Fabrication and study of a metal-clad planar waveguide based biosensor

A metal-clad planar optical waveguide biosensor having five layer structure has been fabricated to study the detection of Pseudomonas and Pseudomonas-like bacteria. This waveguide is designed to increase the overlap of the evanescent field extension from the sensor face with the micro-scale biological objects in the bulk solution, to place most of the entire volume of the bacteria within the evanescent field. The results presented here leads to a significant optimization of the important design parameters to sense micro-scale biological objects. We have compared our computed results with the results obtained by similar non-metallic clad biosensor. The effect of affinity-layer refractive index on the sensitivity of these planar waveguides is also studied. We have shown this for some special cases by obtaining reflection dips at the particular angle of incidence. Our observations show that the metal-clad planar optical waveguide biosensor having higher affinity refractive index will give better sensitivity than other similar non-metallic clad biosensor. The validation of metal-clad planar optical waveguide sensor for the detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium is also made.     

Investigation of a UV-laser generated waveguide in a planar polymer chip using an improved interferometric method

Polymeric integrated-optical waveguides are prepared in a planar polymer chip by UV-laser lithographic methods. The waveguide samples are irradiated by an excimer laser at a wavelength Λ=248 nm with various irradiation parameters (different fluencies and irradiation doses). Mach-Zehnder interferometer is employed and the refractive index depth profiles of the waveguide samples are obtained. This profile covers two regions having exponential and Gaussian shapes. The model field distributions strongly depend on the refractive index of each region. The mode field distribution and the effective mode indices for each region have been calculated on the basis of a theoretical model and the experimentally measured data.     

Efficient coupling of a laser to a waveguide using a taper designed by conformal mapping

Maximising the optical power collected in a waveguide from the diffracting field of a semiconductor laser is desirable in optical fibre communication systems. However, the spot size and phase front curvature of the laser field usually makes a poor overlap with the mode of the receiving waveguide. Various proposals have been made to improve this coupling. This paper presents the design of a tapered waveguide section, having the correct geometry and refractive index profile, to efficiently capture and transform the rapidly diffracting light from a semiconductor laser to a planar wavefront in a straight waveguide. Experimentally, such an approach requires the refining of available techniques (UV exposure, ion implantation or diffusion) to obtain the required grading of the refractive index profile within the tapered input section of the receiving waveguide.     

Guided modes in slab waveguides with a left handed material cover or substrate

We study guided modes propagating along a dielectric slab waveguide with a left handed material (LHM) cover or substrate. The dispersion relation is derived by using normalized waveguide parameters. An analytical method is then proposed to calculate the universal dispersion curves. Different from a slab waveguide with a LHM core, we find that guidance properties are strongly dependent on dielectric permittivity ε and magnetic permeability μ of the substrate and cover layers. For oscillating guided modes, fundamental zero order mode is not always absence, sometimes it exists in a restricted range of normalized propagation constant. First order mode behaves as other higher order modes and exists up to infinite high frequency. Higher order modes have no double degeneracy in the case of LHM cover layer. For surface guided modes, the existence and the type of the mode solutions with respect to different parameters are classified systematically and discussed in detail. Unlike a slab waveguide with a LHM core where the dispersion curve of TE₁ surface mode continues with that of oscillating TE₁ mode, the dispersion curve of TE₁ surface mode continues with that of oscillating TE₀ mode. It seems that the two different kinds of modes compensate each other to form one whole mode. Both TE and TM guided modes are discussed.     

Propagation of p-polarized waves in a linearly graded index film surrounded by negative index materials

The theory of step-index waveguides is well-established. Most practical slab waveguide structures have a graded-index profile. The basic properties of graded-index planar waveguide structures are similar to those of step-index waveguides with subtle differences. The most common types of graded-index slab waveguides are linearly and exponentially graded-index profiles. We here treat linearly graded-index slab waveguide. In this work, a three-layer waveguide structure with linearly graded-index film is considered. We assume three structures: the first structure comprises a left-handed material (LHM) cladding, the second structure contains a LHM substrate layer and the third has a LHM cladding and substrate. Closed-form expressions for electric and magnetic fields and the characteristic equation are derived. The three normalized parameters: the asymmetry coefficient (a), the normalized film thickness (V) and the normalized guide index (b) are used to study the dispersion properties of the proposed slab waveguide structure.     

