Integrated-optic wavelength multi- and demultiplexers using a chirped grating and an ion-exchanged waveguide

Abstract

Wavelength multiplexers and demultiplexers using a chirped grating and an ion-exchanged multimode waveguide are presented. The waveguide is prepared by the electric-field-assisted ion-exchange technique, and the chirped grating is fabricated by the computer-controlled electron-beam writing technique. The device requires no collimating and focusing components and has the advantages of (1) high resolution, (2) large channel number, (3) small cross talk, (4) low insertion loss, (5) low loss coupling to multimode fiber, (6) compact and stable rugged structure, and (7) possibility of economical mass production. The design considerations and the fabrication process are described, and the demultiplexing characteristics of the fabricated device are discussed.

Ion-exchanged glass waveguide technology: a review

“…36 A five-channel wavelength multiplexer was demonstrated, combining a chirped grating with multimode silver-exchanged waveguides. 37 Separate from the emphasis on silver exchange, single-mode 1-to-N star couplers were demonstrated with potassium exchange. 38 K + ion exchange was also used to make the first thermo-optic waveguide switches that combined miniature thin-film heaters deposited on waveguide structures, achieving millisecond switching with 0.5 W switching power.…”

Four-channel integrated-optic wavelength demultiplexer with weak polarization dependence

“…Various configurations of planar (de)multiplexers have been accomplished by using optical interference filters [ 11- [3], wavelength selective coupling [4]- [6], and optical diffraction gratings [7]- [9]. Verbeek et al [ l ] reported a weakly polarization-dependent four-channel Mach-Zehnder demultiplexer (device length 33 mm) with a channel spacing of 7.7 nm, 2.6-dB loss, and 16-dB channel crosstalk.…”

“…The configuration was designed for a specific polarization and had a length of 10 mm. Suhara et al [7] demonstrated a five-channel demultiplexer for multimode systems with 30-nm channel spacing using a chirped grating. The hybrid component, with dimensions 20 X 13 mm2, showed 9.5-dB loss and 21.5-dB crosstalk.…”

A novel integrated-optic WDM cross-connect for wavelength routing networks

“…Its application for coupling 151, multiplexing and demultiplexing [4] have been discussed. Implementation of grating by twewave mixing has been discussed in [SI; more interestingly, fabrication of such a device by integrated-optic techniques has been studied [4, Recently, we have analysed a general space-varying refractive index medium and studied some of its applications for broadcast coupling [8], for self-routing wavelength division multiplexing optical networks [9] and for a WDM cross-connected star topology in multihop lightwave networks [lo].…”

“…Different techniques for fabricating integrated-optic 'On sabatical leave: Dr. Irshid is with the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan 192 wavelength multiplexers and demultiplexers have been reported [3]. Wavelength multiplexing/demultiplexing in a single-mode waveguide can be realized through a co-planar diffraction of optical waves by a cascade array of Bragg microgratings with different periods or orientations fabricated in the waveguide [4]. In this paper, the same technique is used to design a two-dimensional array of Bragg microgratings capable of performing various wavelength routing functions on a single substrate.…”