Planar Hybrid Polymer–Silica Microlenses With Tunable Beamwidth and Focal Length

Glebov, Alexei L.; Huang, Lixi; Aoki, Shigeki; Lee, M.; Yokouchi, Kishio

doi:10.1109/lpt.2004.824992

Cited by 16 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…On the other hand the hybrid silica/polymer double lenses show more significant changes of the beam propagation profiles with temperature and λ. The lens thermal sensitivity can also be controlled with the lens curvature change for the same combination of the lens materials [17]. Two examples of the 2D planar microlens applications are presented.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The results for the hybrid silica/polymer lenses presented in Ref. [17] demonstrate that specific lens designs make it possible to vary the sensitivity of the lenses to thermal effects. That is, different lens curvatures can either enhance or suppress the thermal variations of the beam width.…”

Section: Lens Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Experimental studies of the thermal behavior of the double silica/polymer microlenses as well as possibilities for their applications for lens tunability were described in a previous publication [17]. Fig.…”

Section: Lens Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Planar waveguide microlenses for nonblocking photonic switches and optical interconnects

et al. 2004

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Different types of planar waveguide microlenses are fabricated with planar lightwave circuit technologies from a variety of optical materials such as silica, photo-definable epoxy resins, and a number of other optical polymers. Hybrid microlenses are also fabricated in which the base of the lens, with a double concave gap, is formed from silica and the gap is filled with an optical polymer. The optimized lens structures provide the maximum coupling efficiencies between the input and output channels at distances up to 100 mm with a minimum channel pitch of 0.5-0.7 mm. Experimental and theoretical studies provide results on collimation and focusing properties of single and double microlenses made of silica, polymer, and silica/polymer. The evaluation of the temperature and wavelength effects on the collimation characteristics of the lenses demonstrate that the single silica and epoxy lenses are more stable and, thus, more suitable for operations under varying conditions. Examples of the planar waveguide microlens applications are presented. In one application the microlenses are integrated in fast electrooptic photonic switching modules. In the other application the microlenses are embedded in the backplanes with nonblocking optical interconnects.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Lens Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 95%

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Planar waveguide microlenses for nonblocking photonic switches and optical interconnects

et al. 2004

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“…Most existing technologies are based on polymer or liquid surface (or interface) deformations. While commercial devices using electrowetting 4,5 or pressure regulation 6 typically have centimetre dimensions, extensive efforts have been recently made to develop microscale tuneable lenses by using electro-mechanic [7][8][9] , thermo-pneumatic 10,11 , electromagnetic 12,13 , optical 14 and thermal 15,16 actuators, or by using stimuli-responsive hydrogels 17 . At the microscale, the vast majority of devices are still limited by the few degrees of freedom available to mechanical interface deformations, essentially restricting the shaping to spherical wavefronts, i.e.…”

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confidence: 99%

Tunable and free-form planar optics

et al. 2019

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The advent of spatial control over the phase and amplitude of light waves has profoundly transformed photonics, enabling major advances from imaging and information technology to biomedical optics. Here, we propose a novel approach to deterministic phase-front shaping through a planar thermo-optical module using designed microheaters to locally shape the refractive index distribution. When combined with a genetic algorithm optimisation, this SmartLens can produce free-form optical wavefront modifications. Individually or in arrays, it can generate complex functions based on either pure, or a combination of, Zernike polynomials, including lenses or aberration correctors of electrically-tuneable magnitude. This simple and compact concept complements the existing optical shaping toolbox by offering low chromatic aberrations, polarisation-insensitive and transmission-mode components which can be readily integrated into existing optical systems.

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“…On the other hand, planar microlenses are easy to integrate monolithically with other optoelectronic devices. However, abrupt sidewalls of the conventional planar microlenses prevent focusing incoming light in a vertical direction and degrade coupling efficiency [5][6]. In this paper, we developed a new 3D planar microlens which could focus incident light vertically as well as horizontally and characterized the optical interconnection system with the 3D planar microlens.…”

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confidence: 99%

A high efficiency 3D planar microlens for monolithic optical interconnection system

Chang

Yoon

2005

2005 IEEE LEOS Annual Meeting Conference Proceedings

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A new 3D planar microlens for efficient monolithic optical interconnection system was developed. The fabricated 3D planar microlens showed excellent focusing characteristics and fiber-to-fiber coupling efficiency compared with a conventional 2D planar microlens.Recent researches on optoelectronics are mainly concentrated on the monolithic integration of various optical devices for low-cost fabrication and parallel signal processing. To achieve highly efficient monolithic optical interconnection systems, several types of microlenses have been developed. Surface-relief microlenses had excellent light coupling efficiency, but they had problems in monolithic integration and precise alignment between microlenses and fibers [1-2]. Lensed fibers and ball lenses are not suitable for a monolithic integration into optoelectronics system due to their specific fabrication process such as droplet formation on a fiber-end and thermal reflow process, respectively [3][4]. On the other hand, planar microlenses are easy to integrate monolithically with other optoelectronic devices. However, abrupt sidewalls of the conventional planar microlenses prevent focusing incoming light in a vertical direction and degrade coupling efficiency [5][6]. In this paper, we developed a new 3D planar microlens which could focus incident light vertically as well as horizontally and characterized the optical interconnection system with the 3D planar microlens. Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of the monolithic optical interconnection system with the proposed 3D planar microlens. The rounded sidewall of the microlens enables the vertical focusing of the light from an optical fiber or a laser diode and it is exaggerated to see the curvature clearly as shown in the inset of Fig. 1. We used 3D diffuser lithography and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) replication method to fabricate the 3D planar microlenses [7]. Because PDMS is transparent (transmittance > 90 % for visible and infrared light), it has been widely used as a lens material [8]. The 3D diffuser lithography system is briefly introduced in Fig. 2(a). The diffuser on a photomask changes the direction of the collimated UV light randomly and the UV-exposed regions with rounded sidewalls are formed in the photoresist (Clariant AZ9260). Fig. 2(b) shows a photoresist mold with a concave sidewall after development process. Its height is 70 µm and radius of curvature is 108 µm. The SEM picture of the replicated 3D planar microlens is provided in Fig. 3. The layout for the planar microlens was designed to have the same radius of curvature with that of the sidewall. The microlens was 208 µm in width and 70 µm in height.Focal spots of the 3D and conventional 2D planar microlenses having the same focal length of 300 µm were compared in Fig. 4. While the 2D planar microlens showed a 3.5 µm-wide focal line, the proposed 3D planar microlens focused the incident light into a focal point with 7.9 µm in height and 4.0 µm in width. Such an excellent focusing characteristics of the 3D planar microlens enhanced fiber-to-fi...

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Planar Hybrid Polymer–Silica Microlenses With Tunable Beamwidth and Focal Length

Cited by 16 publications

References 7 publications

Planar waveguide microlenses for nonblocking photonic switches and optical interconnects

Planar waveguide microlenses for nonblocking photonic switches and optical interconnects

Tunable and free-form planar optics

A high efficiency 3D planar microlens for monolithic optical interconnection system

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