Flexible Structures Based on a Short Pitch Cholesteric Liquid Crystals

We report on the realization and characterization of electro-responsive and pressure sensitive polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) conductive photonic structures combined with the reconfigurable properties of short pitch cholesteric liquid crystals (aligned in Grandjean configuration). By combining ion-implantation process and surface chemistry functionalization, we have overcome the insulating properties of PDMS and induced long range organization of cholesteric liquid crystals, thus controlling both diffraction and selective Bragg reflection of light by means of external perturbations (electric field, pressure). We have characterized our devices in terms of morphological, optical and electro-optical properties.     

非均匀波导中的声聚焦

理论研究了声波在非均匀波导中的空间聚焦问题,利用多模态导纳法构建波导内任意位置处声压与入射声压在模态域的映射关系,计算使声波聚焦于空间某位置时的最佳入射波,并画出了相应的聚焦声场.研究了三种非均匀情况:水平变截面波导、含散射体波导以及声速垂直变化波导.结果表明,当输入最佳入射波时,在非均匀波导中可以产生良好的单点或多点声聚焦效果,声波的聚焦过程充分地利用了波导结构及介质非均匀性对声波的散射作用.     

Silicon-Based Integrated Optic Pressure Sensor Using Intermodal Interference between TM-Like and TE-Like Modes

In this paper, a silicon-based integrated optic pressure sensor using an intermodal interference between the fundamental TM-like and TE-like modes is described. The sensor consists of a micromachined rectangular diaphragm and a straight polystyrene optical waveguide passing over the diaphragm. Its sensitivity is theoretically known to be strongly dependent on the position of the waveguide over the diaphragm. To experimentally investigate such dependence, we fabricated a sensor with a 1.2 mm ×10 mm ×20 μm diaphragm, over which waveguides were placed at 50 μm intervals. The measured phase sensitivity was 98 mrad/kPa for the waveguide nearest to the diaphragm edge. The measurement was also carried out for the other waveguides. As theoretically expected, the largest sensitivity was obtained for the waveguide nearest to the edge.     

Reduction of Entrained Hydroxy Species in Ormosil Films for Integrated Optics

Organically modified silicates (ormosils) have been viewed as possible materials for optical signal processing devices for communications networks. One significant problem obstructing their use in this application is the absorption of infrared light by hydroxy species (present for example in silanol groups (SiOH) and water) around the communications wavelengths (1310 and 1550 nm). We have investigated several ormosil compositions, synthesised via an aqueous sol-gel method, to determine if residual hydroxy groups can be removed more effectively via reducing the connectivity of the material by increasing the number of organic groups (such as Si—CH₃). Furthermore, we have investigated the effect of different inert atmospheres on the drying process. It was found that reducing the connectivity does promote the removal of hydroxy absorption, mainly via the condensation of residual silanol groups, but also by removal of residual water, depending on the other precursors in the system. It was also found that the drying atmosphere used (nitrogen or helium) had no effect on the drying process.     

Finite element modal solutions of planar photonic crystal fibers with rectangular air-holes

Modal solutions of planar photonic crystal waveguides with rectangular air-holes are presented by using a rigorous full-vectorial finite element-based approach. The effective indices, mode field profiles, spot-sizes, power confinements, modal hybridness, beat lengths and group velocity dispersions are shown for the fundamental and higher order modes of the quasi-TE and TM polarizations.     

Loss in a rectangular optical waveguide induced by the crossover of a second waveguide

We calculate the loss induced in a single-mode rectangular optical waveguide by the presence of a second waveguide, perpendicular to the first, which crosses over the first waveguide at a variable distance d. Our calculation is applied to the analysis of several doped silica waveguides of practical importance for optical circuit design.     

Performance and simulation of an on-board guided-wave optical processor for airborne SAR applications

This paper describes the performance and simulation of a compact integrated optical processor for the real-time reconstruction of two-dimensional images in airborne stripmap synthetic aperture radar applications. The functional behavior of the processor is explained in some detail. The design criteria are briefly given. The simulation step allowed the main processor characteristics and properties to be identified. A number of comparisons were obtained in airborne SAR mission scenarios between the predictions of the optical device and those achieved by the modern electronic digital approach, based on the wavefront reconstruction method by matched filtering.     

Analysis of Radiation Phenomena in a Wedge Ended Dielectric Slab Waveguide

Radiation phenomena observed in a wedge shape ended dielectric slab waveguide are analyzed using mode matching technique. The case of transverse electric polarization (TE) being parallel to dielectric slab waveguide is assumed. In order to describe the fields in the wedge region, a stack of dielectric plates is assumed and in each layer the fields are expanded in terms of the mixed spectrum of guided and radiated modes. A similar expansion is used in the constant thickness slab waveguide while in free space medium a continuous-radiation mode expansion is used. Then a mode matching approach is applied, incorporating the orthogonality properties of mixed spectrum modes, in order to compute the wave fields inside the dielectric slab waveguide and wedge medium. Mode matching is achieved by discretizing the continuous radiation mode spectrum leading into a numerically stable solution provided a sufficient large number of points are used to convert integrals into finite summations. Numerical computations are carried out for various wedge geometries and shapes including linear and exponential profiles.     

LIGHTWAVE PROPAGATION IN SUBWAVELENGTH HOLES

In this paper we evaluate methods for calculating dispersion relations for waves with wavelengths of the order of hundreds of nanometres propagating in square waveguides with imperfectly conducting walls. The methods considered here are based on those used previously for rectangular dielectric waveguides.