SILICA-BASED INTEGRATED-OPTIC COMPONENTS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS APPLICATIONS

Waveguide devices have been produced comprising germania-doped silica cores and silica claddings on silica substrates, using microwave plasm a assisted chemical vapor deposition and reactive-ion etching. This al l-silica structure offers the maximum compatibility between fibers and waveguides in terms of both optical and physical properties. The all- silica philosophy is extended to the use of laser-cut silica V grooves in the construction of input/output fiber arrays. An important featur e of this approach is that it enables fiber/waveguide interfacing by C O2 laser welding of the respective silica blocks without the introduct ion of any significant additional loss. Both the waveguide fabrication and laser-welding processes are well suited to large-scale production of low-cost components.