Asymmetric Graded Index Research Articles

An asymmetric graded indexed helical structured optical fibre for enhanced optical delays

Optical fibres are generally used to provide a guided path to optical signals. Optical fibres are classified as multi-mode or single-mode fibres. Multi-mode graded index (GRIN) optical fibres have been prevalent in short-range optical networks, while single-mode GRIN fibres are used for long-range links. Another potential application of optical fibre is the optical delays in numerous applications, such as quantum computing, network buffering, data synchronization, pattern correlation, etc. This paper conceptualizes a novel application of an asymmetric GRIN optical fibre for possible enhanced optical delays. An asymmetric GRIN parabolic profile with helical structure geometry has been proposed for this task. A detailed analysis has been presented to investigate the effects of various parameters of the proposed geometry. Further, a guided propagation has also been demonstrated with the help of ray optics and the Helmholtz wave equation to assess the feasibility of the proposal. The presented investigations revealed that the geometrical length of the proposed structure is significantly compact compared with the traditional GRIN fibre, proving it beneficial for optical delays.

AlGaN/GaN asymmetric graded-index separate confinement heterostructures designed for electron-beam pumped UV lasers.

We present a study of undoped AlGaN/GaN separate confinement heterostructures designed to operate as electron beam pumped ultraviolet lasers. We discuss the effect of spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization on carrier diffusion, comparing the results of cathodoluminescence with electronic simulations of the band structure and Monte Carlo calculations of the electron trajectories. Carrier collection is significantly improved using an asymmetric graded-index separate confinement heterostructure (GRINSCH). The graded layers avoid potential barriers induced by polarization differences in the heterostructure and serve as strain transition buffers which reduce the mosaicity of the active region and the linewidth of spontaneous emission.

Mode Structure and the Envelope of a High-Power Pulse in an Asymmetric Graded-Index Waveguide Layer

Mode Structure and the Envelope of a High-Power Pulse in an Asymmetric Graded-Index Waveguide Layer

Molecular-beam epitaxy of heterostructures of wide-gap II–VI compounds for low-threshold lasers with optical and electron pumping

The paper presents basic approaches in designing and growing by molecular beam epitaxy of (Zn,Mg)(S,Se)-based laser heterostructures with multiple CdSe quantum dot (QD) sheets or ZnCdSe quantum wells (QW). The method of calculation of compensating short-period ZnSSe/ZnSe superlattices (SLs) in both active and waveguide regions of laser heterostructures possessing the different waveguide thickness and different number of active regions is presented. The method allowing reduction of the density of nonequilibrium point defects in the active region of the II–VI laser structures has been proposed. It utilizes the migration enhanced epitaxy mode in growing the ZnSe QW confining the CdSe QD sheet. The threshold power density as low as P thr ∼ 0.8 kW/cm2 at T = 300 K has been demonstrated for laser heterostructure with single CdSe QD sheet and asymmetric graded-index waveguide with strain-compensating SLs.

Mode transformation using graded photonic crystals with axial asymmetry

We propose a mode conversion method that enables transformation of the propagating mode from fundamental to higher-order modes by utilizing asymmetric graded index (A-GRIN) structures. Refractive index variations of two different asymmetric gradient profiles, i.e., exponential and Luneburg lens profiles, have been approximated by two-dimensional photonic crystals (PCs). The basic structure is composed of constant radii with different lattice sizes. The designed GRIN mode converters provide relatively high transmission efficiency in the spectral region of interest and achieve the transformation in compact configuration. Numerical approaches utilizing the finite-difference time-domain and plane wave expansion methods are used to analyze the mode conversion phenomenon of proposed GRIN PC media. Analytical formulation based on ray theory is outlined to explore both ray trajectories and the physical concept of a wavefront retardation mechanism.

