Engineering Research Equipment Grant - Fabrication and Measurement of New Effects in Linear and Nonlinear Intersecting Optical Waveguide Devices

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Intersecting optical waveguides are an essential element for integrated optic devices. Previous applications have been limited because of the absence of a rigorous theory for this geometry. Such a theory has already been developed by the P.I. and subsequently predicted several unexpected optical characteristics. Also predictions were confirmed experimentally. Theoretical analysis will be extended to examine new optical waveguide devices based on intersecting waveguides and incorporating the electro-optic and higher order nonlinear effects. Electro-optic devices will include high density switch arrays, tunable wavelength filters, and discrete spectrum analyzers. The analysis will be followed by design and fabrication of these devices in LiNbo3. Theory of intersecting guides to treat the case of an optically nonlinear substrate will also be extended. Incorporation of the intersecting waveguide structure into a medium with (reasonable) third order nonlinearity intended. The guided mode and radiation mode coupling results will be integrated into a single coupled-mode theory. This will permit simultaneously accounting for radiation loss and interwaveguide coupling in the analysis and design of intersecting waveguide devices.