Abstract

Coupled mode devices are fabricated in transparent glasses by nonlinear materials processing with femtosecond laser pulses. Using the direct output of an extended cavity femtosecond laser, without the need for a laser amplifier, single mode waveguides can be rapidly fabricated with well controlled parameters. A variety of photonic waveguide devices are demonstrated. Directional couplers with various interaction lengths and coupling coefficients are fabricated and their coupling properties are characterized. Measurements demonstrate coupled mode behavior consistent with theory. An unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer is also fabricated and demonstrated as a spectral filter.

©2002 Optical Society of America

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References

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  1. K.M. Davis, K. Miura, N. Sugimoto, and K. Hirao, “Writing waveguides in glass with a femtosecond laser,” Opt. Lett. 21, 1729–1731 (1996).
    [Crossref] [PubMed]
  2. K. Miura, J. Qiu, H. Inouye, T. Mitsuyu, and K. Hirao, “Photowritten optical waveguides in various glasses with ultrashort pulse laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 3329–3331 (1997).
    [Crossref]
  3. D. Homoelle, S. Wielandy, A.L. Gaeta, N.F. Borrelli, and C. Smith, “Infrared photosensitivity in silica glasses exposes to femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 24, 1311–1313 (1999).
    [Crossref]
  4. Y. Kondo, K. Nouchi, T. Mitsuyu, M. Watanabe, P.G. Kazansky, and K. Hirao, “Fabrication of long-period fiber gratings by focused irradiation of infrared femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 24, 646–648 (1999).
    [Crossref]
  5. E.N. Glezer, M. Milosavljevic, L. Huang, R.J. Finlay, T.-H. Her, J.P. Callan, and E. Mazur, “Three-dimensional optical storage inside transparent materials,” Opt. Lett. 21, 2023–2025 (1996).
    [Crossref] [PubMed]
  6. Y. Sikorski, A.A. Said, P. Bado, R. Maynard, C. Florea, and K.A. Winick, “Optical waveguide amplifier in Nd-doped glass written with near-IR femtosecond laser pulses,” Electron. Lett. 36, 226–227 (2000).
    [Crossref]
  7. H. Varel, D. Ashkenasi, A. Rosenfeld, M. Waehmer, and E.E.B. Campbell, “Micromachining of quartz with ultrashort laser pulses,” Appl. Phys. A. 65, 367–373 (1997).
    [Crossref]
  8. E.N. Glezer and E. Mazur, “Ultrafast-laser driven micro-explosions in transparent materials,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 882–884 (1997).
    [Crossref]
  9. W. Watanabe, T. Toma, K. Yamada, J. Nishii, K. Hayashi, and K. Itoh, “Optical seizing and merging of voids in silica glass with infrared femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 25, 1669–1671 (2000).
    [Crossref]
  10. A.M. Streltsov and N.F. Borrelli, “Fabrication and analysis of a directional coupler written in glass by nanojoule femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 26, 42–43 (2001).
    [Crossref]
  11. C.B. Schaffer, A. Brodeur, J.F. Garcia, and E. Mazur, “Micromachining bulk glass by use of femtosecond laser pulses with nanojoule energy,” Opt. Lett. 26, 93–95 (2001).
    [Crossref]
  12. K. Minoshima, A.M. Kowalevicz, I. Hartl, E.P. Ippen, and J.G. Fujimoto, “Photonic device fabrication in glass by use of nonlinear materials processing with a femtosecond laser oscillator,” Opt. Lett. 26, 1516–1518 (2001).
    [Crossref]
  13. S.H. Cho, F.X. Kärtner, U. Morgner, E. P. Ippen, J.G. Fujimoto, J.E. Cunningham, and W.H. Knox, “Generation of 90-nJ pulses with a 4 MHz repetition-rate Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:Al2O3 laser operating with net positive and negative intracavity dispersion,” Opt. Lett. 26, 560–562, (2001).
    [Crossref]
  14. B.E.A. Saleh and M.C. Teich, Fundamentals of photonics, (John Wiley & Sons, 1991);A. Yariv, Optical Electronics in Modern Communications, (Oxford University Press, 1997).
    [Crossref]
  15. U. Morgner, F.X. Kärtner, S.H. Cho, Y. Chen, H.A. Haus, J.G. Fujimoto, E.P. Ippen, V. Scheurer, G. Angelow, and T. Tschudi, “Sub-two-cycle pulses from a Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser,” Opt. Lett. 24, 411–413 (1999).
    [Crossref]

