Reduction of insertion loss after annealing of silicon oxynitride optical waveguides

The insertion losses of silicon oxynitride (SiON) waveguides have been measured in the 1550 nm wavelength region. The waveguide structure consisted of a 2.0μm SiON waveguide core with a refractive index of 1.50, a 0.5μm SiO₂ upper cladding and a 5.0μm SiO₂ lower cladding with a refractive index of 1.45. It was found that the wavelength-dependent insertion losses of the waveguide were greatly reduced by annealing, and the loss was decreased more than 5.7 dB/cm at 1550 nm after annealing at optimum conditions. The former was attributed to the reduction of the absorption caused by N-H and Si-H vibration modes, and the latter was due to the improvement of the interface roughness and homogeneity in the waveguides after annealing.     

溶胶-凝胶法制备SiO2-TiO2平板光波导工艺研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备了SiO₂-TiO₂平板光波导,计算了平板光波导通光条件,分析了硅/钛溶胶-凝胶材料的热性能,观测了平板光波导的结构形貌,并测试了其通光损耗。结果表明：经过200℃,30 min干燥处理的凝胶薄膜呈疏松多孔状态,对于非对称平板波导,存在芯层通光截止厚度,而且当SiO₂-TiO₂芯层厚度为0.5 μm时,SiO₂下包层厚度至少有6 μm才能防止1550 nm波长光泄露入单晶硅衬底中。制备的光波导对于1550 nm波长光传输损耗最小值为0.34 dB/cm。     

Zero-Dispersion Slow Light with Wide Bandwidth in Photonic Crystal Coupled Waveguides

By introducing an adjustment waveguide besides the incident waveguide, zero-dispersion slow light with wide bandwidth can be realized due to anticrossing of the incident waveguide mode and the adjustment waveguide mode. The width of the adjustment waveguide （W2） and the hole radii of the coupling region （r＇） will change the dispersion of incident waveguide mode. Theoretical investigation reveals that zero dispersion at various low group velocity vg in incident waveguide can be achieved. In particular, proper W2 and r＇ can lead to the lowest vg of 0.0085c at 1550 nm with wide bandwidth of 202 GHz for zero dispersion.     

Fabrication of Triplexers Based on Flattop SOI AWG

A triplexer is fabricated based on SOI arrayed waveguide gratings （AWGs）. Three wavelengths of the triplexer operate at different diffraction orders of an arrayed waveguide grating. The signals of 1490nm and 1550nm, which are input from central input waveguide of an AWG, are demultiplexed and the signal of 131Onto, which is input from central output waveguide of an AWG, is uploaded. The tested results show that the downloaded and uploaded signals have fiat-top response. The insertion loss is 9 dB on chip, the nonadjacent crosstalk is less than -30 dB for 1490nm and 1301 nm, and is less than -25 dB for 1550nm, the 3dB bandwidth equates that of the input light source.     

Numerical simulation of low loss silicon photonic wire waveguide with multiple cladding layers

A different silicon photonic wire waveguide is proposed, which uses multiple thin cladding layers in order to reduce the index contrast between core and cladding interface. The reduced index contrast in the proposed waveguide has led to reduction in the scattering losses by 37% as compared to silicon wire waveguide for 400 nm × 220 nm waveguide dimension. The proposed waveguide has shown significant reduction in bending losses. It offers the bending loss of 0.0118 dB at the radius of 1 μm and 0.0063 dB for a radius of 2 μm at 1.55 μm wavelength as compared to 0.086 and 0.013 dB at the radius of 1 and 2 μm, respectively, offered by silicon photonic wire waveguide at 1.5 μm wavelength. The use of polymer material as top cladding layer resulted in decreasing the sensitivity of effective index against temperature for the designed waveguide by a factor of 2 as compared to silicon wire waveguide.     

Fabrication of low OH loss holey fibers with varying air hole sizes and their optical properties

We experimentally investigate a flexible fabrication technique for low OH and transmission losses holey fibers with a Ge-doped core and air holes in a silica cladding region. Versatile holey fibers of different size, pitch, and shape of air holes were achieved by controlling the temperature and heating time of the holey fiber preform. In addition, we suppress the OH loss of less than ∼0.323 dB/km at 1383 nm. After fabricating holey fibers, we measure their optical properties including cut-off wavelength, mode field diameter, splicing loss, dispersion, bending loss, and polarization dependent loss based on the size of air holes. The total transmission loss was measured to be ∼0.226 dB/km at 1550 nm by improving the fabrication process. After fabricating optical patch cord based on holey fibers, we measured the long-term stability of the fabricated holey fiber by using the temperature cycling technique for 24 and obtained low power fluctuation of 0.2 dB. We achieve the high quality holey fiber with a low bending loss of ∼0.04 dB/turn under a bending radius of 2.5 mm at 1550 nm. We also obtain a tunable band rejection filter with a number of bending turns.     

