Direct write of optical diffractive elements and planar waveguides with a digital micromirror device based UV photoplotter

A photoplotter, based on a digital micromirror device as real-time reconfigurable mask, is designed to direct-write microstructures in different photosensitive materials. Binary and multilevel elements, such as computer generated holograms with 2, 4 and 8 phase levels and planar optical waveguide structures with tapers and/or long period gratings, are fabricated in a single processing step. Direct parallel write into different photosensitive materials with attractive optical properties is proposed and first results are shown in a commercially available organic-inorganic hybrid material.     

Zero-birefringence photosensitive polyimides for optical waveguides

Zero-birefringence (delta n < 1 x 10(-6)) photosensitive fluorinated polyimides are synthesized for use in polymer optical waveguides. To obtain zero birefringence, the UV exposure time and copolymer content of photosensitive polyimides are controlled. Zero birefringence combined with photoprocessing of the material has excellent potential for applications in high-performance wavelength division multiplexing components such as polarization-independent arrayed waveguide gratings and Bragg wavelength filters.     

Spontaneous S_ gratings and specific features of their formation and evolution in photosensitive AgCl-Ag films

The formation and evolution of spontaneous S_ gratings in photosensitive waveguide AgCl-Ag films under the action of a laser beam are investigated experimentally and theoretically. It is found that in the cases of s and p polarizations of laser radiation these gratings differ significantly not only in the period but also in the structure and spatial and temporal stability. The different character of the gratings is explained in detail by the competition between the S_ gratings and other gratings evolving simultaneously in the film and the change in the scattering indicatrix in the case of p polarization as a result of intense evolution of degenerate C gratings. The regularity of S_ gratings on TM₀ modes in the case of p polarization and large angles of incidence makes it possible to increase the accuracy of determining the refractive indices of substrates using AgCl films corresponding to the cutoff thicknesses of TM₀ waveguide modes.     

Field structure in a photorefractive holographic grating in a planar waveguide

A theoretical investigation is made of the field structure in a holographic grating formed by TE₀ modes in a planar photorefractive waveguide by the photogalvanic recording mechanism. Waveguides with three characteristic refractive index profiles are considered, namely, a step function, a parabola, and a hyperbolic secant squared. A comparison is made between the light field distributions of TE₀ modes in waveguides having the different profiles. The field structure of the space charge in planar holographic gratings is analyzed for their initial formation phase. It is shown that the space charge field has a similar structure for all three waveguide types considered when planar photorefractive gratings are recorded by TE₀ modes.Institute of Automated Control Systems and Radio Electronics, Tomsk. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 85–92, November, 1993.     

DWDM Devices Based on Planar Waveguide Technologies

A review is presented on some of our recent results for designs, simulations and fabrication of several photonic integrated devices, such as arrayed-waveguide gratings (AWGs) and etched diffraction gratings (EDGs), based on planar waveguide technologies. Some novel designs for flat-top AWGs and EDGs with flat-top spectral responses are presented.     

Grating coupled interferometry for optical sensing

An interferometric sensor based on gratings on a planar waveguide is introduced. The device combines the advantages of known interference-based waveguide sensors with the simplicity of grating couplers. In the presented configuration, two parallel and coherent light beams, laterally separated in the direction of mode propagation, are coupled into a planar waveguide through a grating. One of the coupled beams is phase modulated using a periodically relaxing liquid crystal modulator, resulting in a time varying intensity signal at the end face of the waveguide. Refractive index changes within the waveguide section between the two coupling regions are monitored by observing characteristic changes in the intensity signal.     

Development of a Fourier-transform waveguide spectrometer for space applications

We describe the development of a waveguide Fourier-transform spectrometer for space-borne high-resolution sensing. A prototype device is designed to monitor the water vapor absorption band near 1,364?nm with a resolution of 0.05?nm. It has no moving parts and is based on a unique concept of arrayed interferometers implemented in silicon-on-insulator planar waveguide chip. The optical input is formed by many independent waveguides, providing a significantly increased light gathering capability (étendue) compared to single-waveguide input configurations. Enhancements of the spectrometer capabilities are achieved by stacking planar waveguide layers and by using surface gratings to couple light into the waveguides.     

