Electroabsorption modulated semiconductor optical amplifier monolithically integrated with spot-size converters

We have demonstrated an electroabsorption modulator (EAM) and semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) monolithically integrated with novel dual-waveguide spot-size converters (SSCs) at the input and output ports for low-loss coupling to planar light-guide circuit silica waveguide or cleaved single-mode optical fiber. The device is fabricated by means of selective-area MOVPE growth (SAG), quantum well intermixing (QWI) and asymmetric twin waveguide (ATG) technologies with only three steps low-pressure MOVPE growth. For the device structure, in SOA/EAM section, double ridge structure was employed to reduce the EAM capacitances and enable high bit-rate operation. In the SSC sections, buried ridge stripe (BRS) were incorporated. Such a combination of ridge, ATG and BRS structure is reported for the first time in which it can take advantage of both easy processing of ridge structure and the excellent mode characteristic of BRS. At the wavelength range of 1550-1600 nm, lossless operation with extinction ratios of 25 dB DC and more than 10 GHz 3-dB bandwidth is successfully achieved. The beam divergence angles of the input and output ports of the device are as small as 8.0 degrees x 12.6 degrees, resulting in 3.0 dB coupling loss with cleaved single-mode optical fiber. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Accurate mode analysis of ultraviolet-written channel waveguides

The transfer matrix method combined with the effective index method is adopted to model the silica-based channel waveguide patterned by UV writing. The effective indexes of the graded index channel waveguides with different dimension are calculated. The maximal error of the effective index is less than 3 x 10(-5). By this method, the number of the guided mode and the dimension range to guide certain modes can be obtained easily. Finally, the dimension range to guide a single mode is presented. (c) 2005 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Experimental investigation of slow light phenomenon in photonic crystal waveguide line defect laser

The guide mode whose frequency locates in the band edge in photonic crystal single line defect waveguide has very low group velocity. So the confinement and gain of electromagnetic field in the band edge are strongly enhanced. Photonic crystal waveguide laser is fabricated and the slow light phenomenon is investigated. The laser is pumped by pulsed pumping light at 980nm whose duty ratio is 0.05%. The active layer in photonic crystal slab is InGaAsP multiple quantum well. Light is transimited by a photonic crystal chirp waveguide in one facet of the laser. Then the output light is coupled to a fiber and the character of laser is analysis by an optical spectrometer. It is found that single mode and multimode happens with different power of pumping light. Meanwhile the plane wave expansion and finite-difference time-domain methods are used to simulate the phenomenon of slow light. And the result of the experiment is compared with the theory which proves the slow light results in lasing oscillation.

Mode analysis of the UV-written channel waveguide - art. no. 60340J

The effective index method (EIM) was adopted to model the channel waveguide patterned by the UV in photosensitive silica film. The effective indexes of the different dimension symmetrical and asymmetrical channel waveguides were calculated, and the resource of the error of the method was pointed out. At last, the dimension rang to propagate single mode was presented.

Electroabsorption-modulated DFB laser integrated with dual-waveguide spot-size converter - art. no. 60200N

A 1.55-mu m ridge DFB laser and electroabsorption modulator monolithically integrated with a buried-ridge-stripe dual-waveguide spot-size converter at the output port for low-loss coupling to a cleaved single-mode optical fiber was fabricated by means of selective area growth, quantum well intermixing and dual-core technologies. These devices exhibit threshold current of 28 mA, side mode suppression ratio of 38.0 dB, 3-dB modulation bandwidth of 12.0 GHz, modulator extinction ratios of 25.0 dB dc. The output beam divergence angles of the spot-size converter in the horizontal and vertical directions are as small as 8.0 degrees x 12.6 degrees, respectively, resulting in 3.2 dB coupling loss with a cleaved single-mode optical fiber.

Electroabsorption modulated semiconductor optical amplifier monolithically integrated with spot-size converters

We have demonstrated an electroabsorption modulator (EAM) and semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) monolithically integrated with novel dual-waveguide spot-size converters (SSCs) at the input and output ports for low-loss coupling to planar light-guide circuit silica waveguide or cleaved single-mode optical fiber. The device is fabricated by means of selective-area MOVPE growth (SAG), quantum well intermixing (QWI) and asymmetric twin waveguide (ATG) technologies with only three steps low-pressure MOVPE growth. For the device structure, in SOA/EAM section, double ridge structure was employed to reduce the EAM capacitances and enable high bit-rate operation. In the SSC sections, buried ridge stripe (BRS) were incorporated. Such a combination of ridge, ATG and BRS structure is reported for the first time in which it can take advantage of both easy processing of ridge structure and the excellent mode characteristic of BRS. At the wavelength range of 1550-1600 nm, lossless operation with extinction ratios of 25 dB DC and more than 10 GHz 3-dB bandwidth is successfully achieved. The beam divergence angles of the input and output ports of the device are as small as 8.0 degrees x 12.6 degrees, resulting in 3.0 dB coupling loss with cleaved single-mode optical fiber. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Improvement on 2× 2 Silicon-on-Insulator Mach-Zehnder Thermo-Optical Switch

