Title :
Low-loss bent connections for optical switches
Author :
Heinbach, Matthias ; Schienle, Meinrad ; Schmid, Anton ; Acklin, Bruno ; Muller, Gustav
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electrophys., Tech. Univ. Munich, Germany
fDate :
5/1/1997 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
We present S-bent InP/InGaAsP rib waveguides used as connections for optical switches at λ=1.5 μm. Transitions between waveguides of different curvature and different lateral confinement are realized with adiabatic tapers. We investigated bends with radii from 200-1700 μm and rib widths 2.2, 3.2, and 4.2 μm. For rib width 3.2 μm we obtain almost for all radii extremely small quasi-polarization independent excess-losses below 0.3 dB. The waveguides are easy to fabricate and the tapered transitions are tolerant to technological variations. The performance offers the chance of low cost and simple monolithic integration of large optical switch matrices in InP/InGaAsP
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; integrated optics; optical couplers; optical losses; optical switches; rib waveguides; waveguide discontinuities; 0.3 dB; 1.5 mum; 2.2 to 4.2 mum; 200 to 1700 mum; InP; InP-InGaAsP; S-bent InP/InGaAsP rib waveguides; adiabatic tapers; integrated optical circuits; large optical switch matrices; low-loss bent connections; monolithic integration; optical switches; quasi-polarization independent excess-losses; rib width; tapered transitions; technological variation tolerance; waveguide curvature; waveguide lateral confinement; waveguide transitions; Costs; Indium phosphide; Integrated optics; Mirrors; Optical devices; Optical losses; Optical polarization; Optical switches; Optical waveguides; Waveguide transitions;
Journal_Title :
Lightwave Technology, Journal of
