Physical design and fabrication of a multiple element slab waveguide spectrograph for multimode fiber-optic WDM systems

Author

Beranek, M.W. ; Bartella, J.C. ; Capron, B.A. ; Griffith, D.M. ; Koshinz, D.G. ; Livezey, D.L. ; Soares, H.P., Jr

Author_Institution

Boeing Co., Seattle, WA, USA

Volume

16

Issue

5

fYear

1993

fDate

8/1/1993 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

511

Lastpage

516

Abstract

The materials and processes for fabricating a compact multiple-element slab waveguide spectrograph suitable for multimode fiber-optic wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) applications are described. A fabrication scheme based on thick-film solder glass glazing, hot-press lamination and optical finishing was chosen to produce a precisely dimensioned glass-ceramic spectrograph blank structure that is compatible with grating replication manufacturing technology and suitable for hermetic packaging. The laminated blank consists of alternating layers of glass-ceramic spacer plates and optical glass wafers bonded together with a screen-printed solder glass adhesive. The exact interlayer optomechanical registration, achieved in the laminated spectrograph blank was essential for obtaining spectral referencing functionality and a passive alignment packaging scheme. A spectrograph optical subassembly package was developed and implemented as part of a multichannel spectrum analyzer receiver in a prototype optical WDM sensor interface system

Keywords

diffraction gratings; fibre optic sensors; optical waveguide components; packaging; spectrometers; wavelength division multiplexing; fabrication; fabrication scheme; glass-ceramic blank structure; glass-ceramic spacer plates; hermetic packaging; hot-press lamination; interlayer optomechanical registration; laminated blank; multichannel spectrum analyzer receiver; multimode fiber-optic WDM systems; multiple element; optical WDM sensor interface system; optical finishing; optical glass wafers; optical subassembly package; passive alignment packaging scheme; screen-printed solder glass adhesive; slab waveguide spectrograph; thick-film solder glass glazing; wavelength-division-multiplexing; Glass; Lamination; Optical device fabrication; Optical materials; Optical receivers; Optical sensors; Optical waveguides; Packaging; Slabs; Wavelength division multiplexing;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Components, Hybrids, and Manufacturing Technology, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0148-6411

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/33.239880

Filename

239880