An improved 2 ×2 silicon-on-insulator Mach-Zehnder thermo-optical switch is designed and fabricated, which is based on strongly guided multimode interference couplers and single- mode phase-shifting arms. The multimode interference couplers and input/output waveguides are deeply etched to improve coupler performances and coupler-waveguide coupling efficiencies. However, shallow etching is used in the phase-shifting arms to guarantee single-mode property. The strongly guided coupler presents an attractive uniformity about 0. 03 dB and a low propagation loss of -0.6 dB. The 2× 2 switch shows an insertion loss as low as -6.8 dB, where the fiber-waveguide coupling loss of -4.3 dB is included, and the response-time is measured as short as 6.8 μs, which are much better than our previous results.

An Electroabsorption Modulator Monolithically Integrated with a Semiconductor Optical Amplifier and a Dual-Waveguide Spot-Size Converter

A semiconductor optical amplifier and electroabsorption modulator monolithically integrated with a spotsize converter input and output is fabricated by means of selective area growth,quantum well intermixing,and asymmetric twin waveguide technology. A 1550-1600nm lossless operation with a high DC extinction ratio of 25dB and more than 10GHz 3dB bandwidth are successfully achieved. The output beam divergence angles of the device in the horizontal and vertical directions are as small as 7.3°× 18.0°, respectively, resulting in a 3.0dB coupling loss with a cleaved single-mode optical fiber.

Monolithically Integrated Laser Diode and Electroabsorption Modulator with Dual-Waveguide Spot-Size Converter Output

A 1.60μm laser diode and electroabsorption modulator monolithically integrated with a novel dualwaveguide spot-size converter output for low-loss coupling to a cleaved single-mode optical fiber are demonstrated.The devices emit in a single transverse and quasi single longitudinal mode with an SMSR of 25.6dB. These devices exhibit a 3dB modulation bandwidth of 15. 0GHz, and modulator DC extinction ratios of 16.2dB. The output beam divergence angles of the spot-size converter in the horizontal and vertical directions are as small as 7. 3°× 18. 0°,respectively, resulting in a 3. 0dB coupling loss with a cleaved single-mode optical fiber.

Design of Tapered Rib Spot-Size Converter with Double-Cladding Structure

A novel structure of spot-size converter is designed to allow low loss and large alignment tolerance between single-mode rib waveguide devices and fiber arrays theoretically. The spot-size converter consists of a tapered rib core region and a double-cladding region. Through optimizing parameters,an expanded mode field can be tightly confined in the inner cladding and thus radiation loss be reduced largely at the tapered region. The influence of refractive index and thickness of the inner cladding on coupling loss is analyzed in particular. A novel,easy method of fabricating tapered rib spot-size converter based on silicon-on-insulator material is proposed.

WETTABILITY OF EPOXY RESIN ON CARBON FIBER

The micrographs of epoxy resin on single carbon fiber at room temperature and the temperature dependent contact angle on single carbon fiber were investigated using field environmental scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The results showed that the contact angle decreases significantly with increasing temperature. The advantage of this experimental approach was that can directly reflected the wettability of epoxy resin to fiber. But the experimental process was complicated, and there were many influence factors. The reason is that the wettability of epoxy resin on parallel sheet can be improved at higher temperatures. The spreading procedures for the epoxy resin droplet on carbon fiber cluster were observed by means of drop shape analysis system ( DSA) in parallel and perpendicular directions of the aligned fibers.

Multiple-User Quantum Optical Communication

A fundamental understanding of the information carrying capacity of optical channels requires the signal and physical channel to be modeled quantum mechanically. This thesis considers the problems of distributing multi-party quantum entanglement to distant users in a quantum communication system and determining the ability of quantum optical channels to reliably transmit information. A recent proposal for a quantum communication architecture that realizes long-distance, high-fidelity qubit teleportation is reviewed. Previous work on this communication architecture is extended in two primary ways. First, models are developed for assessing the effects of amplitude, phase, and frequency errors in the entanglement source of polarization-entangled photons, as well as fiber loss and imperfect polarization restoration, on the throughput and fidelity of the system. Second, an error model is derived for an extension of this communication architecture that allows for the production and storage of three-party entangled Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states. A performance analysis of the quantum communication architecture in qubit teleportation and quantum secret sharing communication protocols is presented. Recent work on determining the channel capacity of optical channels is extended in several ways. Classical capacity is derived for a class of Gaussian Bosonic channels representing the quantum version of classical colored Gaussian-noise channels. The proof is strongly mo- tivated by the standard technique of whitening Gaussian noise used in classical information theory. Minimum output entropy problems related to these channel capacity derivations are also studied. These single-user Bosonic capacity results are extended to a multi-user scenario by deriving capacity regions for single-mode and wideband coherent-state multiple access channels. An even larger capacity region is obtained when the transmitters use non- classical Gaussian states, and an outer bound on the ultimate capacity region is presented

