341 research outputs found
3D-Printed Optics for Wafer-Scale Probing
Mass production of photonic integrated circuits requires high-throughput
wafer-level testing. We demonstrate that optical probes equipped with
3D-printed elements allow for efficient coupling of light to etched facets of
nanophotonic waveguides. The technique is widely applicable to different
integration platforms.Comment: Accepted for presentation at European Conference on Optical
Communications (ECOC) 201
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Low-loss fiber-to-chip couplers with ultrawide optical bandwidth
Providing efficient access from optical fibers to on-chip photonic systems is a key challenge for integrated optics. In general, current solutions allow either narrowband out-of-plane-coupling to a large number of devices or broadband edge-coupling to a limited number of devices. Here we present a hybrid approach using 3D direct laser writing, merging the advantages of both concepts and enabling broadband and low-loss coupling to waveguide devices from the top. In the telecom wavelength regime, we demonstrate a coupling loss of less than -1.8 dB between 1480 nm and 1620 nm. In the wavelength range between 730 nm and 1700 nm, we achieve coupling efficiency well above -8 dB which is sufficient for a range of broadband applications spanning more than an octave. The 3D couplers allow relaxed mechanical alignment with respect to optical fibers, with -1 dB alignment tolerance of about 5 Όm in x- and y-directions and -1 dB alignment tolerance in the z-direction of 34 Όm. Using automatized alignment, many such couplers can be connected to integrated photonic circuits for rapid prototyping and hybrid integration. © 2019 Author(s)
Ultra-broadband polarization beam splitter and rotator based on 3D-printed waveguides
Multi-photon lithography has emerged as a powerful tool for photonic
integration, allowing to complement planar photonic circuits by 3D-printed
freeform structures such as waveguides or micro-optical elements. These
structures can be fabricated with high precision on the facets of optical
devices and lend themselves to highly efficient package-level
chip-chip-connections in photonic assemblies. However, plain light transport
and efficient coupling is far from exploiting the full geometrical design
freedom that is offered by 3D laser lithography. Here, we extend the
functionality of 3D-printed optical structures to manipulation of optical
polarization states. We demonstrate compact ultra-broadband polarization beam
splitters (PBS) that can be combined with polarization rotators (PR) and
mode-field adapters into a monolithic 3D-printed structure, fabricated directly
on the facets of optical devices. In a proof-of-concept experiment, we
demonstrate measured polarization extinction ratios beyond 11 dB over a
bandwidth of 350 nm at near-infrared (NIR) telecommunication wavelengths around
1550 nm. We demonstrate the viability of the device by receiving a 640 Gbit/s
dual-polarization data signal using 16-state quadrature amplitude modulation
(16QAM), without any measurable optical-signal-to-noise-ratio (OSNR) penalty
compared to a commercial PBS.Comment: 11 pages and 4 figures in the main part + 7 pages and 4 figures in
the supplementar
3D-Printed Scanning-Probe Microscopes with Integrated Optical Actuation and Read-Out
Scanningâprobe microscopy (SPM) is the method of choice for highâresolution imaging of surfaces in science and industry. However, SPM systems are still considered as rather complex and costly scientific instruments, realized by delicate combinations of microscopic cantilevers, nanoscopic tips, and macroscopic readâout units that require highâprecision alignment prior to use. This study introduces a concept of ultraâcompact SPM engines that combine cantilevers, tips, and a wide variety of actuator and readâout elements into one single monolithic structure. The devices are fabricated by multiphoton laser lithography as it is a particularly flexible and accurate additive nanofabrication technique. The resulting SPM engines are operated by optical actuation and readâout without manual alignment of individual components. The viability of the concept is demonstrated in a series of experiments that range from atomicâforce microscopy engines offering atomic step height resolution, their operation in fluids, and to 3D printed scanning nearâfield optical microscopy. The presented approach is amenable to waferâscale mass fabrication of SPM arrays and capable to unlock a wide range of novel applications that are inaccessible by current approaches to build SPMs
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