Open AccessOn-chip free beam optics on a polymer-based photonic integration platform
Author(s) -
Magnus Happach,
David de Felipe,
Hauke Conradi,
Victor Nicolai Friedhoff,
Eduard Schwartz,
Moritz Kleinert,
W. Brinker,
C. Zawadzki,
Norbert Keil,
Werner Hofmann,
Martin Schell
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.25.027665
Subject(s) - optics , resonator , materials science , collimated light , waveguide , chip , beam (structure) , laser , photonics , wavelength , photonic integrated circuit , transmission (telecommunications) , free space optical communication , optoelectronics , physics , telecommunications , computer science
This paper presents on-chip free beam optics on polymer-based photonic components. Due to the circumstance that waveguide-based optics allows no direct beam access we use Gradient index (GRIN) lenses assembled into the chip to collimate the beam from the waveguides. This enables low loss power transmission over a length of 1432 µm. Even though the beam propagates through air it is possible to create a resonator with a wavelength shift of 0.002 nm/°C, hence the allowed deviations from the ITU-T grid (100 GHz) are met for ± 20 °C. In order to guarantee reliable laser stability, it is necessary to implement optical isolators at the output of the laser. This requires the insertion of bulk material into the chip and is realized by a 1050 µm thick coated glass. Due to the large gap of the free-space section, it is possible to combine different resonators together. This demonstrates the feasibility of an integrated wavelength-meter.