Propagation of the degree of polarisation in a few-mode optical fibre: Experimental results

R. Zwiggelaar and M.G.F. Wilson, 'Propagation of the degree of polarisation in a few-mode optical fibre: Experimental results', International Journal of Optoelectronics 10 (4), 295-297 (1996)

High speed optical communication systems: From modulation formats to radically new fibres

High volumes of data traffic along with bandwidth hungry applications, such as cloud computing and video on demand, is driving the core optical communication links closer and closer to their maximum capacity. The research community has clearly identifying the coming approach of the nonlinear Shannon limit for standard single mode fibre [1,2]. It is in this context that the work on modulation formats, contained in Chapter 3 of this thesis, was undertaken. The work investigates the proposed energy-efficient four-dimensional modulation formats. The work begins by studying a new visualisation technique for four dimensional modulation formats, akin to constellation diagrams. The work then carries out one of the first implementations of one such modulation format, polarisation-switched quadrature phase-shift keying (PS-QPSK). This thesis also studies two potential next-generation fibres, few-mode and hollow-core photonic band-gap fibre. Chapter 4 studies ways to experimentally quantify the nonlinearities in few-mode fibre and assess the potential benefits and limitations of such fibres. It carries out detailed experiments to measure the effects of stimulated Brillouin scattering, self-phase modulation and four-wave mixing and compares the results to numerical models, along with capacity limit calculations. Chapter 5 investigates hollow-core photonic band-gap fibre, where such fibres are predicted to have a low-loss minima at a wavelength of 2μm. To benefit from this potential low loss window requires the development of telecoms grade subsystems and components. The chapter will outline some of the development and characterisation of these components. The world's first wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) subsystem directly implemented at 2μm is presented along with WDM transmission over hollow-core photonic band-gap fibre at 2μm. References: [1]P. P. Mitra, J. B. Stark, Nature, 411, 1027-1030, 2001 [2] A. D. Ellis et al., JLT, 28, 423-433, 2010.

Optical micro- and nanofibres: Higher mode generation and particle manipulation studies

This thesis is centred on two experimental fields of optical micro- and nanofibre research; higher mode generation/excitation and evanescent field optical manipulation. Standard, commercial, single-mode silica fibre is used throughout most of the experiments; this generally produces high-quality, single-mode, micro- or nanofibres when tapered in a flame-heated, pulling rig in the laboratory. Single mode fibre can also support higher transverse modes, when transmitting wavelengths below that of their defined single-mode regime cut-off. To investigate this, a first-order Laguerre-Gaussian beam, LG01 of 1064 nm wavelength and doughnut-shaped intensity profile is generated free space via spatial light modulation. This technique facilitates coupling to the LP11 fibre mode in two-mode fibre, and convenient, fast switching to the fundamental mode via computer-generated hologram modulation. Following LP11 mode loss when exponentially tapering 125μm diameter fibre, two mode fibre with a cladding diameter of 80μm is selected fir testing since it is more suitable for satisfying the adiabatic criteria for fibre tapering. Proving a fruitful endeavour, experiments show a transmission of 55% of the original LP11 mode set (comprising TE01, TM01, HE21e,o true modes) in submicron fibres. Furthermore, by observing pulling dynamics and progressive mode-lass behaviour, it is possible to produce a nanofibre which supports only the TE01 and TM01 modes, while suppressing the HE21e,o elements of the LP11 group. This result provides a basis for experimental studies of atom trapping via mode-interference, and offers a new set of evanescent field geometries for sensing and particle manipulation applications. The thesis highlights the experimental results of the research unit’s Cold Atom subgroup, who successfully integrated one such higher-mode nanofibre into a cloud of cold Rubidium atoms. This led to the detection of stronger signals of resonance fluorescence coupling into the nanofibre and for light absorption by the atoms due to the presence of higher guided modes within the fibre. Theoretical work on the impact of the curved nanofibre surface on the atomic-surface van der Waals interaction is also presented, showing a clear deviation of the potential from the commonly-used flat-surface approximation. Optical micro- and nanofibres are also useful tools for evanescent-field mediated optical manipulation – this includes propulsion, defect-induced trapping, mass migration and size-sorting of micron-scale particles in dispersion. Similar early trapping experiments are described in this thesis, and resulting motivations for developing a targeted, site-specific particle induction method are given. The integration of optical nanofibres into an optical tweezers is presented, facilitating individual and group isolation of selected particles, and their controlled positioning and conveyance in the evanescent field. The effects of particle size and nanofibre diameter on pronounced scattering is experimentally investigated in this systems, as are optical binding effects between adjacent particles in the evanescent field. Such inter-particle interactions lead to regulated self-positioning and particle-chain speed enhancements.