Waveguide optical amplifier

• US 5,847,865 A
• Filed: 02/18/1997
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.), Regents of The University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.), Regents of The University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota)
• Inventors: Johnson, Klein L., Gopinath, Anand, Ramberg, Randy J., Ford, Carol M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moskowitz, Nelson
• Application Number:
  US08/801,575
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 359/343, 385/30.131, 385/141, 372/7, 372/94, 501/101, 501/105
• US Class Current: 359/343
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12038 Glass (SiO2 based materials)
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12061 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12097 Ridge, rib or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/134 by substitution by dopant atoms
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0632 Thin film lasers in which light propagates in the plane of the thin film
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/2308 Amplifier arrangements, e.g. MOPA

Abstract

A waveguide optical amplifier include a substrate and a guiding or active layer. The substrate has a substrate surface and a substrate index of refraction. The guiding layer is of Zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) and/or Alumina (Al₂ O₃) and is carried on a cladding layer over the substrate surface. The guiding layer has a guiding layer index of refraction which is higher than the cladding index of refraction. The Zirconium dioxide guiding layer is doped with rare earth materials.

Claims

1. A waveguide optical amplifier, comprising:

a substrate having a substrate surface and a substrate index of refraction;

an amorphous, unetched active layer containing Zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) and doped with a rare earth material deposited on the substrate surface having an active layer index of refraction, wherein the active layer index of refraction is higher than the substrate index of refraction; and

a low index of refraction ridge deposited on the active layer and patterned to thereby define an elongated region of optical confinement in the underlying amorphous active layer in a direction perpendicular to a direction of propagation.

2. The waveguide optical amplifier of claim 1 wherein the rare earth dopant comprises Erbium (Er).

3. The waveguide optical amplifier of claim 1 wherein the rare earth dopant comprises Praseodymium (Pr).

4. The waveguide optical amplifier of claim 1 wherein the rare earth dopant comprises Neodymium.

5. The waveguide optical amplifier of claim 1 including a co-dopant in the amorphous active layer.

6. The waveguide optical amplifier of claim 5 wherein the co-dopant comprises Ytterbium (Yb).

7. The waveguide optical amplifier of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises silicon (Si).

8. The waveguide optical amplifier of claim 1 including an optical pump providing a pump output signal between about 980 nm and about 1490 nm in wavelength.

9. The waveguide optical amplifier of claim 1 wherein the amorphous active layer is Pr--Yb doped and provides amplification to signals between about 1280 nm and about 1360 nm.

10. The waveguide optical amplifier of claim 1 including SiO₂ co-deposited in the amorphous active layer with the ZrO₂.

11. The waveguide optical amplifier of claim 1 including Al₂ O₃ co-deposited in the amorphous active layer with the ZrO₂.

12. The waveguide optical amplifier of claim 1 including a cladding layer adjacent the amorphous active layer having an index of refraction which is less than the active layer index of refraction.