Integrated optics for instrumentation applications

Two multimode integrated optics devices were demonstrated: an asymmetric bus access coupler for passive linear bidirectional fiber optic bus and a combined optical-to-electrical power converter and bidirectional data transceiver. The integrated optics devices were made using electric field assisted Ag-Na ion-exchange processes; the versatility of the ion-exchange process allowed for the implementation of these integrated optics devices, which by the use of commercial fiber optic devices would have been difficult. The design of the asymmetric bus access coupler enabled efficient coupling from a node to the bus while the fraction of optical power that was coupled from the bus into the node was optimized for the number of nodes. The optimization of the coupler for an LED source allowed for 7 nodes to be connected in the bus for a 30-dB optical power budget. A 27% optical-to-electrical power conversion efficiency was obtained for a customized 10-element photovoltaic array that was illuminated by the use of a customized 1x10 integrated optics coupler; in addition, the design of the array and coupler enabled bidirectional optical data transmission via a single multimode fiber.