Arrayed waveguide collimators for integrating free-space optics on polymeric waveguide devices.

Array-type optical devices are important for wavelength-division multiplexing optical communication system to achieve small footprint, mass production, and reliability. For fabricating transmitter module in an array configuration, it is difficult to achieve a passive alignment of isolator, collimating lens, and laser diode. To facilitate array isolator integration, a waveguide collimator is proposed in this work by using a low-contrast, large-core polymer waveguide.

Low-crosstalk high-density polymeric integrated optics incorporating self-assembled scattering monolayer.

Highly integrated optical components are strongly demanded because they enable wavelength-division multiplexing optical communication systems to achieve smaller footprints, lower power consumption, and enhanced reliability. Variable optical attenuator (VOA) arrays are often used with optical switches in cascaded form for reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer systems. Although VOAs and optical switches based on polymer waveguide technology are commercially available, it is still not viable to integrate these two array devices on a single chip because of significant interchannel crosstalk.

L-band tunable external cavity laser based on 1.58 μm superluminescent diode integrated with spot-size converter.

We report a 1.58 μm superluminescent diode (SLD) with a spot-size converter (SSC) designed and fabricated as a light source for a tunable external cavity laser (T-ECL). The active section of the SLD is fabricated by using a planar buried heterostructure (PBH) for low-threshold current and high-output power operation at a low injection current.

Flexible polymer waveguide tunable lasers.

A flexible polymeric Bragg reflector is fabricated for the purpose of demonstrating widely tunable lasers with a compact simple structure. The external feedback of the Bragg reflected light into a superluminescent laser diode produces the lasing of a certain resonance wavelength. The highly elastic polymer device enables the direct tuning of the Bragg wavelength by controlling the imposed strain and provides a much wider tuning range than silica fiber Bragg gratings or thermo-optic tuned polymer devices.

2.5-Gb/s hybridly-integrated tunable external cavity laser using a superluminescent diode and a polymer Bragg reflector.

We presented a hybridly-integrated tunable external cavity laser with 0.8 nm mode spacing 16 channels operating in the direct modulation of 2.5-Gbps for a low-cost source of a WDM-PON system.

Tunable external cavity laser employing uncooled superluminescent diode.

We have fabricated a tunable external cavity laser (T-ECL) based on a superluminescent diode and a polymeric waveguide Bragg reflector, providing a cost-effective solution for wavelength division multiplexing-passive optical network (WDM-PON) systems. The wavelength of the T-ECL is tuned through 100 GHz-spacing 16 channels by the thermo-optic tuning of the refractive index of the polymer waveguide at a low input power of 70 mW. The maximum output power and the slope efficiency of the uncooled diode at 20 (75) degrees C are 8.

Continuously tunable compact lasers based on thermo-optic polymer waveguides with Bragg gratings.

Based on the thermo-optic tuning of a polymer waveguide Bragg reflector, we demonstrated a cost-effective tunable wavelength laser for WDM optical communications. The excellent thermo-optic effect of the polymer waveguide enabled direct tuning of the Bragg reflection wavelength by controlling the electrical power on a micro-heater. Wavelength tuning for 32 channels with 0.