2001 (4)

2000 (2)

Y. Sikorski, A.A. Said, P. Bado, R. Maynard, C. Florea, and K.A. Winick, “Optical waveguide amplifier in Nd-doped glass written with near-IR femtosecond laser pulses,” Electron. Lett. 36, 226–227 (2000).
[Crossref]

W. Watanabe, T. Toma, K. Yamada, J. Nishii, K. Hayashi, and K. Itoh, “Optical seizing and merging of voids in silica glass with infrared femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 25, 1669–1671 (2000).
[Crossref]

1999 (3)

1997 (3)

K. Miura, J. Qiu, H. Inouye, T. Mitsuyu, and K. Hirao, “Photowritten optical waveguides in various glasses with ultrashort pulse laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 3329–3331 (1997).
[Crossref]

H. Varel, D. Ashkenasi, A. Rosenfeld, M. Waehmer, and E.E.B. Campbell, “Micromachining of quartz with ultrashort laser pulses,” Appl. Phys. A. 65, 367–373 (1997).
[Crossref]

E.N. Glezer and E. Mazur, “Ultrafast-laser driven micro-explosions in transparent materials,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 882–884 (1997).
[Crossref]

1996 (2)

Angelow, G.

Ashkenasi, D.

H. Varel, D. Ashkenasi, A. Rosenfeld, M. Waehmer, and E.E.B. Campbell, “Micromachining of quartz with ultrashort laser pulses,” Appl. Phys. A. 65, 367–373 (1997).
[Crossref]

Bado, P.

Y. Sikorski, A.A. Said, P. Bado, R. Maynard, C. Florea, and K.A. Winick, “Optical waveguide amplifier in Nd-doped glass written with near-IR femtosecond laser pulses,” Electron. Lett. 36, 226–227 (2000).
[Crossref]

Borrelli, N.F.

Brodeur, A.

Callan, J.P.

Campbell, E.E.B.

H. Varel, D. Ashkenasi, A. Rosenfeld, M. Waehmer, and E.E.B. Campbell, “Micromachining of quartz with ultrashort laser pulses,” Appl. Phys. A. 65, 367–373 (1997).
[Crossref]

Chen, Y.

Cho, S.H.

Cunningham, J.E.

Davis, K.M.

Finlay, R.J.

Florea, C.

Y. Sikorski, A.A. Said, P. Bado, R. Maynard, C. Florea, and K.A. Winick, “Optical waveguide amplifier in Nd-doped glass written with near-IR femtosecond laser pulses,” Electron. Lett. 36, 226–227 (2000).
[Crossref]

Fujimoto, J.G.

Gaeta, A.L.

Garcia, J.F.

Glezer, E.N.

Hartl, I.

Haus, H.A.

Hayashi, K.

Her, T.-H.

Hirao, K.

Homoelle, D.

Huang, L.

Inouye, H.

K. Miura, J. Qiu, H. Inouye, T. Mitsuyu, and K. Hirao, “Photowritten optical waveguides in various glasses with ultrashort pulse laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 3329–3331 (1997).
[Crossref]

Ippen, E. P.

Ippen, E.P.

Itoh, K.

Kärtner, F.X.

Kazansky, P.G.

Knox, W.H.

Kondo, Y.

Kowalevicz, A.M.

Maynard, R.

Y. Sikorski, A.A. Said, P. Bado, R. Maynard, C. Florea, and K.A. Winick, “Optical waveguide amplifier in Nd-doped glass written with near-IR femtosecond laser pulses,” Electron. Lett. 36, 226–227 (2000).
[Crossref]

Mazur, E.

Milosavljevic, M.

Minoshima, K.

Mitsuyu, T.

Y. Kondo, K. Nouchi, T. Mitsuyu, M. Watanabe, P.G. Kazansky, and K. Hirao, “Fabrication of long-period fiber gratings by focused irradiation of infrared femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 24, 646–648 (1999).
[Crossref]

K. Miura, J. Qiu, H. Inouye, T. Mitsuyu, and K. Hirao, “Photowritten optical waveguides in various glasses with ultrashort pulse laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 3329–3331 (1997).
[Crossref]

Miura, K.

