Metal-defined polymeric variable optical attenuator

Author

SeongKu Kim ; Yu-Chueh Hung ; Geary, K. ; Wei Yuan ; Fetterman, H.R. ; Jin, Di ; Dinu, R. ; Steier, W.H.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Univ. of California, USA

Volume

18

Issue

9

fYear

2006

fDate

5/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1055

Lastpage

1057

Abstract

A variable optical attenuator (VOA) based on a metal-defined polymeric optical waveguide has been demonstrated for the first time. The metal film stressor deposited on top of the upper cladding layer not only produces the refractive index change within the core layer, but also acts as a thin-film heater allowing thermal tuning of the optical power within a metal-defined optical waveguide. Fabricated devices exhibit greater than 25 dB of optical attenuation with an applied electrical current of /spl sim/40 mA at 1550-nm wavelength. The switching speed of the VOA exhibits 800 μs of rising and 720 μs of falling time.

Keywords

metallic thin films; optical attenuators; optical fabrication; optical polymers; optical waveguides; refractive index; thermo-optical devices; thermo-optical effects; 1550 nm; 720 mus; 800 mus; metal-defined polymeric optical waveguide; refractive index change; switching speed; thermal tuning; variable optical attenuator; Optical attenuators; Optical films; Optical polymers; Optical refraction; Optical variables control; Optical waveguides; Polymer films; Refractive index; Sputtering; Thermal stresses; Metal-defined optical waveguide (MDOW); stress-induced refractive index change; variable optical attenuator (VOA);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LPT.2006.873550

Filename

1621275