A novel wavelength dispersive device with a dispersive element based on staircase-like straight and parallel arrayed waveguides

We propose a new type of arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexer/demultiplexer based on modified group refractive index. This device is composed by an array of straight and parallel waveguides of equal length and each waveguide consist of two sections with different width. The length of the two sections are changed from a waveguide to the adjacent one following a linear dependence resulting in a wavelength dispersive waveguide array. An example of the device design for silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform is provided and numerical simulations have been carried out for various arrayed waveguide parameters. We demonstrate that the group index modification can be used for tailoring device dispersion properties, and that it can also result in new dispersion characteristics predicted numerically not observed in conventional AWGs. Additional advantages are that the demultiplexer does not necessarily require bending waveguide sections as in a conventional AWG (de)multiplexers, and thus yields highly compact devices with potentially very low insertion loss. Channel spacing of 1 nm have been predicted for sub-micron waveguides sizes. In this paper it is also proposed a novel wavefront converter based on waveguide array lens-like element with waveguides broadened sections. Numerical results for different input/output geometries are analized.     

Parameter optimization and structural design of polymer arrayed waveguide grating multiplexer

First some important parameters are optimized for the structural design of a polymer arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexer around the central wavelength of 1.55 μm with the wavelength spacing of 1.6 nm. These parameters include the thickness and width of the guide core, mode effective refractive indices and group refractive index, diffraction order, pitch of adjacent waveguides, length difference of adjacent arrayed waveguides, focal length of slab waveguides, free spectral range (FSR), the number of input/output (I/O) channels, and that of arrayed waveguides. Then the bent angles, radii and lengths of all the input/output channels and arrayed waveguides are determined. Finally, a schematic waveguide layout of this device is presented, which contains 2 slabs, 11 input channels, 11 output channels, and 91 arrayed waveguides.     

减少聚合物阵列波导光栅损耗的蒸气回溶技术

阵列波导光栅(AWG)器件是波分复用(WDM)系统的一种关键器件,其中,聚合物阵列波导光栅由于其制备工艺、器件集成等方面的优势而受到人们的日益关注。侧壁散射损耗是聚合物阵列波导光栅损耗的一个主要因素,减少阵列波导光栅波导的侧壁损耗对制备低损耗阵列波导光栅具有重要意义。一种蒸气回溶技术被用来有效地减少硅基聚合物阵列波导光栅的散射损耗,该技术的机理是饱和溶剂分子融入并软化波导侧壁,增加其流动性,从而降低波导侧壁粗糙度。用扫描电镜方法验证了用该技术能获得更光滑的波导侧壁。对直波导和阵列波导光栅样品进行回溶处理,测试后得到直波导的侧壁散射损耗减少2.1 dB/cm,阵列波导光栅中心信道和周边信道的插入损耗分别减少5.5 dB和6.7 dB,串扰减少2.5 dB。     

阵列波导光栅平坦化的研究

阵列波导光栅的平坦化在实际应用中有很重要的意义.本文系统地研究了阵列波导光栅的平坦化.在输入波导、输出波导、阵列波导输入端与输出端上分别引入了指数型锥形波导.通过改变锥形波导的形状和尺寸来实现平坦化的优化.本文首先从理论上论述了引入指数型锥形波导的输出光谱特性,给出了结构参量的关系表达式,阐明了输入波导处的锥形波导是影响输出光谱平坦化的主要因素,阵列波导和输出波导处的锥形波导对输出光谱的平坦化有一定的影响.其次采用数值模拟的方法模拟了输出光谱,优化了结构参量,总结出了指数型锥形波导对平坦化影响的趋势和规律.模拟结果显示,输出光谱1 dB带宽大于通道间隔的50%,插入损耗从5.2 dB减小到了4.0 dB,串扰小于-30 dB.最后,本文给出了实验结果,插入损耗减小了0.87 dB,串扰减小了3.67 dB,1 dB带宽增加0.1 nm,增加了54.7%.实验结果表明引入指数型锥形波导提高了阵列波导光栅器件的光谱性能.     

Electro-optic wavelength-tunable fiber ring laser based on cascaded composite Sagnac loop filters

A continuous wavelength-swept fiber ring laser with a lithium niobate waveguide electro-optic polarization controller in an intracavity fiber Sagnac loop is experimentally demonstrated. Composite fiber Sagnac loop filters are cascaded to demonstrate discrete wavelength switching of a single-wavelength fiber ring laser. Stable single-longitudinal-mode operation is achieved by use of a Sagnac loop saturable-absorber filter.     

快速计算阵列波导光栅波导耦合系数的修正重叠积分方法

提出了一种修正的重叠积分方法用以计算阵列波导光栅(AWG)波分复用器件中光从自由传输区域到阵列波导的耦合系数,并和光束传播法(BPM)数值方法计算得到的结果做了比较通过比较分析,得出结论:当波导中心距不是太小时,用修正重叠积分这一快速方法是合适的.     

