Femtosecond-laser-written optical waveguides for optical communications and biophotonic applications

This presentation reviews the basic principles of femtosecond laser waveguide writing, as well as its application to the fields of optical communications and biophotonics. Optical waveguides mode-matched to standard single-mode fibers can be used for a variety of telecom devices such as splitters, couplers and interferometers, as well as for active devices, such as erbium-doped waveguide amplifiers and lasers. In biophotonics, femtosecond written optical waveguides can be integrated in lab-on-chips, which use networks of microfiuidic channels to guide, react and separate biomolecules. Femtosecond written waveguides enable the integration of optical sensing on such chips, directing light to a small volume of the microfiuidic channel and collecting the emitted/transmitted radiation.