为88dBm/RIU,与设计基本符合。本文的聚合物折射率传感器传感窗长度小,容易实现阵列化,在生化传感领域有很好的应用前景。     

Optoelectrochemical transduction on planar optical waveguides

Planar optical waveguides overlaid with electrochemically modulated sensing films constitute a powerful new class of chemical transducer. The effects on the modal absorption spectrum of depositing a highly absorbing electrochromic film on an optical waveguide are modeled. Theoretical and experimental results are given for such a device consisting of a lutetium biphthalocyanine film deposited on an indium tin oxide-coated potassium ion-exchanged glass waveguide, for application as a chlorine sensor     

基于环行腔光纤激光器的应力传感器

提出并演示了一种基于大直径光纤锥的马赫曾德尔干涉仪应力传感器。以锥形光纤马赫曾德尔干涉仪作为滤波器,对掺铒光纤的增益谱进行梳状滤波,最终在环行光纤谐振腔中实现激光的产生并输出。所采用的马赫曾德尔干涉仪在作为滤波器件的同时也能够对光纤轴向应力进行传感,最终实现激光器输出波长随应力增加而向短波长方向漂移,实验结果显示其在波长1557 nm附近传感的敏感度达到了3 pm/。基于该锥形光纤的马赫曾德尔干涉仪具有成本低、制作简便和机械强度高的优点,使其更有利于商业化规模制作。     

级联FPI-MZI复合干涉光纤传感器双参数特性研究

为了实现工业生产过程中温度和溶液质量分数的同时测量和传感检测, 提出了一种由法布里-珀罗干涉仪(FPI)和马赫-曾德尔干涉仪(MZI)级联干涉结构构成的双参数传感器。该传感器由融合在一起的单模光纤(SMF)和空芯光纤(HCF)组成。采用同时测量FPI反射光谱和MZI透射光谱的特征波长位移的方法, 获得了FPI和MZI对温度和折射率的灵敏度差, 建立了传感器温度-质量分数灵敏度矩阵, 实现了传感器双参数的测量。结果表明, 在40℃~150℃的温度范围内, FPI的温度敏感度为10pm/℃, 而MZI的对温度不敏感; 在质量分数0.05~0.40的范围内, FPI对折射率不敏感, 而MZI质量分数灵敏度是232.3nm/RIU; 该传感器可以实现温度与溶液质量分数的同时测量。该研究为石油、化工、电力、钢铁、机械等加工行业中双参数的动态测量提供了参考。     

A monolithic three-channel LD-PD array with vertically staggeredfacets for autofocusing reflectivity sensors

A monolithic three-channel LD-PD array with vertically staggered facets is proposed for an autofocusing reflectivity sensor which uses light feedback. The focus-sensing characteristics are investigated using an array with a radiation facet displacement of 12 μm and an interchannel distance of 130 μm, fabricated on an 830-nm AlGaAs/GaAs multiple-quantum-well laser substrate with buried-heterostructure stripe geometry waveguides. High focus-sensing accuracy is achieved. A potential application of the array to optical heads for phase change media is discussed     

Displacement sensor made by potassium diffusion on glass

A displacement sensor using a double Michelson interferometer integrated on glass is presented. The design employs only Y junctions and the single-mode waveguides are made by potassium diffusion. Conventional lenses and flat mirrors are compared to gradient index lenses for collimating and reflecting the sensing beam. The reflection from the moving mirror and the contrast of the interference signals are studied as a function of the distance from the sensor to the mirror. The resolution is improved from 20 to 0.7 nm when an optical isolator is connected to the laser diode     

Guided-wave acoustooptic interaction with phase modulation in a ZnOthin-film transducer on an Si-based integrated Mach-Zehnderinterferometer

This paper presents the design and the realization of a novel integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) with heterodyne scheme. Well-controlled machining as well as ZnO thin-film transducer integration on the same Si substrate permits to transform an optically passive device to an active device with sinusoidal phase modulation. Theoretical and experimental results are presented, demonstrating that an efficient sensor can be designed and fabricated     

Liquid core modal interferometer integrated with silica waveguides

An integrated structure is demonstrated as a refractive index sensor. The structure consists of a liquid-filled elliptical microchannel embedded in silica glass and integrated with waveguides. The microchannel features entry points that are open to the top surface of the device and distinct from the optical input. The structure allows light to couple from a solid-core input waveguide to the liquid-core waveguide formed by the microchannel, and back to a solid-core output waveguide. Bimodal interference allows the structure to be sensitive to the refractive index of the liquid, with a full beat corresponding to a refractive index change of /spl sim/10/sup -4/. The structure allows the direct integration of optical fluids with silica waveguides for sensing and optical processing applications.     

Temperature and refractive index sensing characteristics of an MZI-based multimode fiber–dispersion compensation fiber–multimode fiber structure

We proposed an optical fiber sensor with simple multimode fiber (MMF)–dispersion compensation fiber (DCF)–multimode fiber structure based on Mach–Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) and researched its temperature and refractive index (RI) sensing characteristics. The sensing principle is based on the interference between core and cladding modes of DCF due to the large core diameter mismatch. Spectral analyses demonstrate that the transmission spectrum is mainly formed by the interference between the dominant excited cladding mode and core modes. The experimental results show that the proposed sensor has high temperature sensitivity of 0.118 nm/°C in the range of 20–250 °C and RI sensitivity of 66.32 nm/RIU within the linear sensing range of 1.33–1.39 RIU. Therefore, the characteristics of compact size, low cost, easy fabrication, high sensitivities, and good anti-interference ability make this sensor have extensive application prospects.     

Experimental research of optical fiber hydrogen gas sensing system based on palladium-silver alloy

A novel optical fiber hydrogen sensing system based on palladium (Pd) and sliver (Ag) is proposed. By direct current (DC) magnetron process, Pd/Ag alloy ultra-thin films were deposited on the substrate to eliminate the hydrogen embrittlement of sensor based on pure Pd. Several samples with different thin film thicknesses were fabricated at different substrate temperatures and tested in the optical fiber hydrogen sensor setup. We do a series of experiments for obtaining optimum sputtering parameters, such as optimum sputtering temperature and thickness of Pd/Ag alloy film. The humidity effect and reliability experiment for the optical fiber hydrogen gas sensor are reported in detail. The testing results demonstrate the Pd/Ag alloy is a promising material for optical fiber hydrogen gas sensor.