Optical waves have been manipulated for various applications such as imaging, communication, and directed energy. The traditional systems used for this wavefront manipulation have been large and cumbersome, limiting their utilization to high-end applications. However, a recent study has introduced a free-standing microscale photonic lantern spatial mode multiplexer that marks a significant advancement in photonic technology.
The study conducted by Ph.D. candidate student Yoav Dana, supervised by Professor Dan Marom and his team at the Institute of Applied Physics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in collaboration with scientists from Nokia Bell Labs, resulted in the development and demonstration of a free-standing microscale photonic lantern spatial mode multiplexer. This diminutive photonic lantern was fabricated using a 3D nanoprinting technique that utilized direct laser writing, which was applied directly onto an optical fiber tip.
Photonic lantern devices play a crucial role in converting optical waves containing a superposition of modes or distorted wavefronts into an array of separated single-mode optical signals. These devices are promising contenders to enable space division multiplexing (SDM) in high-capacity future optical communication networks, as well as in imaging and other applications that require the spatial manipulation of optical waves.
By harnessing the capabilities of 3D nano-printing and employing high-index contrast waveguides, the researchers have developed a compact and versatile device that can be printed onto nearly any solid platform with fine accuracy and high fidelity. This advancement enables seamless integration of the photonic lantern spatial mode multiplexer into a variety of technological contexts.
Professor Dan Marom emphasized the significance of this breakthrough in enabling and adopting spatial multiplexing for diverse optical systems and applications. The development of the free-standing microscale photonic lantern spatial mode multiplexer makes space division multiplexing technology more accessible and amenable towards integration, thereby opening up new possibilities for optical communication and imaging applications.
The researchers presented the design of the device using genetic algorithms, the fabrication process onto a fiber tip, and the characterization of a six-mode mixing, 375μm long photonic lantern capable of converting between six single-mode inputs into a single six-mode waveguide. Despite its compact size, the device exhibits low insertion loss (-2.6 dB), low wavelength sensitivity, and low polarization and mode-dependent losses (-0.2 dB and -4.4 dB respectively).
The development of the free-standing microscale photonic lantern spatial mode multiplexer using 3D nanoprinting represents a significant advancement in the field of photonic technology. This compact and versatile device opens up new opportunities for system integration and adoption of the technology in future high-capacity communication systems and demanding imaging modalities.
Leave a Reply