In this paper, different hybridly integrated optical devices including optical multiplexer/ demultiplexer and
optical transceivers are described. The devices were made using polymer planar light wave circuit (P2LC)
technology. Laser diodes, photodiodes, and thin-film filters have been integrated. Key issues involved in this
technology, in particular the coupling between laser diodes and polymer waveguides, and between
waveguides and photodiodes and also fibers are discussed.
"Berlin Access", a regional R&D project carried out by six companies and Heinrich Hertz Institute, Fraunhofer
Society, is geared towards low cost solutions for fibre access network architectures (PON and CWDM-PON), ONU
transceivers, and passive fibre components. Close communication with system manufacturers, non-incumbent
carriers, and a city services supplier implementing a local FTTH network supports orientation towards market
demands. In this paper we report on a new FTTH transceiver based on an all-polymer PLC motherboard. The
waveguides exhibit high transmission, strong optical confinement, and large operation temperature range. Low loss
passively adjusted fibre/PLC coupling is achieved by employing a waveguide taper. Downstream/upstream
wavelength separation is accomplished by a directional coupler, or, alternatively, a thin film filter inserted into the
input/output waveguide (the latter approach also allowing for the provisioning of an overlay broadcasting channel).
The horizontal-cavity surface-emitting laser diode, the pin-photodiode (equipped with a thin film filter for improved
crosstalk suppression), and the monitor diode are all flip-chip surface mounted; the light being coupled via 45°
waveguide mirrors. Chip mounting can be done with a commercial fineplacer using semi-active automatic
alignment. Micro-strip lines with impedances adapted to both laser and photodiode are fabricated on the basis of the
PLC films. The polymer motherboard integration scheme offers compact transceiver optical subassemblies and lends
itself favourably to highly automized, low cost manufacturing with high yield. Extended functionalities like loss of
light alarm or concepts for colourless CWDM ONUs can be easily realized with this concept.
In the age of information society and internet the requirements of fast transfers of large data streams for different applications are growing day by day. Killer-applications like teleconferencing, video-on-demand, online-games, virtual reality etc. are waiting in the wings. The optical network technology using the great bandwidth of glass fibre is the most suitable technology for these demands. Not only glass fibre is required, but also a broad range of optical components, such as multiplexers, demultiplexers, optical switches, optical attenuators, splitters and combiners, which are usually produced in silica technology. Polymeric materials are becoming more and more interesting for these applications, since they promise for instance lower power consumption and a reduction of production costs compared to their silica based pendants. Polycyanurate ester resins are a relatively new class of high-performance polymers with outstanding properties, for example high thermal stability, low optical loss, low dielectric constant, good adhesion and outstanding mechanical properties. This paper focuses on optical loss and birefringence of such materials at 1550 nm. The results lead the way to optimization for use in integrated optics and for the production of embedded waveguides and devices.
Polymeric optical planar waveguide devices such as optical switches, optical arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) multiplexer/demultiplexer, optical add/drop multiplexer are promising for both of optical WDM networks and access network. For investigating such polymer devices, new polymeric waveguide materials were developed and different polymer integrated optical devices including interferometric-type optical switches, digital-optical switches (DOS), hybrid polymer/silica vertical coupler switches (VCS), polymer AWG multiplexer and athermal all- polymer AWG multiplexer have been studied.
Thermo-optic 1x2 vertical coupler switches (VCSs) using a hybrid polymer/silica integration technology were designed using finite element method and coupled mode method for different refractive index contrasts. The multilayer structures were optimized by thermal analysis. Based on this design and simulation, hybrid polymer/silica thermo-optic 1x2VSCs exhibiting low insertion loss, low crosstalk, low switching power, and polarization independence were demonstrated. Using this 1x2VCS as the building block, a 1x8VCS has been implemented.
In this paper, the fabrication and characterization of polymeric thermo-optic (T/O) single switching elements and (4 X 4)-switching matrices are described. The first loop experiment with cascaded transparent OFDM crossconnects including a polymeric (4 X 4)-switching matrix is reported. In order to reduce insertion loss, power consumption and crosstalk, the optimization strategy for the polymeric T/O switches is discussed.
Polymer technology shows the potential to fabricate and integrate the basic components of OFDM-crossconnect elements which are important signal processing units in a future transparent optical network. The fabrication and characterization of integrated optical polymer components like power splitters and combiners and polymer directional couplers are presented. The devices are fiber-pigtailed, packaged and exhibit waveguide losses in the order of 1 dB/cm at 1.55 micrometers wavelength. Studies based on guest/host-polymer-systems for application on electro-optic polymer devices are shown and the synthesis and characterization of rare-earth doped polymers for active device applications are reported. Because polymer technology is a conceptional hybrid, a combination of semiconductor and polymer elements on large substrates is proposed. This opens up the possibility for a future large scale integration of optical components to functional devices by a cost-effective technology.
Optical technology is now established as the basis of a future integrated broadband communication network (IBCN). The capacity of an optical system can be increased by the development of transmission and switching facilities of the coherent multicarrier (CMC) technique. This contribution concentrates on the structure and technology of a CMC crossconnect, which may be realized as an integrated optical polymer circuit. The manufacture of passive polymer waveguide devices is presented. Further electro-optical polymer devices and erbium-doped PMMA applications are discussed.
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