Title :
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
fDate :
5/1/2006 12:00:00 AM
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);
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/LPT.2006.873550
