Direct measurement of the electrogyratory effect in bismuth silicon oxide.

A direct measurement of the electrogyratory effect in bismuth silicon oxide is performed at wavelengths of 633, 543, and 442 nm. We experimentally measured the electrogyratory effect separately from the electro-optic effect. For externally applied electric fields ranging from 0 to 60 kV/cm, the contribution due to the electrogyratory effect is found to be negligible with respect to the contribution due to the electro-optic effect. Since devices employing bismuth silicon oxide typically require applied electric fields in this range, the electric field dependence of the rotary power is shown not to perturb the desired operation.

Waveguide polarizers with hydrogenated amorphous silicon claddings.

We have fabricated TE- and TM-pass waveguide polarizers with polarization isolations of 42 and 35 dB, respectively. The devices were fabricated by the growth of hydrogenated amorphous silicon claddings on K(+)-Na(+) ionexchanged channel waveguides in glass. Cladding thicknesses were accurately tuned to permit optimum coupling of either a TE or a TM mode to the cladding. We have also demonstrated that a waveguide polarizer attenuation as high as 760 dB/cm can be measured by using a photothermal deflection technique.

Multimode phenomena in semiconductor-clad dielectric optical waveguide structures.

Semiconductor-clad optical waveguides possess unique properties which arise from the periodic coupling effect between the lossless modes of the dielectric waveguide and the lossy modes which are supported by the thin semiconductor layer. This paper presents a detailed analysis of this mode structure showing mode conversion as a function of cladding thickness. The analysis predicts that several types of mode may exist for certain guide thicknesses, depending on the magnitude of the absorption in the semiconductor. The combined effects of waveguide coupling and loss are determined and illustrated in devices using silicon claddings.