Analytical model of a corrugated optical waveguide

An analytical model of the diffraction energy exchange between the radiative and the waveguide modes in a planar optical waveguide corrugated by a waveguide grating with an arbitrary form of teeth is developed on the basis of the coupled-wave method. It is shown that the mechanism of the energy exchange between the modes is determined by the partial interaction of all components of the spatial frequency spectrum of the waveguide modes with the corresponding components of the spatial frequency spectrum of the grating. It is established that gratings with an asymmetric tooth profile providing a shift of the peak of the spatial frequency spectrum toward matching are characterized by a higher diffraction efficiency α; however, at small thicknesses δ of the waveguide grating, the efficiency is almost independent of the tooth profile. It is shown that gratings with a symmetric profile give on average a decreasing dependence α(δ), while gratings with an optimized asymmetric profile yield a monotonically increasing saturating dependence α(δ).     

平面波导阵列布喇格光栅及其光辐照制作方法

本文提出了一种新的平面波导阵列布喇格光栅结构,并给出了在光敏感材料中制作这种波导光栅结构的全息光辐照方法.以LiNbO3:Fe晶体作为光敏感材料,用不同空间频率的双光束干涉条纹辐照后,通过数字全息技术对晶体的光致折射率分布测量和进行的导波衍射测试结果表明,利用这种光辐照方法在光敏感材料中制作平面波导阵列全息布喇格光栅是完全可行的.其显著的导波衍射现象表明,如果在平面波导阵列中制作多重布喇格光栅,有可能使其成为超密集波分复用（UDWDM）系统中波长复用/解复用的核心器件.     

基于平板波导的小型红外光栅光谱仪光学设计

为实现红外光谱仪器的小型化,通过分析现有小型光谱仪,提出了一种基于平板波导的小型红外光栅光谱仪的设计方法。平板波导光谱仪的小型化原理与一般的微小型光谱仪不同。在平板波导光谱仪中,光束被限制在一层薄薄的平板波导介质中传播,看起来像是整个光学系统被压扁了。在垂直于平板波导的方向上光学元件的尺寸可以做到很小,从而显著减小光学系统的尺寸。该系统的设计可分为Czerny-Turner结构设计、波导结构设计。先根据像差理论设计Czerny-Turner结构,目标是保证光谱分辨率及校正像差;然后根据几何光学理论设计波导结构,包括平板波导和两个柱面透镜,目标是压缩光束并校正像散;最后将它们输入Zemax软件中进行综合优化,以获得最优的光学系统。据此方法设计了一个平板波导红外光栅光谱仪,工作波段为8~12 μm,数值孔径为0.22,采用线阵探测器。通过Zemax软件对结果进行分析和评价,表明仪器光学系统的尺寸为130 mm×125 mm×20 mm,工作波段内光谱分辨率达到80 nm,满足设计指标要求。证明了该优化设计方法是可行的,所得系统尺寸小、性能高。     

Fiber-based tunable dispersion compensation

Tunable dispersion has been implemented in various technology platforms, including fiber gratings, planar waveguides, thin film etalons, and bulk optic technologies. This paper will focus on fiber grating based tunable dispersion compensation, because fiber gratings are at present one of the best developed TDC technologies available. The paper is divided into three parts. In the first part we describe grating based TDC technologies and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. We focus on thermally tuned linearly chirped fiber gratings, as these have to date been the most successful grating technology for 40 Gbit/s. We also compare grating TDCs to two other prominent tunable dispersion technologies: thin film etalons and planar waveguide ring resonators. In the second section we describe the techniques used to fabricate high performance dispersion compensation gratings as well as the theory of the primary defect of fiber grating dispersion compensation: group delay ripple (GDR). In the third section we describe the telecom system related issues for tunable gratings, including characterization of grating performance, tunability requirements and results from actual system trials using tunable FBGs.     

Long-Period Gratings in Planar Optical Waveguides

Our progress in the study of long-period gratings (LPGs) in planar optical waveguides is reviewed. In particular,experimental LPGs in glass and polymer waveguides are presented to demonstrate the potential of LPG-based waveguide devices.     

Analysis of surface relief diffraction gratings made of anisotropic material

A modal method for the analysis of surface relief gratings made with anisotropic material is presented. The structure is decomposed into a series of cascaded discontinuities between planar waveguides with stratified anisotropic dielectric. The basic problem is formulated by an integral equation which is solved numerically by the method of moments. The mode functions of the periodic region are assumed as basis functions to represent the unknown field on the junctions. Each junction is viewed as a waveguide junction problem and has been characterized by the generalized scattering matrix (GSM). The diffraction efficiencies of the grating are determined by combining the various GSM. In this way, the analysis method is stable and can be applied also to deep gratings.     

