Design of Planar Optic Sensors for Hydrocarbon Detection

A realistic design of evanescent field optical sensors, constituted by three different kinds of planar waveguides covered by a sensing polymeric overlay, is performed. More precisely, the slab, the embedded strip and the ridge waveguides are considered. The sensor operation is simulated, in both the cases of lossy guided and leaky mode propagation, via a home made computer code. The optimal waveguide transverse section and length are identified, the advantages and drawbacks are shown. The ridge waveguide sensor exhibits appreciable characteristics: for a concentration C _w = 200 ppm of toluene in water, the absorbance pertaining to a device L = 2.6 cm long and for the guided quasi-TE₀₀ mode is A ≅ 5, while it is A ≅ 0.054 for a device long L ≅ 24.1 μm and the leaky quasi-TE₁₀ mode. The simulation results suggest that a selective excitation of the suitable propagation mode can enhance the sensor performance.     

Superprism Behaviour of an Array of Photonic Crystal Waveguides

The behaviour of an array of photonic crystal waveguides is numerically investigated. It is shown that high dispersion may be achieved in the telecommunication window around 1550 nm, with a device whose dimensions are in the order of half a mm².     

一种分析三维楔脊形光波导与光纤耦合的方法

和直波导的不同在于，三维楔脊形波导中的光场都是不稳定的.分别对波导-光纤耦合、光纤-波导耦合两种情况，将三维楔脊形波导等效为多段短的直波导，利用束传播法同时对三维楔脊形波导内不稳定的入射、反射场，及它们在传播方向上的偏导进行处理，再用自由空间辐射模法计算透射率和反射率.以SOI楔脊形波导和光纤的耦合为例，验证了该方法的可行性. 关键词： 自由空间辐射模法 束传播法 耦合 透射 楔脊形光波导 绝缘体上硅(SOI)     

Design Method for Optical Waveguide Filters Having Corrugation Structures by Corrugation Width Modulation

A method to design a corrugated optical waveguide filter by modulating the corrugation width profile is proposed. This method is based on combined applications of the Fourier transformation and the F-matrix formalism. The method achieves the spatial profile of the corrugation width required to design a filter with any specified spectral profile of the reflection coefficient. The idea of the technique is that the spatial variation of the effective refractive index can be transformed, with the help of the F-matrix formalism, to variation of the corrugation width while maintaining a constant amplitude of the refractive index variation. Two examples are given applying the technique to the design of optical waveguide filters with reflectivity profiles of two- and four-rejection bands.     

Dip-coated HNR120 photoresists thin-film optical waveguides

We report on our systematic and detailed study of fabrication and characterization of HNR120 photoresists thin-film optical waveguides. Various waveguide properties, such as refractive index, optical losses as a function of temperature, waveguide thickness, dispersion and birefringence have been studied. The optical loss are found to be <1.4 dB cm⁻¹.     

Ablation of Transparent Materials Using Excimer Lasers for Photonic Applications

For many years, the development of effective ablation or laser machining techniques for making micro-optical components has been the key factor in the birth of new photonic devices and systems. In this article, the ablation characteristics of two types of the most important transparent materials, transparent polymers and glasses, are studied. Simple shaped microcavities are first machined for studying the fundamental ablation parameters, including threshold fluence, effective absorption coefficient, and ablation rate. In studying polymer ablation, five standard grades and five proprietary polymeric compounds are selected. Ablation techniques using these transparent polymers for making arrayed ferrules and curved microlenses are presented. Applications of these ablated microstructures for optical fiber connectors, optical fiber coupling and alignment, and transparent chip encapsulants, are introduced and demonstrated with emphasis on the quality of the ablated profiles and dimensions to satisfy the required performance. In glass ablation, borosilicate glasses are considered and their associated ablation behaviors are studied. The procedures to ablate glass-based arrayed microstructures with flat and curved surfaces are described. The utilizations of these arrayed microstructures for optical waveguide, wave absorber, and beam guider, are specifically discussed. Finally, concluding remakes for future trends are presented.     

Transmission Characteristics of 90° Bent Photonic Crystal Waveguides

There are several key factors that affect the transmission characteristics of the 90° (L-shaped) bent photonic crystal waveguides. The first factor is the direct coupling efficiency from the incident lights into the waveguides. The second one is the bandgap deviations of the photonic crystals. And the third factor is the optical reflections in the bent corners. In this article, we compare three types of L-shaped bent photonic crystal waveguides. One is the original type, which has an abrupt right-angle bend. Another is an improved 90° bend with a 45°-mirror. The other is an L-shaped bent photonic crystal waveguide with a 45°-transitional section. We investigate their respective frequency responses and observe the improvements in the total transmission efficiencies provided by the latter types.     

Coupling Fibers to Planar Waveguides Using a High-Temperature Epoxy

Computer simulation was used to understand the adhesive-based coupling of optical fibers to planar waveguides with a view to adhesive development. Satisfactory coupling performance could be achieved with facet-angled fibers and waveguides, regardless of the adhesive's index and optical loss. A high-temperature epoxy adhesive was developed for coupling applications based on the simulation. The adhesive is able to achieve a material-related loss of -0.05 dB and a back-reflection loss of less than -50 dB in the coupling. In addition, the adhesive has excellent mechanical and thermal properties and can easily meet the Telcordia standard GR1221 while withstanding high temperatures and high optical power.     

Critical ray-like propagation modes along graded-index planar optical waveguides

Graded-index planar optical waveguides and surface compression layers were formed simultaneously in the surface layer of glass plates by ion exchange. A change in the refractometer patterns was observed. Before ion exchange, only a critical ray fringe was observed, but with ion exchange a guided wave fringe appeared on the high effective refractive index side of the ‘critical ray’ fringe, and the number of guided wave fringes increased. The guided wave fringe or fringes were birefringent, whereas the ‘critical ray’ fringe was kept nonbirefringent. It was concluded that the ‘critical ray’ propagated along the bottom of a waveguide, ie at the foot of the refractive index distribution.     

Mode structure in wideband waveguide radiofrequency CO2 lasers

We have analysed the mode structure of a wideband radiofrequency excited waveguide CO₂ laser by using different waveguide diameters and optical cavities. In particular we have observed the phase shift of some linear polarized waveguide modes in the transition region between the guided and the free Gaussian propagation.