Manufacture of photonics components with a deep UV laser source at 255nm

Abstract

Fiber bragg gratings (FBG) are manufactured by inducing a periodic refractive index change and are used for DWDM, gain flattening and frequency locking telecoms components. The frequency doubled copper vapor laser is a high power deep-UV (255nm) source capable of efficiently inducing the required photorefractive index change for the manufacture of FGBs.The writing of FBGs with the frequency doubled copper vapor laser has been demonstrated in a wide range of optical fiber materials, with high growth rates and high reflectivity gratings. Growth rates as high as 60 dB in 2 seconds have been seen in boron/germanium/hydrogen doped silica fibers and typical growth rates for hydrogen doped standard telecom fiber of 10 dB in 30 seconds.The high average power (up to 1000 mW), high repetition rate (6 kHz), low pulse energy (<0.2 mJ) and long coherence length (40 mm), of the UV copper vapor laser make it highly suited to the manufacture of a range of photonics components. These include the production of Bragg gratings in both optical fibers and planar waveguides and the trimming of optical circuits. This paper will report typical growth rates and grating profiles that can be achieved using this source.Fiber bragg gratings (FBG) are manufactured by inducing a periodic refractive index change and are used for DWDM, gain flattening and frequency locking telecoms components. The frequency doubled copper vapor laser is a high power deep-UV (255nm) source capable of efficiently inducing the required photorefractive index change for the manufacture of FGBs.The writing of FBGs with the frequency doubled copper vapor laser has been demonstrated in a wide range of optical fiber materials, with high growth rates and high reflectivity gratings. Growth rates as high as 60 dB in 2 seconds have been seen in boron/germanium/hydrogen doped silica fibers and typical growth rates for hydrogen doped standard telecom fiber of 10 dB in 30 seconds.The high average power (up to 1000 mW), high repetition rate (6 kHz), low pulse energy (<0.2 mJ) and long coherence length (40 mm), of the UV copper vapor laser make it highly suited to the manufacture of a range of photonics components. These include the production of Bragg gratin...