STTR PHASE I: High Faraday Rotation Optical Waveguides for Application in Optical Circulators for Telecommunications

这个STTR一期项目将展示一种制造高效法拉第有源光波导结构的新方法。法拉第有源波导目前引起了人们的极大兴趣，因为它们的发展是与全光纤环行器演示相关的关键使能技术。这样的设备，其特征可能是多端口非互易极化旋转器，提供了一种手段，通过这种手段，电信速率可以在现有的光纤载波基础设施上立即加倍。成功的实现将在“长途”光纤载波上实现全双工操作。建议的循环器方法是被动的，因此不需要外部时钟控制。信号的分离仅基于传播方向；与传统定向耦合器的情况不同，传输信号没有额外的损耗。研究人员建议在光纤段的开发中使用先进的薄膜技术。这些过程先前已被证明可以促进引入光子活性掺杂物质，其掺杂水平比传统方法产生的要大几个数量级。所提出的技术将取代传统的体光学技术，因为波导结构的性能将在第一阶段得到显著改善。第一阶段的项目还包括综合永磁体结构的分析，以及光学环行器原型开发的设计评估。高Verdet常数材料的发展提供了实现光纤通信链路吞吐量翻倍的光学元件的潜力。此外，这些材料还有许多其他商业用途。* * *

*** 9632281 Roark This STTR Phase I project will demonstrate a novel approach for the fabrication of highly efficient Faraday-active optical waveguide structures. Faraday-active waveguides are presently of great interest as their development is the critical enabling technology associated with the demonstration of all-fiber optical circulators. Such devices, which may be characterized as multiport nonreciprocal polarization rotators, provide a means by which the telecommunications rate may be immediately doubled on the existing optical fiber carrier infrastructure. Successful implementation will lead to full-duplex operation over "long haul" fiber carriers. The suggested circulator approach is passive, and does not therefore require external clocking controls. Separation of the signals is based only upon propagation direction; no additional losses are imposed on transmitted signals, as in the case of conventional directional couplers. The investigators propose the use of advanced thin film techniques in the development of optical fiber segments. These processes have been previously shown to promote the introduction of photonically-active dopant species at dopant levels which are orders of magnitude greater than may be produced by conventional means. The proposed technology will replace conventional bulk optics technologies, as waveguide structures with dramatically improved figures of merit will be developed characterized during the initial Phase 1 period. The Phase 1 program also includes analysis of integrated permanent magnet structures, and a design assessment for optical circulator prototype development. The development of high Verdet constant materials offers the potential for achieving optical elements which double the throughput of fiber communications links. In addition, numerous other commercial uses exist for these materials. ***