多层光纤布拉格光栅的理论与实验研究

从理论和实验两方面研究了在非周期性多层光纤上写入布拉格光栅的光学特性。从耦合模理论出发,讨论了光纤具有多于一个光敏层的情况。在实验室自制的两类多层光纤上写入光栅的实验也表明,该类光栅具备有一般光栅的普遍光学特性,说明在使用多层光纤作为关键部分构建器件时,需要的各类光栅部件能够通过直接在该类光纤上写入光栅实现。紫外光在氢载掺铒多层光纤上写入光栅的实验说明分层的异种元素掺杂将导致芯区应力增加,从而辅助提高光纤的光敏性。     

The theory of planar Bragg resonators

The reflecting properties of one-dimensional planar Bragg gratings are studied. A coupled resonator model for studying the diffraction of electromagnetic waves in an arbitrarily corrugated waveguide is suggested. It is based on exact relationships that follow from the two-dimensional boundary-value problem stated in terms of the Helmholtz equation. The specific relationships for the rectangular corrugation of the grating-forming plates are presented. The reflection coefficients of the Bragg gratings vs. corrugation length and incident radiation frequency are calculated. An analytical solution for the “narrow” corrugation is obtained.     

A theory of excitation of a planar semiconductor optical waveguide using a diffraction grating: Single-scattering approximation

The problem of excitation of a totally reflecting planar optical waveguide using a coupling diffraction grating in the form of a periodic relief of the waveguide-layer thickness is solved within the single-scattering approximation. The polariton mode in the presence of a quantum well near the waveguide is considered. Based on the developed concepts, the following experimental features of the dependence of the intensity of radiation conducted in the waveguide layer on the angle of incidence of the excitation beam on the coupling diffraction grating are interpreted: the dependence on the mode number, the interference effects in the presence of two coupling diffraction gratings, and the influence of the lower substrate boundary on the thermal behavior of the waveguide structure.     

耦合角度对平面波导叠加型光栅解波分复用性能的影响

利用玻璃材料的光敏性可在平面波导中制作出具有解波分复用功能的叠加型光栅,根据耦合模理论对这种平面波导叠加型光栅的解波分复用特性进行研究,发现了入射角度通过改变耦合系数会对光栅的反射率和带宽产生影响：当入射角度较大时,单个光栅的反射率虽稍有增大,但带宽变宽;而在入射角度较小时尽管其反射率稍有下降,但带宽却显著变窄.因此在光栅设计时必须综合考虑反射率和带宽的要求以获得更好的解波分复用性能.     

Transmission properties and band structure of a segmented dielectric waveguide for the terahertz range

In this paper we investigate the band structure of guided modes in a segmented planar waveguide for the terahertz range. The dispersion curves are obtained using two different methods. The first approach is based on a close relationship between the band structure and narrow resonances in transmission spectra: transmission spectra are therefore calculated using a transfer matrix method and compared to the experimental ones. The second technique involves a modal analysis approach of diffraction gratings and it is used for direct calculation of the band structure. Propagation of THz guided waves along the grating considered as a segmented dielectric waveguide is also investigated using a bi-directional mode expansion and propagation method. All approaches are compared to each other and discussed.     

波导光折变功能光栅的研究

提出一种新的波导光折变功能光栅制作技术,利用导波光与空间光干涉,在Ｔｉ：ＬｉＮｂＯ３条形波导中通过光折变效应形成波导功能光栅,该方法也适用制作浮雕型波导光栅,用该方法,可制备周期小于二分之一光波长的光栅,并可灵活地调节波导功能光栅的形成与工作波长。     

Using a micro-molding process to fabricate polymeric wavelength filters

A procedure for fabricating a high aspect ratio periodic structure on a UV polymer at submicron order using holographic interferometry and molding processes is described. First, holographic interferometry using a He–Cd (325 nm) laser was used to create the master of the periodic line structure on an i-line sub-micron positive photoresist film. A 20 nm nickel thin film was then sputtered on the photoresist. The final line pattern on a UV polymer was obtained from casting against the master mold. Finally, a SU8 polymer was spun on the polymer grating to form a planar waveguide or a channel waveguide. The measurement results show that the waveguide length could be reduced for the waveguide having gratings with a high aspect ratio.