K. Miura, J. Qiu, H. Inouye, T. Mitsuyu, and K. Hirao, “Photowritten optical waveguides in various glasses with ultrashort pulse laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 3329–3331 (1997).
[Crossref]

K.M. Davis, K. Miura, N. Sugimoto, and K. Hirao, “Writing waveguides in glass with a femtosecond laser,” Opt. Lett. 21, 1729–1731 (1996).
[Crossref] [PubMed]

Morgner, U.

Nishii, J.

Nouchi, K.

Qiu, J.

K. Miura, J. Qiu, H. Inouye, T. Mitsuyu, and K. Hirao, “Photowritten optical waveguides in various glasses with ultrashort pulse laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 3329–3331 (1997).
[Crossref]

Rosenfeld, A.

H. Varel, D. Ashkenasi, A. Rosenfeld, M. Waehmer, and E.E.B. Campbell, “Micromachining of quartz with ultrashort laser pulses,” Appl. Phys. A. 65, 367–373 (1997).
[Crossref]

Said, A.A.

Y. Sikorski, A.A. Said, P. Bado, R. Maynard, C. Florea, and K.A. Winick, “Optical waveguide amplifier in Nd-doped glass written with near-IR femtosecond laser pulses,” Electron. Lett. 36, 226–227 (2000).
[Crossref]

Saleh, B.E.A.

B.E.A. Saleh and M.C. Teich, Fundamentals of photonics, (John Wiley & Sons, 1991);A. Yariv, Optical Electronics in Modern Communications, (Oxford University Press, 1997).
[Crossref]

Schaffer, C.B.

Scheurer, V.

Sikorski, Y.

Y. Sikorski, A.A. Said, P. Bado, R. Maynard, C. Florea, and K.A. Winick, “Optical waveguide amplifier in Nd-doped glass written with near-IR femtosecond laser pulses,” Electron. Lett. 36, 226–227 (2000).
[Crossref]

Smith, C.

Streltsov, A.M.

Sugimoto, N.

Teich, M.C.

B.E.A. Saleh and M.C. Teich, Fundamentals of photonics, (John Wiley & Sons, 1991);A. Yariv, Optical Electronics in Modern Communications, (Oxford University Press, 1997).
[Crossref]

Toma, T.

Tschudi, T.

Varel, H.

H. Varel, D. Ashkenasi, A. Rosenfeld, M. Waehmer, and E.E.B. Campbell, “Micromachining of quartz with ultrashort laser pulses,” Appl. Phys. A. 65, 367–373 (1997).
[Crossref]

Waehmer, M.

H. Varel, D. Ashkenasi, A. Rosenfeld, M. Waehmer, and E.E.B. Campbell, “Micromachining of quartz with ultrashort laser pulses,” Appl. Phys. A. 65, 367–373 (1997).
[Crossref]

Watanabe, M.

Watanabe, W.

Wielandy, S.

Winick, K.A.

Y. Sikorski, A.A. Said, P. Bado, R. Maynard, C. Florea, and K.A. Winick, “Optical waveguide amplifier in Nd-doped glass written with near-IR femtosecond laser pulses,” Electron. Lett. 36, 226–227 (2000).
[Crossref]

Yamada, K.

Appl. Phys. A. (1)

H. Varel, D. Ashkenasi, A. Rosenfeld, M. Waehmer, and E.E.B. Campbell, “Micromachining of quartz with ultrashort laser pulses,” Appl. Phys. A. 65, 367–373 (1997).
[Crossref]

Appl. Phys. Lett. (2)

E.N. Glezer and E. Mazur, “Ultrafast-laser driven micro-explosions in transparent materials,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 882–884 (1997).
[Crossref]

K. Miura, J. Qiu, H. Inouye, T. Mitsuyu, and K. Hirao, “Photowritten optical waveguides in various glasses with ultrashort pulse laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 3329–3331 (1997).
[Crossref]

Electron. Lett. (1)

Y. Sikorski, A.A. Said, P. Bado, R. Maynard, C. Florea, and K.A. Winick, “Optical waveguide amplifier in Nd-doped glass written with near-IR femtosecond laser pulses,” Electron. Lett. 36, 226–227 (2000).
[Crossref]

Opt. Lett. (10)

K.M. Davis, K. Miura, N. Sugimoto, and K. Hirao, “Writing waveguides in glass with a femtosecond laser,” Opt. Lett. 21, 1729–1731 (1996).
[Crossref] [PubMed]

U. Morgner, F.X. Kärtner, S.H. Cho, Y. Chen, H.A. Haus, J.G. Fujimoto, E.P. Ippen, V. Scheurer, G. Angelow, and T. Tschudi, “Sub-two-cycle pulses from a Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser,” Opt. Lett. 24, 411–413 (1999).
[Crossref]

