Manufacture of erbium dosed phosphate two step ion exchange optical waveguide

Abstract

A preparing method includes the following steps: 1) ion exchange fused salt is prepared, 2) mask drawing of backing sample is prepared, 3) twice of ion exchanging is carried out, 4) annealing, 5) mask layer is removed and 6) end face is polished. The fused salt is compound material of sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate and silver nitrate as number one salt bath for the first exchange is contained by wt. with silver nitrate of 5-10% and potassium nitrate of 90-95% as well as number two for the second exchange is contained by wt. with potassium nitrate of 0-10% and sodium nitrate of 90-100%.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a method for manufacturing an ion-exchange optical waveguide, in particular to a method for manufacturing an erbium-doped phosphate two-step ion-exchange optical waveguide. It belongs to the field of optical communication. Background technique [0002] Optical amplifier is an important device in optical communication and optical information processing system. Erbium-doped glass waveguide amplifier has the advantages of small size, stable and reliable performance, high efficiency, low power consumption, and convenient use. However, the transmission loss of ion-exchanged optical waveguides is large, and the polarization-dependent loss (PDL) is large, which has always been one of the key factors restricting the rapid development of optical waveguide devices. Nowadays, most of the common ion-exchange methods for making glass optical waveguides only do one exchange. The transmission loss of the strip waveguide made of high-quality...

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Problems solved by technology

However, the transmission loss of ion-exchanged optical waveguides is large, and the polarization-dependent loss (PDL) is large, which has always been one of the key factors restricting the rapid development of optical waveguide devices. Nowadays, most of the common ion-exchange methods for making glass optical waveguides only do one exchange. The transmission loss of the strip waveguide made of high-quality optical BK7 glass is 0.21dB / cm, and the optical quality of the optical waveguide surface is not stable. The biggest disadvantage is that the cross-section of the waveguide area is semi-elliptical, and its polarization-dependent loss is relatively large. It has greatly affected the transmission characteristics of optical waveguides, so that glass optical waveguide devices have been stagnant for a long time

A small number of people have used the electric field assisted ion redistribution process. After searching the literature, it was found that JitkaKos Kova and Josef Schrofel published "Electric Field Assisted K+-Na+ Ion Exchange Glass Optical Waveguide Structure" (Optics Communications, "Integrated waveguide structures prepared in very pure glass" in "Optical Communications", Volume 156 in 1998, pages 384-39l by electricfield assisted K+-Na+ion exchange”Vol.156 1998 384-391) mentions the ion exchange process assisted by an electric field, but the experimental device is complicated and difficult to implement, and it is difficult to ensure the stability of the process

In this field, there are no detailed reports and related patents on the secondary ion exchange of erbium-doped phosphate glass with low transmission loss and low polarization-dependent loss optical waveguide.

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