Mid-infrared photonics enabled by 3D laser writing chalcogenide glass

A. Ródenas; J. McCarthy; N. D. Psaila; G. Brown; H. T. Bookey; R. R. Thomson; A. K. Kar

doi:10.1117/12.979034

19 November 2012 Mid-infrared photonics enabled by 3D laser writing chalcogenide glass

A. Ródenas, J. McCarthy, N. D. Psaila, G. Brown, H. T. Bookey, R. R. Thomson, A. K. Kar

Proceedings Volume 8542, Electro-Optical Remote Sensing, Photonic Technologies, and Applications VI; 854217 (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.979034
Event: SPIE Security + Defence, 2012, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

Recent results from our work using ultrafast laser writing to fabricate waveguides and on-chip devices inside sulphide chalcogenide glasses are presented in this paper. Low loss single-mode (SM) and multi-mode (MM) waveguide arrays were successfully laser fabricated, for the first time to our knowledge, for operation in the whole near-IR (NIR) to mid- IR (MIR) range (1 to 11 μm wavelengths). These waveguides are demonstrated to have numerical apertures (NA) which can exceed NA=0.2, therefore also allowing for low bend losses as well as direct coupling to QC lasers. We also demonstrate the control over the waveguide mode field diameters (MFDs) (at 1/e²) by changing the waveguide core sizes and index contrasts, achieving typical values of 44 μm at 10.6 μm, down to 6 μm for telecom 1.55 μm light. The optical nonlinear properties of these waveguides have also been preliminarily investigated. Using a femtosecond (fs) optical parametric amplifier system, the optical nonlinearity of bulk gallium lanthanum sulphide (GLS) glass was first measured at 2.5 μm. The upper limits for the nonlinear properties of the laser modified material could be estimated based upon the nonlinear spectral broadening of a 2.5 μm fs pulse train coupled into SM waveguides. Further work includes the demonstration of on-chip three dimensional (3D) beam combiners for the MIR range (10.6 μm in this work), for near future implementation in astronomical observatories for stellar interferometry.

Citation Download Citation

A. Ródenas, J. McCarthy, N. D. Psaila, G. Brown, H. T. Bookey, R. R. Thomson, and A. K. Kar "Mid-infrared photonics enabled by 3D laser writing chalcogenide glass", Proc. SPIE 8542, Electro-Optical Remote Sensing, Photonic Technologies, and Applications VI, 854217 (19 November 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.979034

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available

Members: $17.00

Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART

PROCEEDINGS
11 PAGES

DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Get copyright permission Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace

KEYWORDS

Waveguides

Glasses

Chalcogenide glass

Refractive index

Fabrication

Nonlinear optics

Chalcogenides

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years