Nd-doped polymer waveguide amplifiers

Nd3+-complex-doped polymer channel waveguide amplifiers with various lengths and Nd3+ concentrations are fabricated by a simple procedure. Internal net gain at 840–950 nm and 1064 nm is experimentally and theoretically investigated under continuous-wave excitation at 800 nm. Internal net gain in the range 865–930 nm is observed and a peak gain of 2.8 dB at 873 nm is obtained in a 1.9-cm-long waveguide with a Nd3+ concentration of 0.6x10e20 cm-3 at a launched pump power of 25 mW. The small-signal gain measured in a 1-cm-long sample with a Nd3+ concentration of 1.03x10e20 cm-3 is 2.0 dB/cm and 5.7 dB/cm at 873 nm and 1064 nm, respectively. By use of a rate-equation model, the internal net gain at these two wavelengths is calculated and the macroscopic parameter of energy-transfer upconversion as a function of Nd3+ concentration is derived. Ease of fabrication, compatibility with other materials, and low cost make such rare-earth-ion-doped polymer waveguide amplifiers suitable for providing gain in many integrated optical devices

Nd-doped polymer waveguide amplifiers at 850-930 nm

Nd-complex-doped, polymer channel waveguides were realized on thermally oxidized silicon wafers by a simple fabrication procedure. Broadband optical gain was demonstrated at 850-930 nm. Internal net gain up to 5.3 dB/cm was obtained at 850 nm, which is very promising for optical amplification in optical backplanes. With this result a route toward low-cost integrated waveguide amplifiers for optical interconnects has been opened

Hybrid optical waveguide devices based on polymers and silica

The hybrid integration of polymer and silica in optical waveguides can yield devices that combine the excellent thermo-optic properties of polymers and the superior passive waveguiding properties of silica. The large difference and opposite sign of the thermo-optic coefficients of both classes of materials can be utilized to create athermal waveguide devices. In addition, it can be utilized in thermo-optic devices to induce local changes in the refractive index with boundaries that are sharply defined by the material interfaces and not by gradual thermal profiles. This can also yield devices with attractive thermo-optic behavior

Organic and Inorganic Glasses for Microring resonators

The application of organic and inorganic glasses in microring resonators (MRs) is discussed. The relevant properties of both classes of materials will be resumed. It will be shown that especially polymer glasses can generate some stability problems in MRs. In addition, it will be shown that the combination of organic and inorganic glasses in (hybrid) devices can yield superior products but might also result in compatibility problems

Neodymium-complex-doped steady-state polymer waveguide lasers

Channel waveguides based on a polymer, 6-fluorinated-dianhydride/epoxy, which is actively doped with a rare-earth-ion-doped complex, Nd(thenoyltrifluoroacetone)3 1,10-phenanthroline, have been fabricated. Luminescence and loss spectra of the channel waveguides have been experimentally investigated. By optimization of the fabrication procedure of both, host material and optical structure, steady-state laser emission has been demonstrated from a channel waveguide near 1060 nm, which provides up to 440 µW of output power from the waveguide structures developed

Continuous-wave Nd-doped polymer lasers

Continuous-wave laser operation at 1060.2 nm was demonstrated in polymer channel waveguides doped with a Nd complex above an absorbed pump threshold of 50 mW. The highest slope efficiency of 2.15% was obtained with 5% outcoupling, resulting in a maximum output power of 0.98 mW. Lasing was also achieved on the quasi-three-level 878 nm transition above a threshold of 74.5 mW. A slope efficiency of 0.35% and an output power of 190 μm were obtained with 2.2% outcoupling. Long-term, stable cw laser operation over at least 2 h was demonstrated, indicating the durability of the polymer gain medium

Demonstration of net gain at 1060nm in a Nd-complex-doped, photo-defined polymer channel waveguide

Optical amplification at 1060 nm was demonstrated in Nd(TTA)3phen-doped 6-FDA/epoxy channel waveguides, which indicates that a Nd-complex-doped polymer waveguide is well suited for optical amplification and potentially lasing.\u

Neodymium-complex-doped, photo-defined polymer channel waveguide ampliers

Channel waveguides based on a polymer, 6-fluorinated-dianhydride/epoxy, which is actively doped with a Nd complex, $Nd(thenoyltrifluoroacetone)_{3}$ 1,10-phenanthroline, are fabricated by a simple and reproducible procedure, spin coating a photodefinable cladding polymer onto a thermally oxidized silicon wafer, photopatterning, backfilling with the active core polymer, and spin coating with an upper cladding layer. Photoluminescence at 1060 nm from the $Nd^{3+}$ ions with a lifetime of 130 μs is observed. Optical gain at 1060 nm is demonstrated in channel waveguides with different $Nd^{3+}$ concentrations. By accounting for the waveguide loss of 0.1 dB/cm, an internal net gain of 8 dB is demonstrated for a 5.6-cm-long channel waveguide amplifier. Owing to the nature of the $Nd^{3+}$ complex, energy-transfer upconversion affects the gain only at $Nd^{3+}$ concentrations above $1 x 10^{20} cm^{-3}$