ABSTRACT
In this paper, Y-branched circular core single-mode/few-mode polymer optical waveguides are designed and fabricated using the Mosquito method we have developed. They comprise a low loss multiplexing (MUX) device for mode division multiplexing. In the Mosquito method, since a liquid core monomer is dispensed into another liquid cladding monomer while the needle scans along the path of the wiring patterns, it was difficult to form in-plane core crossings and core branches. In this paper, to form single-mode/few-mode Y-branched cores, we apply a unicursal needle-scan path for the Y-branch structure with the Mosquito method. For MUX device applications, cores satisfying the single-mode condition are successfully formed on the two-port side while the one-port side has a few-mode core.
ABSTRACT
In this paper, we present a low-loss optical assembly utilizing a 90°-bent graded-index (GI) core polymer optical waveguide on vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) based optical transceivers. The proposed assembly can replace conventional components such as mirrors and lenses for realizing subminiature optical engines applicable to on-board integration. To minimize the total insertion loss of the waveguide when connected to a high-speed VCSEL and a GI-core multimode fiber (MMF) at each end, the characteristics of the beam emitted from VCSELs are measured and taken into consideration for the waveguide design. In order to confirm the effect of insertion loss reduction by the waveguide numerical aperture control, 90°-bent GI-core polymer waveguides are fabricated applying the Mosquito method. The fabricated waveguide exhibits a total insertion loss as low as about 2 dB at 850-nm wavelength, which includes the coupling losses at both ends, bending, and propagation losses. We also investigate a way to reduce the insertion loss when a gap exists between the waveguide and VCSEL chip. We theoretically and experimentally confirm that filling the gap with a high index resin can reduce the coupling loss by 5 dB.
ABSTRACT
Sapphirinid copepods, which are marine zooplankton, exhibit tunable structural colors originating from a layered structure of guanine crystal plates. In the present study, the coloring portion of adult male of a sapphirinid copepod, Sapphirina nigromaculata, under the dorsal body surface was characterized to clarify the regulation and actuation mechanism of the layered guanine crystals for spectral control. The coloring portions are separated into small domains 70-100 µm wide consisting of an ordered array of stacked hexagonal plates ~1.5 µm wide and ~80 nm thick. We found the presence of chitin-based honeycomb frameworks that are composed of flat compartments regulating the guanine crystal plates. The structural color is deduced to be tuned from blue to achromatic via yellow and purple by changing the interplate distance according to vital observation and optical simulation using a photonic array model. The framework structures are essential for the organization and actuation of the particular photonic arrays for the exhibition of the tunable structural color.