S-polarized guided electromagnetic waves at a planar interface between vacuum and a graded-index dielectric

Analytic expressions for the dispersion relation and electric field profiles of guided waves supported by an asymmetric graded-index dielectric waveguide are derived. The system studied consists of vacuum in the region , and a dielectric medium in the region whose dielectric permittivity decreases continuously with increasing distance into it from the interface according to . Here is the (real) index of refraction of the medium at , and it is assumed that . It is found that for frequencies below a certain critical value given by , where is the speed of light in vacuum, the dispersion curve consists of a single branch that exists in a narrow spectral range. Its electric field decays exponentially with increasing distance into each medium. For frequencies above this critical value, the dispersion curve possesses several branches. The corresponding electric field decays exponentially with increasing distance into the vacuum, and decays in an oscillatory fashion with increasing distance into the graded-index dielectric medium. The number of nodes in the latter field equals the branch number, starting with zero for the lowest frequency branch.

Efficient mode converter design using asymmetric graded index photonic structures

Asymmetric graded-index (GRIN) inhomogeneous medium is proposed to enable even-to-odd mode conversion. An exponential refractive index profile is implemented to induce an asymmetric refractive index distribution. A two-dimensional photonic crystal structure composed of constant dielectric radii with rectangular unit cells is deployed. Efficient mode transformation in a compact structure may promote the manipulation of light for the creation of other types of higher-order modes in asymmetric GRIN structures.

Microphotonic Elements for Integration on the Silicon-on-Insulator Waveguide Platform

This paper presents an overview of our recent work on several fundamental optical elements and their integration on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguide platform. Theory, design and experimental results are presented for monolithically integrated asymmetric graded-index waveguide couplers, as well as output couplers based on total internal reflection mirrors. Design strategies for dispersive elements on SOI, for example, ring resonators and arrayed waveguide gratings, are discussed with special emphasis on methods to eliminate the polarization sensitivity. Finally, the properties and applications of evanescent fields in SOI waveguides are reviewed

High-power spatially coherent operation of unstable resonator semiconductor lasers with regrown lens trains

We have obtained high-power spatially coherent operation in wide-stripe InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs semiconductor lasers using a monolithic unstable resonator [consisting of diverging lens elements incorporated above an asymmetric graded-index separate confinement heterostructure (AGRIN-SCH)]. The fabrication involves MOCVD regrowth after wet-chemical etching of lens-like patterns in a GaAs layer above the active region. Pulsed output powers of 175 and 490 mW have been obtained in 170- and 100-μm-wide lasers, respectively, with spatial coherence in the near field exceeding 60%. We observe good lateral mode discrimination up to 3.5 times threshold in the 100-μm stripes with a round-trip magnification of 6.4.

Characterization of asymmetric graded-index planar optical waveguides from the knowledge of TE/sub 0/-TE/sub 1/ mode cutoff wavelengths

The authors have proposed (1991) a simple method for predicting the index profile parameter (the profile exponent q in case of a power law profile or the aspect ratio S in case of trapezoidal index profile) of a graded-index optical fiber which is single moded in the 1.3-1.55 mu m wavelength range from a measurement of the LP/sub 11/ and LP/sub 02/ cutoff wavelengths. They extend the method with appropriate modification to determine the asymmetry parameter sigma , the maximum refractive index n/sub f/ and the characteristic thickness d of the guiding layer of a few-moded graded-index asymmetric planar optical waveguide from a measurement of the TE/sub 0/ and TE/sub 1/ cutoff wavelengths. The method is simple and can give firsthand information about these parameters with reasonably good accuracy.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

A refined WKB method for planar waveguides with asymmetric graded-index profile

By extending the modified WKB approximation which Miller and Good derived for quantum mechanical problems, we present a refined WKB method to calculate the propagation constants of planar waveguides with asymmetric graded-index profiles. Simple formulas for evaluating the propagation constants are derived and are applied to waveguides with parabolic, exponential, gaussian and complementary error function index profiles. Our method is much more accurate than the ordinary WKB approximation and the results agree well with those of exact numerical methods.