D. Homoelle, S. Wielandy, A.L. Gaeta, N.F. Borrelli, and C. Smith, “Infrared photosensitivity in silica glasses exposes to femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 24, 1311–1313 (1999).
[Crossref]

Y. Kondo, K. Nouchi, T. Mitsuyu, M. Watanabe, P.G. Kazansky, and K. Hirao, “Fabrication of long-period fiber gratings by focused irradiation of infrared femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 24, 646–648 (1999).
[Crossref]

E.N. Glezer, M. Milosavljevic, L. Huang, R.J. Finlay, T.-H. Her, J.P. Callan, and E. Mazur, “Three-dimensional optical storage inside transparent materials,” Opt. Lett. 21, 2023–2025 (1996).
[Crossref] [PubMed]

W. Watanabe, T. Toma, K. Yamada, J. Nishii, K. Hayashi, and K. Itoh, “Optical seizing and merging of voids in silica glass with infrared femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 25, 1669–1671 (2000).
[Crossref]

A.M. Streltsov and N.F. Borrelli, “Fabrication and analysis of a directional coupler written in glass by nanojoule femtosecond laser pulses,” Opt. Lett. 26, 42–43 (2001).
[Crossref]

C.B. Schaffer, A. Brodeur, J.F. Garcia, and E. Mazur, “Micromachining bulk glass by use of femtosecond laser pulses with nanojoule energy,” Opt. Lett. 26, 93–95 (2001).
[Crossref]

K. Minoshima, A.M. Kowalevicz, I. Hartl, E.P. Ippen, and J.G. Fujimoto, “Photonic device fabrication in glass by use of nonlinear materials processing with a femtosecond laser oscillator,” Opt. Lett. 26, 1516–1518 (2001).
[Crossref]

S.H. Cho, F.X. Kärtner, U. Morgner, E. P. Ippen, J.G. Fujimoto, J.E. Cunningham, and W.H. Knox, “Generation of 90-nJ pulses with a 4 MHz repetition-rate Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:Al2O3 laser operating with net positive and negative intracavity dispersion,” Opt. Lett. 26, 560–562, (2001).
[Crossref]

Other (1)

B.E.A. Saleh and M.C. Teich, Fundamentals of photonics, (John Wiley & Sons, 1991);A. Yariv, Optical Electronics in Modern Communications, (Oxford University Press, 1997).
[Crossref]

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Figures (4)

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.

(a) Phase contrast microscopic image of one of the directional couplers. The aspect ratio of the image is compressed by a factor of 5 in the horizontal direction in order to better visualize the directional coupler. The arrow in the image indicates the interaction region. (b) Schematic of the coupler. Separation, d, and interaction length, L, are varied with the fixed total length, 25 mm. He-Ne laser is guided into one of the input ports, and the output power at two ports is measured. The coupling ratio between the two waveguide ports, R, is obtained.

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Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.

(a) Interaction length dependence of the coupling ratio for waveguide separations d = 8 μm, (b) d = 10 μm, and (c) d = 12 μm. Experimental results (dots) and their best-fit results to sinusoidal curves (lines) are shown. The period of the oscillation increases from (a) 5, to (b) 9, to (c) 14 mm, which is consistent with the coupled mode theory.

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Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.

Wavelength dependence of the coupling ratio for the coupler with L=5 mm and d=2 μm. Experimental results (dots) and their best-fit results to sinusoidal curves (lines) are shown.

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Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.

(a) Schematic representation of Mach-Zehnder Interferometer with phase-contrast microscope images of waveguides; (b) Input (red line) and output (black line) spectra from broadband Ti:Al2O3 and, (c) Normalized output spectrum (black line) demonstrating the filtering effect of the interferometer compared to theoretical model (red line).

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Equations (6)

Equations on this page are rendered with MathJax. Learn more.

P 11 = P 0 g 1 b 1 2 ( 1 − R ) ,
P 12 = P 0 g 1 b 1 2 b 2 2 R ,
P 21 = P 0 g 2 R ,
P 22 = P 0 g 2 b 2 2 ( 1 − R ) .
R = P 2 ( L ) P 1 ( 0 ) = C 12 2 γ 2 sin 2 γ L ,
γ 2 = C 12 2 + ( β 1 − β 2 2 ) 2 .

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