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.     

A theoretical analysis of scattering loss from planar optical waveguides

We derive analytical expressions for the scattering loss in planar optical waveguides whose surface roughness can be described by an exponential or Gaussian autocorrelation function. Our results show, for the first time, the explicit dependence of the loss coefficient on all the waveguide parameters. In addition, we show that for any waveguide there is a simple upper limit for the scattering loss.     

New method for loss measurements in optical waveguides

A new three-prism method for measuring losses of optical waveguides is presented. It has a high accuracy and is comparatively simple, both in construction and during the measurement process. The method can be applied to all kinds of planar waveguides and enables one to obtain results which are independent of the coupling efficiencies of the middle movable prism and laser radiation fluctuations.     

Polymer-based waveguides with low propagation loss and polarization-dependent loss

Polymeric optical waveguides based on a new synthesized bisphenol A–aldehyde polymer (PA-1 resin) have been fabricated using photolithography and reactive ion etching technique. The polymer is novel with relatively high refractive index, low birefringence and absorption at the optical communication wavelengths. The single-mode channel waveguides exhibit a propagation loss of 0.41±0.05 dB/cm at a wavelength of and 0.5±0.05 dB/cm at for both the TE and TM polarizations. The polarization-dependent loss of the waveguides is 0.1±0.05 dB/cm at these wavelengths.     

Design and numerical analysis for low birefringence silica on silicon waveguides

A new fabrication technology for three-dimensionally buried silica on silicon optical waveguide based on deep etching and thermal oxidation is presented.Using this method,a silicon layer is left at the side of waveguide.The stress distribution and effective refractive index are calculated by using finite element method and finite different beam propagation method,respectively.The results indicate that the stress of silica on silicon optical waveguide fabricated by this method can be matched in parallel and vertical directions and stress birefringence can be effectively reduced due to the side-silicon layer.     

High index low loss LiNbO3 waveguides

We report the first fabrication, by a double proton exchange process (Double Exchange, DE) of planar LiNbO₃ waveguides simultaneously presenting high index modifications (δn_e=0.11 at a wavelength of 632.8 nm) and losses as low as 0.4 dB/cm at the same wavelength. We also demonstrate the possibility of superimposing the DE process with titanium indiffusion (Titanium Indiffusion Double Exchange, TIDE) in order to realise high quality guides supporting both TE and TM modes, useful in phase-matched applications.     

金属包层渐变折射率介质光波导的传输特性与损耗

用金属包层介质光波导损耗的微扰理论及藉助多层近似法用递推公式分析渐变折射率波导传播常数的方法,对几种类型的金属包层渐变折射率介质光波导的传输特性与损耗进行分析和讨论,得到了与精确数值计算结果相吻合的结果.     

光波导等参元分析

本文提出一套用于分析任意介质光波导的等参元算法,它基于严格的E_z-H_z变分公式,采用八节点曲边四边形单元。这种类型的等参元分析法尤其适用于研究各种具有曲边边界的复杂光波导和光波导器件。作为例子,文中把这一方法用于分析阶跃型光纤,渐变型光纤、各向同性以及各向异性光纤耦合器。     

Low radiation loss Y-junctions in planar dielectric optical waveguides

A simple structure is proposed to reduce radiation losses of Y-junctions in planar optical waveguides by decreasing refractive indices near the branching regions. The losses of the properly designed Y-junctions can be reduced by around an order of magnitude compared with those of conventional ones when the branching angles are large.     

A general approach for the analysis of optical waveguides

A general approach for the analysis of optical waveguides with the presence of an active medium is presented. It is shown from first principles that the dispersion and gain (or loss) of the active medium can be incorporated into the modal analysis of the waveguide by defining an effective complex refractive index. The applicability of this approach, in contrast with that of the conventional analysis, is investigated, employing the hollow circular cylindrical waveguide amplifier as a typical example.     

Fully three-dimensional accurate modeling of scattering loss in optical waveguides

Scattering loss in high-index-contrast optical waveguides has been modeled by a rigorous 3D numerical algorithm based on volume current method. The electromagnetic field generated by the wire current distribution simulating sidewalls roughness has been calculated by 3D finite element method. The developed modeling technique does not introduce any approximation in radiated power estimation. Numerical results obtained by our model have been compared with some experimental results reported in literature for four typical sub-micrometer high-index-contrast waveguides realized by different technologies and a very good agreement (relative error less than 3%) has been demonstrated. Closed-form expressions for scattering loss in low-index-contrast waveguides have been also derived and discussed. Developed modeling technique has been compared with other three-dimensional algorithms for scattering loss estimation and its advantages in terms of accuracy, computation time and generality have been pointed out. Scattering loss dependence on the parameters of the roughness distribution has been finally discussed.     