Switchable erbium-doped fiber ring laser based on Sagnac loop mirror incorporating few-mode high birefringence fiber

Without the need of any other additional filtering device, a triple-wavelength switchable erbium-doped fiber ring laser based on Sagnac loop mirror incorporating a piece of few-mode high birefringence fiber is newly proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Three potential lasing wavelengths at about 2.0 nm interval with the side mode suppression ratio higher than 40 dB can be switched mainly by adjusting a polarization controller next to the few-mode high birefringence fiber in the Sagnac loop. In addition to the stable single-line lasing operation, simultaneous dual- and triple-line oscillations are also highly stable at room temperature with suppressing the intrinsic homogeneous gain broadening of the erbium-doped fiber.     

Tunable fiber-optic parametric oscillator

We report operation of a tunable optical parametric oscillator that employs a nonlinear-fiber Sagnac interferometer as a parametric amplifier. The amplifier, which consists primarily of dispersion-shifted fiber that has zero dispersion at 1538 nm, is synchronously pumped with 7.7-ps pulses at 1539 nm. The wide bandwidth of the parametric gain permits tuning of the output signal pulses over a 40-nm range centered on the pump wavelength. The Sagnac interferometer decouples the pump wave from the oscillator cavity while a bandpass filter in the cavity transmits only the signal wave, thereby creating a singly resonant parametric oscillator that is phase insensitive. Whereas we demonstrate tuning over almost the entire bandwidth of Er-doped-fiber amplifiers, one could construct a similar device that operates near the 1310-nm zero-dispersion wavelength of standard telecommunication fiber.     

AWG中波导间耦合造成的相位畸变的分析

用(1,1)阶Pad啨近似的广角BPM计算了阵列波导光栅(AWG)中由于阵列波导间耦合造成的相位畸变以及由于相位畸变引起的相位误差分别考虑了光从中心/非中心输入波导入射两种情况结果表明,波导间的耦合会造成显著的相位畸变,但由此引起的相位误差却很小,光从中心输入波导入射时对应的相位误差10-3rad,从非中心输入波导入射时的相位误差约为10-2rad针对波导阵列边缘效应引起的相位畸变,设计AWG结构时,在阵列部分两侧增加了边缘辅助波导结构,从而消除了边缘效应,使得边缘阵列波导对应的相位误差从10-1rad量级减小为10-3(10-2)rad量级.     

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.     

Comparisons of multi-wavelength oscillations using Sagnac loop mirror and Mach-Zehnder interferometer for ytterbium doped fiber lasers

A multiwavelength Ytterbium-doped fiber ring laser operating at 1030 nm region is demonstrated using a Sagnac loop mirror and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. We report the Performance comparisons of multi-wavelength oscillations in Yb³⁺ doped fiber lasers (YDFL) with typical commercial ytterbium doped silica fibers. By adjusting the polarization controller (PC), a widely tunable laser range of 22 nm from 1030 nm to 1050 nm is obtained. The Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) design has exhibited simplicity in the operation for controlling the smallest wavelength spacing compared to Sagnac loop mirror method. In our observations, the smallest achieved stable wavelength spacing in Sagnac loop mirror setup and MZI setup were 2.1 nm and 0.7 nm, respectively. In case of nine-wavelength operation with a MZI setup, the stability, Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) and side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of laser lines are not affected by increasing pump power, While for above four wavelength operation, the laser stability with Sagnac loop mirror becomes worse specially for higher input pump power and the power fluctuation among the wave-lengths would be also slightly larger.     

Three-dimensional hybrid modeling based on a beam propagation method and a diffraction formula for an AWG demultiplexer

An efficient and accurate three-dimensional (3D) hybrid modeling, which combines a 3D beam propagation method (BPM) and the two-dimensional (2D) Kirchhoff–Huygens diffraction formula, is developed to simulate the field propagation in an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) demultiplexer. The 2D Kirchhoff–Huygens diffraction formula is used for the simulation of the light propagation in the free propagation regions (FPRs). A 3D BPM in a polar coordinate system is used to simulate the light propagation in the transition region between the input FPR and the arrayed waveguides so that the coupling coefficients for the arrayed waveguides are calculated conveniently and accurately. For the simulation in the transition region between the arrayed waveguides and the output FPR, only the central arrayed waveguide and several adjacent ones are needed in the computational window of a standard BPM and thus the computation efficiency is improved. Finally, a flat-top AWG is designed and fabricated to verify the reliability of the present simulation method. The calculated and measured spectral responses are in a good agreement.     

Numerical study on a compact all-semiconductor-optical-amplifier Sagnac interferometer device

The nonlinear switching effect of an all-semiconductor-optical-amplifier Sagnac interferometer is numerically investigated. The device, stemming from the conventional nonlinear optical loop mirror made of fiber, has a much more compact size and a latency several hundred times smaller than the conventional ones. Numerical simulations are conducted for the case of cw signal operation. It is found that the nonlinear coupling in the MMIWA and the lateral field redistribution as well as the amplification of the signal through the loop structure contribute together to the nonlinear switching. Besides investigating the physical mechanism of the device, we vary relevant parameters to evaluate their influences on device performance. The numerical simulations show good agreement in trend with the experimental results.     

