Electronically reconfigurable superimposed waveguide long-period gratings.

ABSTRACT

The perturbation to the refractive index induced by a periodic electric field from two systems of interdigitated electrodes with the electrode-finger period l is analyzed for a waveguide with an electro-optically (EO) active core-cladding. It is shown that the electric field induces two superimposed transmissive refractive-index gratings with different symmetries of their cross-section distributions. One of these gratings has a constant component of an EO-induced refractive index along with its variable component with periodicity l, whereas the second grating possesses only a variable component with periodicity 2l. With the proper waveguide design, the gratings provide interaction between a guided fundamental core mode and two guided cladding modes. Through the externally applied electric potential, these gratings can be independently switched ON and OFF, or they can be activated simultaneously with electronically controlled weighting factors. Coupling coefficients of both gratings are analyzed in terms of their dependence on the electrode duty ratio and dielectric permittivities of the core and cladding. The coupled-wave equations for the superimposed gratings are written and solved. The spectral characteristics are investigated by numerical simulation. It is found that the spectral characteristics are described by a dual-dip transmission spectrum with individual electronic control of the dip depths and positions. Within the concept, a new external potential application scheme is described in which the symmetry of the cross-sectional distribution of the refractive index provides coupling only between the core mode and the cladding modes, preventing interaction of the cladding modes with each another. This simple concept opens opportunities for developing a number of tunable devices for integrated optics by use of the proposed design as a building block.