K-Na离子交换单模平面波导的制备及其表征

通过K-Na离子交换技术制备了多模玻璃平面波导.采用棱镜耦合技术测量了波导的有效折射率,用IWKB方法拟合得到K-Na离子交换波导的折射率分布符合高斯分布,由色散曲线得到单模波导的制备条件(即扩散深度范围),从而得出单模波导的离子交换时间范围,制备出单模波导,并通过求解WKB色散方程得出单模波导的表面折射率.用普通数码相机,通过对离子交换平面玻璃光波导传输线进行数字成像,根据传输线上的光强分布拟合出光强传输衰减曲线,计算出单模波导的传输损耗大约为0.4 dB/cm.     

Waveguide regimes of a graded-index planar waveguide with cladding

An exact dispersion relation for the guided modes of a four-layer planar structure with an exponential permittivity profile in the main waveguide layer (slab) is derived for the first time on the basis of the wave approach. Periodicity of the mode characteristics as functions of the cladding thickness is established. The dependence of the energy flux distributions of various modes in the waveguide structure on the thicknesses of the cladding and slab layers is investigated. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 74–79 (November 1999)     

Analytical relation between effective mode field area and waveguide dispersion in microstructure fibers

For optical fibers exhibiting a radially symmetric refractive index profile, there exists an analytical relation that connects waveguide dispersion and the Petermann-II mode field radius. We extend the usefulness of this relation to the nonradially symmetric case of microstructure fibers in the anomalous dispersion regime, yielding a simple relation between dispersion and effective mode field area. Assuming a Gaussian mode distribution, we derive a fundamental upper limit for the effective mode field area that is required to obtain a certain amount of anomalous waveguide dispersion. This relation is demonstrated to show excellent agreement for fiber designs suited for supercontinuum generation and soliton lasers in the near infrared.     

Mode analysis of realistic optical waveguide structures and microstructured holey fibers by modal field evolution

In this article, we describe a useful technique for calculating modes of practical optical waveguides having two-dimensional arbitrary transverse refractive index profile. The method uses a finite difference platform for evaluating Helmholtz's equation in scalar and semivectorial forms through a field evolution algorithm. The method is straightforward, easy to handle and does not involve any complex analysis or matrix formulation. We tested the accuracy of our analysis approach by applying it on a large number of realistic waveguide problems having known results or results available in the literature. The formulation has facilitated us to study the modal properties, viz., field distribution, birefringence, dispersion and mode effective area, of a variety of practical two-dimensional structures namely, planar structure, coupler, semiconductor optical waveguides, optical fibers and arbitrary profile microstructured fibers which are uniquely important in photonics and guided-wave devices. The algorithm will therefore be very useful in designing and studying any arbitrary-structure waveguides, and to explore new geometry and properties.     

Planar waveguides in calcium barium niobate fabricated by MeV He ion implantation

A planar optical waveguide was formed in calcium barium niobate (CBN) crystal by 2.8-MeV He-ion implantation with a dose of 1.0×10¹⁶ ions/cm² at room temperature. The prism-coupling method was used to take dark mode measurements at both 633 nm and 1539 nm. The refractive-index profile (n_o and n_e) of the He-implanted CBN waveguide was analyzed with the reflectivity calculation method. The results show that the MeV He implantation results in a decrease in refractive index in barriers for both n_o (4.1%) and n_e (3.1%), but for n_e there is an increase in the waveguide region. The intensity profile of the guide mode and waveguide loss were obtained by end-fire coupling. PACS 42.79.Gn; 61.80.Jh     

High-index and low loss polyethylene terephatate optical waveguides

In this paper, the fabrication and characterization of a high-index low loss polyethylene terephatate (PET) optical waveguide is presented. Dip-coating technique has been used to fabricate the optical waveguide using PET. Various waveguide properties, such as mode effective refractive index, optical loss, dispersion and waveguide thickness as a function of temperature of waveguides and substrates have been reported. Optical losses of as low as 0.7 dB cm^–1 waveguides can be obtained if the formation temperature can be controlled between 30 and 35°C. In addition, we suggested that it is a suitable material for optoelectronic waveguide devices.     

Fabrication and characterization of polyethylene terephatate optical waveguides

In this paper, the fabrication and characterization of polyethylene terephatate (PET) thin film integrated optical waveguide is presented. Dip-coating technique has been used to fabricate the optical waveguide using PET. Various waveguide properties, such as mode effective refractive index, optical loss, dispersion and waveguide thickness as a function of temperature of waveguides have been reported. The optical loss are found to be <1 dB cm^–1.     

