Open AccessUltra-low inter-channel crosstalk in array waveguide device incorporating self-assembled microsphere diffraction layer
Author(s) -
Jun-Whee Kim,
Nam-Seon Son,
Jae Hoon Jang,
Kyung-Jo Kim,
MinCheol Oh
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.19.020904
Subject(s) - materials science , optics , attenuator (electronics) , optical attenuator , planar , diffraction , crosstalk , optoelectronics , planar array , refractive index , waveguide , optical switch , attenuation , optical fiber , computer science , physics , multi mode optical fiber , computer graphics (images)
In array-type optical devices integrated on a single chip with high density, the crosstalk between adjacent devices causes main reason of limited transmission capacity in cascaded optical communication systems. In order to reduce the crosstalk in an arrayed variable optical attenuator, we incorporated a self-assembled monolayer of a microsphere array in the device. The microsphere array introduces a large index contrast in the polymer waveguide, thereby causing strong diffraction of the planar guided modes toward the surface normal directions. Due to the microsphere diffraction, the inter-channel crosstalk between the adjacent channels in a variable optical attenuator array decreases to less than -50 dB.