Leaky mode analysis of circular optical waveguides

A leaky mode is a bound mode below its cut-off frequency. It attenuates in the direction of propagation and approximates the portion of the radiation field within the optical waveguide that is significant far from the source. The characteristics, including attenuation coefficients, of leaky modes on the circular fibre are compared with those of the more familiar slab waveguide. Except for the HE_1m leaky modes, leaky modes attenuate much faster on the slab than on the circular fibre. The greater the /(azimuthal field variation) the smaller the attenuatioN. Thus, theI?1 leaky modes are important even at great distances from the source. An effective cut-off frequency is proposed. Above this frequency the mode is either weakly leaky or trapped. An expression for the number of weakly leaky and trapped modes is given. The power of leaky modes due to illuminating one end of the fibre is determined. The effect of material absorption is considered.     

Matrix method for analysis of optical waveguides and quantum well structures

The one dimensional wave equation

Reduction of insertion loss after annealing of silicon oxynitride optical waveguides

The insertion losses of silicon oxynitride (SiON) waveguides have been measured in the 1550 nm wavelength region. The waveguide structure consisted of a 2.0μm SiON waveguide core with a refractive index of 1.50, a 0.5μm SiO₂ upper cladding and a 5.0μm SiO₂ lower cladding with a refractive index of 1.45. It was found that the wavelength-dependent insertion losses of the waveguide were greatly reduced by annealing, and the loss was decreased more than 5.7 dB/cm at 1550 nm after annealing at optimum conditions. The former was attributed to the reduction of the absorption caused by N-H and Si-H vibration modes, and the latter was due to the improvement of the interface roughness and homogeneity in the waveguides after annealing.     

Perturbation analysis of finitely clad optical waveguides and couplers

In calculating the modal characteristics of a finitely clad optical waveguide, if the wavelength is much shorter than the core of the waveguide, then the cladding of the waveguide can be assumed to be infinite. On the other hand, if the wavelength is much longer than the core, the core can be ignored. These two approximations, although simple and accurate in the two respective extreme cases, do not provide adequate information in the transition region, where many tapered devices are operated. To overcome this a novel perturbation method is devised, in which these two approximations are combined in such a way that a result that is accurate in all cases can be obtained. Analytical expressions based on this method for describing the dispersion characteristics of finitely clad slab waveguides and circular step-index fibres are derived and compared with other conventional approximations. The combined use of this method and the coupled-mode theory for the analysis of optical couplers is also described.     

Vectorial wave-matching mode analysis of integrated optical waveguides

For mode fields of integrated optical waveguides with piecewise constant and rectangular permittivity profile, Maxwell's equations reduce to the two-dimensional Helmholtz wave equation, supplemented by continuity requirements on the boundaries between different media. Two basic components of the mode field are expanded into factorizing harmonic or exponential functions, separately on each rectangular region. We determine approximations for guided modes and propagation constants by means of a minimization procedure based on a least squares expression for the mismatch in the continuity requirements. Results for the hybrid mode fields of typical sample waveguides classify this approach as competitive with and superior to alternative methods for vectorial mode analysis, although some open questions remain.     

改进的光波导标量近似有限元分析

本文首次将波矢量的匹配条件应用于标量近似有限元法求解条形波导,从而将二维问题简化成两个一维问题.其结果除了具有标量近似有限元法的一切优点外,还为节省计算机的存储和时间提供了一条新的途径.     

Dispersion properties of coupled waveguides with loss and gain: a full-vectorial analysis

Waveguide structures with a balance of loss and gain have been frequently discussed in the photonic community not only as photonic analogues of quantum-mechanical systems with parity-time (PT) symmetry (breaking), but also as components with potentially interesting technical applications. In this contribution, properties of mutually coupled photonic waveguides with loss and gain are numerically analyzed using our proprietary full-vectorial Fourier modal method. Beside the classical case of a directional coupler with a balance of loss and gain, more general waveguide coupler structures exhibiting the behaviour analogous to PT-symmetry breaking, potentially applicable for photonic switching, are analyzed, too. For applications, simultaneous mutually balanced change of both loss and gain is evidently impractical. For a directional coupler structure with loss in one channel and gain in the other channel it is shown by rigorous numerical modelling that the behaviour analogous to PT-symmetry breaking can be realized by varying gain (or loss) only. Finally, it is confirmed by rigorous numerical modelling that the exceptional point does exist also in a very high-contrast asymmetric structure of a plasmonic directional coupler with strongly localized gain in one channel.     

A new semi-analytical method for the analysis of tapered optical waveguides

Tapered waveguide are used in number of integrated optic devices such as directional couplers, modulators, switches mode converters, etc. Most of the methods analyzing tapered waveguide are numerical in nature. In this paper we present a simple, fast and accurate semi analytical method for z-varying waveguide. However, very few idealized structures can be analyzed directly. The present method consists of separating transverse and longitudinal variation in the wave equation, leading to a differential equation with z-varying coefficients for the field variation along z-axis. For the transverse variation local normal theory is applied. Now this equation is applied to specific taper geometries like linear down taper. Computational are done assuming typical values. We observe variation of power mode profile and mode width. Waveguide loss is also including in the analysis. Finally the analytical simulation results have been verified by the commercial Opti-BPM software.