Planar waveguide amplifier
US6650816B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 6, 2001 |
| Grant date | Nov 18, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 25, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/1631
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention provides a planar optical waveguide amplifier for amplifying optical communications signals when optically pumped by radiation of a pumping wavelength, the amplifier comprising: an optical buffer layer formed on a substantially planar substrate; an optically-transmissive metal-oxide-based waveguide core formed on the buffer layer, the core comprising aluminium oxide and a gain medium; and an optical cladding layer formed over the core. Preferably, the composition of the core predominantly comprises aluminium oxide and the gain medium comprises erbium and/or ytterbium. The waveguide core can be formed by reactively dc sputtering aluminium. The invention has the advantage of allowing higher erbium doping concentrations than is possible for silica-based amplifiers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.