Seminar Series: Technology Trends 2005
Towards the Photonic Chip: Direct writing of 2- and
3-D lightwave circuits in glass.
Dr Michael
Withford, Macquarie University
Scientists at Macquarie University are leading the world in
developing novel technologies that will boost the speed of fibre
optic networks: the backbone of modern communication systems. Using
microphotonics in place of aging electronic ones promises to
overcome future network bottlenecks and provide enhanced access to
the internet and home entertainment for years to come.
Laser direct write micro-fabrication, where an ultrafast laser is
focussed to a small, intense spot, and translated under computer
control with respect to a target sample, has emerged as a
significant enabling technology creating new opportunities in
microphotonics. Macquarie researchers are developing this technique
in order to modify the internal properties of glass substrates and
write “optical wires” (or waveguides) and discrete components such
as amplifiers and filters. The talk will present recent results of
the performance of laser written microphotonic devices and discuss
implications for integrated lightwave circuits and applications in
Metropolitan Area Networks.
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