Review of integrated optics

A tutorial introduction and a review are given of the field of integrated optics and optical guided-wave devices. Device principles and potential applications are discussed. The properties of dielectric waveguides are reviewed briefly and new materials and new fabrication techniques are mentioned. An illustration is given of recent work on devices. This includes a discussion of work on guided-wave modulators and switches with focus on devices made by titanium diffusion in lithium niobate. Mention is made of an experimental 4 × 4 switching network that was recently demonstrated in the laboratory. Other devices discussed are corrugated waveguide filters in which rejection bandwidths from 0.1 to 62% have been obtained. The paper concludes with a discussion of the use of guided-wave techniques in semiconductor junction lasers.