Ion-exchanged Glass Channel Waveguides Research Articles

Concentration profile calculation for buried ion-exchanged channel waveguides in glass using explicit space-charge analysis

Ionic conductivity inhomogeneity and its relation to space charge is analyzed in the case of a two-ion exchange for channel waveguide fabrication in optical glass. The space-charge evolution equation is derived and discussed in a general binary ion exchange context. This leads to an efficient algorithm which computes current-density nonuniformity in the field-assisted burying of ion-exchanged waveguides. The algorithm exhibits excellent agreement with the classic potential equation perturbed by nonhomogeneous ionic conductivity, and is appreciably faster. We show that the homogeneous current-density assumption is inaccurate for the calculation of the burying depth and waveguide size in the case of a realistic glass with nonlinear ionic diffusivity.

Polarisation-independent Bragg gratings in ion-exchangedglass channel waveguides

The polarisation dependence of Bragg gratings photowritten in ion-exchanged glass waveguides is characterised for waveguides with different mask-opening widths and burial depths. It is found that polarisation-independent gratings can be written in waveguides with a wide variation in fabrication parameters.

Gratings photowritten in ion-exchanged glass channelwaveguides

Gratings are photowritten in ion-exchanged glass channel waveguides. The transmission of these waveguides shows a rejection dip of almost 20 dB. The polarisation dependence of these waveguide gratings is measured and discussed.

Birefringence control for ion-exchanged channel glass waveguides

We show that at 1.55-mum wavelength the waveguide birefringence of ion-exchanged channel waveguides in glass can be broadly tuned by a potassium and silver double-ion exchange. Two different potassium and silver double-ion-exchange processes are used to make surface waveguides with negligible waveguide birefringence. This process is crucially important in the manufacture of devices for dense wavelength-division multiplexing systems. The dependence of the waveguide birefringence on the channel width is also reported.

Waveguide polarizers with hydrogenated amorphous silicon claddings

We have fabricated TE- and TM-pass waveguide polarizers with polarization isolations of 42 and 35 dB, respectively. The devices were fabricated by the growth of hydrogenated amorphous silicon claddings on K(+)-Na(+) ionexchanged channel waveguides in glass. Cladding thicknesses were accurately tuned to permit optimum coupling of either a TE or a TM mode to the cladding. We have also demonstrated that a waveguide polarizer attenuation as high as 760 dB/cm can be measured by using a photothermal deflection technique.

Accurate analysis of ordinary and grating-assisted ion-exchanged glass waveguides

Finite difference and finite element methods, and the coupled mode theory are combined to study in detail the ion-exchanged glass channel waveguides. Ordinary and grating-assisted waveguides are analyzed. The effect of various device parameters on waveguide behavior is investigated. Design curves to make waveguides with required characteristics are provided.

Scalar finite-element evaluation of cut-off wavelength in glass wave guides and comparison with experiment

The scalar finite-element method is used to analyze ion-exchanged glass channel waveguides. Cut-off wavelengths for fundamental and first-order modes are calculated and the single-mode region is determined. The results are compared with the experimentally measured values.