单模光纤窄带波分复用器的研究

由组合波导理论出发，分析了超长耦合器合区光纤间的功率耦合特性以及器件的偏振特性，并提出了研制二段窄波分单模光纤波发复用器的新方法，在研制常规耦合器的工艺基础上，先后研制成功１３１０ｎｍ或１５５０ｎｍ单窗口窄带波分复用器及１３１０ｎｍ或１５５０ｎｍ双窗口等三种复用间隔约１４ｎｍ的窄带波分复用器，其波长隔离度大于２０ｄＢ，具有２～３ｎｍ的带宽，偏振灵敏度小于０．１ｄＢ，附加损耗小于０．５ｄＢ，这些参数     

光波导-光纤自动调芯系统研究

设计了两种适用于光波导高精度自动对接耦合的调芯方案,从原理上克服了常规调芯过程中微变信号精确测试的困难。完成了调芯系统的光机电一体化、控制程序和接口界面。单模光纤作为标准波导的端面耦合自动凋芯试验显示,平均耦合损耗分别为0．075 dB(1310nm波长)和0．062 dB(1550nm波长),相应的标准误差分别为0．0099 dB和0．0066 dB．调芯过程在2min内完成。单模光纤-单模波导-单模光纤的对接耦合实验结果表明,端面耦合损耗平均值分别为0．140 dB(1310nm波长)和0．109 dB(1550nm波长),标准误差分别为0．0082dB和0．0107dB,调芯时间累计不超过8min。     

32-channel arrayed waveguide grating multiplexer using low loss fluorinated polymer operating around 1550 nm

A 32 × 32 arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexer operating around the 1550 nm wavelength has been designed and fabricated using highly fluorinated polyethers. The propagation loss of the slab waveguide is about 0.3 dB/cm at 1550 nm wavelength. The channel spacing of the AWG multiplexer is 0.8 nm (100 GHz). The insertion loss of the multiplexer is 10.3-15.3 dB and the crosstalk is less than −20 dB.     

Optical properties of polymer poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone) film waveguide

The optical properties of novel polymer poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone, PPESK) film waveguide are studied by prism coupler. The optical properties of PPESK-8020, including refractive index, birefringence, thermo-optical coefficient and optical loss, are demonstrated. This kind of material has the advantages of low optical loss (less than 0.24 dB/cm at 1310 nm and 0.52 dB/cm at 1550 nm) and high thermal stability (1% weight loss temperature: 488 ℃). Due to these excellent properties, it may have great potential in optical waveguide applications.     

Passive broadband silicon-on-insulator polarization splitter

We present the implementation of a novel wavelength independent polarization splitter on a silicon-on-insulator platform. The waveguide splitter is based on a zero-order arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) configuration. The splitting function is realized by employing cladding stress-induced birefringence. The device demonstrated a TE to TM splitting ratio better than -15 dB over a 20 nm tuning range centered around lambda=1550 nm and better than -10 dB over our entire accessible wavelength range from lambda=1465 nm to 1580 nm. The highest splitting extinction ratio achieved was -20 dB. To our knowledge, this is the first reported passive broadband polarization splitter based on AWG.     

650 nm聚合物阵列波导光栅波分复用器设计

选择在可见光波段具有较低吸收损耗的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯-甲基丙烯酸环氧丙酯 共聚物作为波导包层材料,使用双酚A型环氧树脂作为折射率调节剂,根据材料的折射率设计了单模波导截面尺寸;然后,采用束传播法优化设计出16信道阵列波导光栅(AWG)器件的版图结构。利用Optiwave软件模拟了AWG器件的光传输特性,结果显示,器件的信道间隔为0.845 01 nm,插入损耗小于14 dB,串扰小于-25 dB。     

Synthesis of a fluorinated photoresist for optical waveguide devices

A linear fluorinated bis-phenol-A novolac resin (LFAR) for optical waveguide was synthesized based on 4,4′-(hexafluoro-isopropylidene)diphenol, epoxy chloropropane and formaldehyde. Negative fluorinated photoresist (FP) was made by composing the LFAR, diphenyl iodonium salt and solvent. The film, which was made by spin-coating FP, had good UV light lithograph sensitivity, large hardness and high glass transition temperature (T _g >170°C, after crosslinking). Low-loss optical waveguides with very smooth top surface were fabricated from the resulting FP by direct UV exposure and chemical development. For waveguides without upper cladding, the propagation loss of the channel waveguides was measured to be 0.21 dB/cm at 1550 nm.     

Low-loss amorphous Si waveguides with gradient refractive index cladding structure

Amorphous Si waveguides with gradient refractive index cladding structure are proposed and fabricated using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method.Compared with 6 dB/cm for ridge waveguide without gradient cladding,the propagation loss of the gradient cladding waveguides is less than 1 dB/cm with both TE and TM polarizations.     

Er-Yb co-doped glass waveguide amplifiers using ion exchange and field-assisted annealing

Er³⁺-Yb³⁺ co-doped waveguide amplifiers fabricated using thermal two-step ion-exchange are demonstrated. K⁺-Na⁺ ion-exchange process was first carried out in pure KNO₃ molten bath, and then field-assisted annealing (FAA) was used to make the buried waveguides. The effective buried depth is estimated to be ∼3.4 μm for the buried FAA waveguides. With the use of cut-back method, the fiber-to-guide coupling loss of ∼4.38 dB, the waveguide loss of ∼2.27 dB/cm, and Er³⁺ absorption loss ∼5.7 dB were measured for a ∼1.24-cm-long waveguide. Peak relative gain of ∼7.0 dB is obtained for a ∼1.24-cm-long waveguide. The potential for the fabrication of compact optical amplifiers operating in the range of 1520-1580 nm is also demonstrated.     

