Integrated-optic lossless beamsplitters

Erbium-doped thin-film waveguides are promising as loss-compensating devices for various photonic integrated circuits. We have addressed major challenges in the development of lossless splitters based on the Er-doped glass films: the requirement of high Er concentrations, the fabrication of quality waveguides, and the development of suitable architectures for beamsplitting and for signal and pump combining and separating, and the limitations of maximum-obtainable gain of Er-doped thin-film amplifiers. Based on these results, we have successfully developed integrated-optic, lossless splitters. The fabricated devices clearly demonstrate lossless transmission of an optical signal at 1.54 (mu) m wavelength through a 1x2 splitter and an Er-doped amplifier that are monolithically integrated on the same substrate.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.