Mode field distribution of an integrated-optical waveguide generated by UV-laser radiation at the surface of a planar polymer chip

An integrated-optical strip-waveguide is directly written into the surface of a planar polymer substrate by an excimer laser beam. The mode field distribution, the surface refractive index and the refractive index depth profile of the waveguide have been examined. The intensity distribution of the mode field strongly depends on the refractive index depth profile, on the light coupling conditions and on the waveguide fabrication process parameters.     

γ辐射对光纤波导电磁场分布的影响

开展了光纤波导中的电磁场传输理论分析,得到了光纤折射率变化对波导中电磁场分布的影响规律,建立了块状融石英材料及光纤光栅在60Co 辐射作用下折射率变化的测量系统,开展了折射率随辐射剂量变化及光纤模场测量实验。结果表明:光纤的折射率随辐射剂量的增加而增大,折射率的变化会引起波导中传输模式的场强分布变化,从而导致光纤的辐射感生波导损耗;在一定的辐射剂量范围（0～2000 Gy）内,光纤仍满足弱导边界条件,能够维持对传输模式的约束能力。     

Image formation by phase coincidences in optical waveguides

A thick dielectric slab of uniform refractive index, acting as a multimode optical waveguide, can produce real optical images provided its length L is chosen so that the phase changes suffered along L by the various propagating modes differ by integer multiples of φ or of 2φ. For slab of thickness W, refractive index n, and light of wavelength λ, this condition is satisfied if L ? 4hnW²/λ, where h = 1, 2, 3, …. The formation of the images is described theoretically and demonstrated experimentally.     

Z-切Ti:LiNbO3平面波导模式数量的色散特性

对于在流动干氩气中扩散而形成的Z-切Ti:LiNbO₃平面波导,用Fouchet等人提出的钛感应折射率增量在0.6～1.6μm波长范围内的色散关系,推得与扩散参数有显函数关系的模式数量的色散公式。在若干重要波长,用这些色散公式,画出模式数量和扩散参数的关系曲线,可用来控制相应波导和器件的模式数量。     

Guided surface modes in a hollow slab waveguide with a left-handed material substrate or cover

The structural dispersion characteristics of guided surface modes in a hollow slab waveguide with a left-handed material substrate or cover are investigated. Dispersion relation is derived by using normalized parameters, and universal dispersion curves have been obtained analytically, by solving transcendental dispersion equations in a reverse way. Existence condition, mode degeneracy and other dispersion properties of guided surface modes have been discussed for different ? or μ of three layers for this substrate or cover layer.     

A theoretical study of the modal dispersion characteristics of an annular circular waveguide with helical winding as the outer cladding

In this present communication, we introduce a new type of annular optical waveguide whose outer cladding is made of sheath helix. The sheath helix is made up of the dielectric material of lower refractive index than the core materials. Using vector approach, the general characteristic equation for the proposed waveguide has been derived. The modal dispersion characteristics for the lowest-order modes for different pitch angles are determined and analyzed. We observe that there is no effect of pitch angles on dispersion curve nearly up to 89° but drastic change is observed at 90° and above pitch angle. On comparison of helically inner cladded annular circular waveguide, we have found that there is not the existence of the negative dispersion curve and photonic band gap in the helically outer cladded annular circular waveguide. It means only the inner cladding is responsible for the negative dispersion as well as photonic band gap. There is no effect of the outer cladding.     

Below-band-gap waveguiding behaviors of a weakly index-guided GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well laser

We report the reduced waveguiding efficiency for the signals around 1560 nm as the injection current of an GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well laser diode (lasing wavelength at 840 nm) with a ridge-loading waveguide configuration increased. This reduction trend stopped when the injection current reached the threshold condition of the laser diode. The decreased waveguide transmission and the more expanded mode profile indicated the variation of the effective refractive index gradient in the lateral dimension with injection current. This variation was due to the refractive index decrease with increasing carrier density even below band gap. A slab waveguide model was used to simulate the lateral mode profile variation with injection current. The refractive index differences between the guiding layer and claddings in the slab waveguide model provided estimates of refractive index contrasts of the laser diode at a concerned wavelength under various injection conditions.     

Modal attenuation in metal-clad graded-index slab optical waveguides

The paper presents the influence of refractive profile shape on the distribution of modal attenuation in planar metal-clad optical waveguide structures. A calculation method has been presented in which we applied the Snyder–Love expression on modal attenuation coefficients and matrix method 4 × 4 for the analysis of planar waveguides. The obtained results are almost identical with the exact results for refractive profiles: the parabolic, exponential, Gaussian and linear ones. It has been demonstrated that the applied calculation method can be used in waveguides of any profiles of the refractive index.