Laser-written nanoporous silicon ridge waveguide for highly sensitive optical sensors

We report that low-loss ridge waveguides are directly written on nanoporous silicon layers by using an argon-ion laser at 514 nm up to 100 mW. Optical characterization of the waveguides indicates light propagation loss lower than 0.5 dB/cm at 1550 nm after oxidation. A Mach-Zehnder interferometer sensor is experimentally demonstrated using the waveguide in its sensing branch, and analytical results indicate that very high sensitivity can be achieved. With large internal surface area, versatile surface chemistry, and adjustable index of refraction of porous silicon, the ridge waveguides can be used to configure Mach-Zehnder interferometers, Young's interferometers, and other photonic devices for highly sensitive optical biosensors and chemical sensors as well as other applications.     

Multimode interference wavelength multi/demultiplexer for 1310 and 1550 nm operation based on BCB 4024-40 photodefinable polymer

A 1310 and 1550 nm coarse wavelength multi/demultiplexer based on benzocyclobutene (BCB 4024-40) polymer is demonstrated for the first time. The device is designed based on a combination of general interference and paired interference mechanisms of multimode interference (MMI). It is fabricated on BK7 glass substrate with a thin layer of SiO₂ as cover. A cost effective chemical etching technique is used in the fabrication process to take advantage of the photosensitive nature of the polymer. The device length was significantly reduced by adopting the restricted multimode interference scheme, lower beat length ratio and cascaded MMI couplers. The measured crosstalk at 1310 nm was 14.4 dB and at 1550 nm was 20.6 dB. The measured insertion loss is around 3.2-3.5 dB for both ports.     

Properties of a Thin-Film Optical Waveguide Using Fluorinated Silicon Oxide and Organic Spin-on-Glass Films

A thin-film optical waveguide using a fluorinated silicon oxide (SiOF) as a core layer was investigated. An organic spin-on-glass (SOG) film was used for a cladding layer. The SiOF films were formed at 23°C by a liquid-phase deposition (LPD) technique using a supersaturated hydrofluosilicic acid (H₂SiF₆) aqueous solution. A thin-film optical waveguide structure for single mode was designed and fabricated, based on the dispersion properties of refractive indices for the LPD-SiOF and organic SOG films. The refractive indices at a wavelength of 632.8 nm were 1.430 and around 1.400 for the LPD-SiOF and organic SOG films, respectively. The thickness of LPD-SiOF films deposited was 1.18 μm. Thicknesses of cladding organic SOG films cured at 300 and 400°C were 1.28 and 1.31μm, respectively. The effective refractive indices for single mode were 1.4169 and 1.4158 at a wavelength of 632.8 nm for the cladding organic SOG films cured at 300 and 400°C, respectively, and differences between the measured and calculated incident angles were 0.84° and 1.29° for the cladding organic SOG films cured at these respective temperatures. A streak of guided-light was observed for the LPD-SiOF/SOG structure optical waveguide. The transmission loss was 7.6-7.9 dB/cm.     

A siloxane polymer lightwave circuit on ceramic substrate applicable to ultrafast optoelectronic multi-chip-modules

Technique for integrating optical waveguide circuits on electrical circuits is developed toward the application to opto-electronic multi-chip modules (O/E-MCM), which enables one to handle ultrafast lightwave pulses and electrical signals on a common circuit board. We use ceramic material as the substrate of O/E-MCM having a multi-layer structure. A siloxane polymer is utilized to form low loss optical waveguides on ceramic substrates by low temperature processes. The waveguide has shown high transparency around 1310 nm. The group velocity dispersion has been measured and shown to become almost zero at wavelength of 1310 nm and about 0.4 fs/cm nm at 1550 nm. An optical circuit has been formed on simple electrical circuit consisting of a thermometer film resistance layer. A Mach–Zehnder interferometer optical switch exhibiting the waveguide extinction ratio of 30 dB, control power of 5 mW, and switching speed of 6 ms has been demonstrated. Thermal management characteristics also have been demonstrated successfully. This single-mode optical waveguide can thus be formed readily on ceramic substrates involving electrical circuit layers; this result confirms its applicability to O/E-MCM.     

Silicon-on-insulator eight-channel optical multiplexer based on a cascade of asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometers

A monolithically integrated eight-channel optical multiplexer (Mux) with a 400 GHz channel spacing ~1550 nm is presented based on a silicon-on-insulator rib waveguide and an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer. All channels were optimized independently with integrated heaters. The fully tuned Mux shows an adjacent channel isolation of ~13 dB, an excess loss of ~2.6 dB, and a channel uniformity of ~1.5 dB over a 25 nm wavelength span. In addition, the phase tuning efficiency for different interlevel dielectric layer thicknesses and thermal crosstalk were investigated.