Tunable multiwavelength SOA-fiber ring laser based on Sagnac loop mirror incorporating few-mode high birefringence fiber

A tunable multiwavelength fiber ring laser based on a semiconductor optical amplifier and Sagnac loop mirror incorporating a piece of few-mode high birefringence fiber (FM-HBF) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. It is accomplished by simply adjusting a polarization controller in the Sagnac loop mirror because birefringence of the FM-HBF is polarization dependent. Tunable multiwavelength operation up to 11 oscillating lines at about 2.1 nm interval is stably achieved with an optical side-mode suppression ratio over 35 dB.     

A Distributed Fibre Bragg Grating Sensor Interrogator Employing a Reformative Arrayed Waveguide Grating

We present an interrogating technique employing a reformative arrayed waveguide grating without output waveguides in combination with a linear charge coupled device. A simple and effective data processing method called area equalized point is used to improve the system resolution. The simulation results show that the wavelength shift of a fibre Bragg grating with temperature can be precisely measured by this interrogation technique. The temperature accuracy and wavelength resolution of the sensor system are smaller than 0.08℃ and 0.8pm, respectively. If the FBG 3dB-bandwidth is 0.2nm with the wavelength spacing between two adjacent FBGs of 1.4 nm, the temperature and wavelength errors caused by crosstalk are respectively 0.01℃ and 0. 1 pm.     

A concise design of 16 × 16 polymer AWG with low insertion loss and crosstalk

In this paper, a 16-channel arrayed waveguide grating multiplexer (AWG) has been designed using polymer materials with 1.5% refractive index difference. Certain important parameters are optimized using the coupling mode theory and Beam Propagation Method. The factors that affect the insertion loss and the crosstalk are analyzed in this paper. In our design we introduced the parabolic taper structure and evaluated the suitable number of the arrayed waveguide, obtaining a total insertion loss of 2.19 dB. For obtaining a low crosstalk we evaluate the pitches of adjacent input/output waveguides ΔX and arrayed waveguides d as different values. We chose the value of ΔX about 2.5 times of d by enlarging the pitches of adjacent input/output waveguides. The crosstalk of the designed AWG is lower than −40 dB.     

Stable multiwavelength fiber ring laser with equalized power spectrum based on a semiconductor optical amplifier

We experimentally demonstrated a new structure of a multiwavelength semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) ring laser based on a fiber Sagnac loop filter that can generate up to 25 stable output lasing wavelengths at room temperature. By varying the length of a polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber within the Sagnac loop filter, the wavelength spacing between the output lasing wavelengths can be changed to a desired value. By tuning a polarization controller (PC) within the Sagnac loop filter, stable multiwavelength 1550-nm operation with up to 17 lasing lines within 3 dB power level variation and with a wavelength spacing of ∼0.8 nm was achieved. The optical signal-to-noise ratios (OSNRs) of all the lasing wavelengths are greater than 40 dB.     

Eliminating the birefringence in silicon-on-insulator ridge waveguides by use of cladding stress

We propose and demonstrate the use of the cladding stress-induced photoelastic effect to eliminate modal birefringence in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) ridge waveguides. Birefringence-free operation was achieved for waveguides with otherwise large birefringence by use of properly chosen thickness and stress of the upper cladding layer. With the stress levels typically found in cladding materials such as SiO2, the birefringence modification range can be as large as 10(-3). In arrayed waveguide grating demultiplexers that were fabricated in a SOI platform, we demonstrated the reduction of the birefringence from 1.2 x 10(-3) (without the upper cladding) to 4.5 x 10(-5) when a 0.8-microm oxide upper cladding with a stress of -320 MPa (compressive) was used. Because the index changes induced by the stress are orders of magnitude smaller than the waveguide core-cladding index contrast, the associated mode mismatch loss is negligible.     

Linear cavity fiber laser with 100 nm wavelength tuning range

We report a 100 nm widely tunable double-clad Ytterbium doped fiber laser. The fiber laser has a linear cavity configuration, where the feedback is provided by a Sagnac fiber mirror on one side, and an external bulk grating on the other side. On the bulk grating side, the fiber has a balled curved-core-termination that suppress backreflection by roughly 50 dB, and does not affect the pump coupling efficiency. The tuning range goes from 1055 nm through 1155 nm, with a maximum output power of 360 mW at 1080 nm, and 0.3 nm linewidth.     

Fiber optic sensor based on a sagnac interferometer including a recirculating-ring delay line with an edfa

We present a theoretical and experimental investigation of a Sagnac interferometer incorporating a fiber optic recirculating-ring delay line with an erbium-doped fiber amplifier to increase the effective length of the Sagnac loop and thereby improve the low-frequency response. Theoretical calculations show that the low-frequency response of the interferometer is enhanced as expected. However, the noise penalty of using a fiber amplifier in the ring is quite high, especially at low frequencies. The signal-to-noise ratio at low frequencies, using a superfluorescent erbium fiber source, is demonstrated as increasing by a factor of 2 compared to a single-loop Sagnac interferometer with the same total length of fiber, but without fiber amplifier.