Monique Thual,Damien Malarde,B. Abherve-Guegen,P. Rochard École Nationale Supérieure des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie (France) Philippe Chanclou France Télécom R&D (France)
We have developed a simple and low-cost microlens for optical communication systems involving the coupling of laser diodes or integrated waveguides to single-mode fibers (SMFs), and fiber-to-fiber interconnection. More generally, the applications concern coupling active or passive components to SMFs. The novelty consists in using a graded-index section of 125-μm core diameter without cladding and taking into account the diffraction effects. This new microlens offers a wider range of mode field diameters (from around 5 to 90 μm) and working distances (up to 2000 μm) than previously demonstrated. This paper investigates the influence of the Fresnel diffraction of a Gaussian beam, during its propagation through the microlens, on the mode field intensity profile, the working distance, and the coupling efficiency of this kind of microlens in front of a SMF. It shows that while truncation causes multiple maxima of the coupling efficiency as a function of z displacement, it does not decrease the maximum coupling efficiency.
Monique Thual,
Damien Malarde,
B. Abherve-Guegen,
P. Rochard,
Philippe Chanclou,
"Truncated Gaussian beams through microlenses based on a graded-index section," Optical Engineering 46(1), 015402 (1 January 2007). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2431798
Monique Thual, Damien Malarde, B. Abherve-Guegen, P. Rochard, Philippe Chanclou, "Truncated Gaussian beams through microlenses based on a graded-index section," Opt. Eng. 46(1) 015402 (1 January 2007)