Nonlinear Optics in Optoelectronic Integration with Some Novel Waveguide Devices.
Abstract
By integration we mean realizing an integrable solution to existing discrete devices which perform some useful operation. Systems are built from these functional parts. System integration requires compatible integration of these parts. At present the most important example that also relates to our work is communication systems. For this system to work reliably, the optical pulses should be stable in time and shape (small time and amplitude jitter.) The devices that measure these properties are optical correlators. These devices are bulky, occupying a cubic foot of volume with no satisfactory integrable counterpart. Here we present an integrable waveguide correlator which experimentally measured pulses from 150fsec to 12psec with an average guide power of sub mW to 2mW in the spectral range of 1.7mum to 1.06mu m. All these measurements were performed on the same waveguide structure without mechanical movements where the spectral range was limited to the band gap of the waveguide material, GaAs in our case. The other communication scheme uses wavelength division multiplexing. Optical spectrometers are ~1 meter long devices capable of 0.1A spectral resolution. Again, like correlators, there is no satisfactory integrable counterpart. In this thesis, we present an integrable parametric waveguide spectrometer capable of measuring individual modes of semiconductor laser diodes and their movement as a function of laser current. For our experiments, the resolving power of the waveguide device was about 3A and is easily extendible to the sub A range. It should be pointed out that these spectrometer devices can also be used in stabilizing laser diode frequencies which are required for the realization of reliable wavelength division multiplexed systems. Last, but not least, a possible coherent visible surface emitting waveguide device capable of mW range powers is also presented. The motivation for this study is the ever growing market for shorter wavelength semiconductor lasers in the Cassette Disk (CD) players, laser printers, magneto-optic memories, bar-code reading and other applications. These and other applications have a larger potential market for optical and opto-electronic systems; however. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).
- Publication:
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Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- 1989
- Bibcode:
- 1989PhDT........61V
- Keywords:
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- Engineering: Civil; Physics: Optics; Physics: Electricity and Magnetism