Compact Microring-Based Wavelength-Selective Inline Optical Reflector

We present a novel design for a compact planar integrated optic reflector based on a microring resonator add–drop wavelength-selective filter. Good agreement is found between the theoretical expectation and the measurements of a device fabricated in optical polymer. The measured device exhibits better than 10-dB rejection for wavelengths resonant with the microring

All optically tunable wavelength-selective reflector consisting of coupled polymeric microring resonators

We present an all optically tunable wavelength-selective reflector for planar lightwave technology based on coupled microring resonators. By employing the Vernier effect, we demonstrate narrow-band reflection and strong side-lobe suppression in an optical polymer device fabricated by soft lithography. Wide and simple tuning of the reflection peak using an external control beam is demonstrated

Soft lithography molding of polymer integrated optical devices: Reduction of the background residue

Soft lithography molding is a promising technique for patterning polymer integrated optical devices, however the presence of a background residue has the potential to limit the usefulness of this technique. We present the soft lithography technique for fabricating polymer waveguides. Several effects of the background residue are investigated numerically, including the modal properties of an individual waveguide, the coupling ratio of a directional coupler, and the radiation loss in a waveguide bend. Experimentally, the residue is found to be reduced through dilution of the core polymer solution. We find that the force with which the soft mold is depressed on the substrate does not appreciably affect the waveguide thickness or the residue thickness. Optical microscope images show that the residue is thinnest next to the waveguide

Soft lithography replication of polymeric microring optical resonators

We have developed a soft lithography method to replicate polymeric integrated optical devices. In this method, the master device and the molded replica are made of the same materials, allowing direct comparison. To evaluate the quality of the replication, microring optical resonators are chosen as test devices because of their sensitivity to small fabrication errors. The master devices are precisely fabricated using direct electron beam lithography. The replicas are produced by the molding technique and subsequent ultraviolet curing. Compared with the master devices, the molded devices show minimal change in both physical shape and optical performance. This correspondence indicates the merits of soft lithographic methods for fabrication of precision integrated optical devices

Soft lithography replica molding of critically coupled polymer microring resonators

We use soft lithography replica molding to fabricate unclad polystyrene (PS) and clad SU-8 microring resonator filters. The PS resonator has an intrinsic quality factor of 1.0/spl times/10/sup 4/ at /spl lambda/=1.55 /spl mu/m, while that of the SU-8 resonator is 7100. The extinction ratios of the PS and SU-8 microring filters are -12 and -20 dB, respectively, with net insertion losses of 6.7 and 9.9 dB. The good quality factors and high extinction ratios of the microring resonator filters show the practicality of soft-lithography replica molding for the fabrication of integrated optical devices

Coupled Resonator Optical Waveguides: Toward the Slowing and Storage of Light

The development of a simple, solid-state-based technology to slow the propagation of light could prove an important step in the realization of the high-bit-rate communication systems of the future. The use of coupled resonator optical waveguides (CROWs) as practical elements to slow and store light pulses is one possibility

Replica-molded electro-optic polymer Mach–Zehnder modulator

A Mach-Zehnder electro-optic polymer amplitude modulator is fabricated by a simple and high-throughput soft-stamp replica-molding technique. The modulator structure incorporates the highly nonlinear and stable chromophore, AJL8, doped in amorphous polycarbonate. Single-arm phase-retardation results in a halfwave voltage (V-pi) of 8.4 V at 1600 nm. The on/off extinction ratio is better than 19 dB, resulting from precise Y-branch power splitters and good waveguide uniformity. These results indicate that the simple fabrication process allows for good optical performance from high-fidelity replicas of the original master devices

Coupled resonator optical waveguides (CROW)

We investigate theoretically and experimentally the characteristics, performance and possible applications of coupled resonator optical waveguides (CROWs). The ability to engineer the dispersion properties of a CROW and especially the ability to realize ultra-slow group velocities paves the way for various applications such as delay lines, optical memories and all-optical switching. Simple analytic expressions for the time delay, usable bandwidth and overall losses in CROW delay lines are derived and compared to exact numerical simulation. Good quantitative agreement is found between the theoretical transmission function obtained by transfer matrix formalism and the measurement of a CROW interferometer realized in polymer material