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Semiconducting metal oxides are widely used for solar cells, photo-catalysis, bio-active materials and gas sensors. Besides the material properties of the semiconductor being used, the specific surface topology of the sensors determines device performance. This study presents different approaches for increasing the sensing area of semiconducting metal oxide gas sensors. Micro- and nanopatterned laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs) are generated on silicon, Si/SiO2 and glass substrates. The surface morphologies of the fabricated samples are examined by FE SEM. We selected the nanostructuring and characterization of nanostructured source Ni/Au and Ti/Au films prepared on glass using laser ablation as the most suitable of the investigated approaches. Surface structures produced on glass by backside ablation provide 100 nm features with a high surface area; they are also transparent and have high resistivity. The value of the hydrogen sensitivity in the range concentrations from 100 to 500 ppm was recorded using transmittance measurements to be twice as great for the nanostructured target TiO2/Au as compared to the NiO/Au. It was found that such transparent materials present additional possibilities for producing optical gas sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents different approaches to increase the sensing area of NiO based semiconducting metal oxide gas sensors. Micro- and nanopatterned laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) are generated on silicon and Si/SiO2 substrates. The surface morphologies of the fabricated samples are examined by FE SEM. We select the silicon samples with an intermediate Si3N4 layer due to its superior isolation quality over the thermal oxide for evaluating the hydrogen and acetone sensitivity of a NiO based test sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design and optimization of 1 × 2N Y-branch optical splitters for telecom applications. A waveguide channel profile, used in the splitter design, is based on a standard silica-on-silicon material platform except for the lengths of the used Y-branches, design parameters such as port pitch between the waveguides and simulation parameters for all splitters were considered fixed. For every Y-branch splitter, insertion loss, non-uniformity, and background crosstalk are calculated. According to the minimum insertion loss and minimum non-uniformity, the optimum length for each Y-branch is determined. Finally, the individual Y-branches are cascade joined to design various Y-branch optical splitters, from 1 × 2 to 1 × 64. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress in integrated photonics enables development of photonics integrated circuits (PIC) with new unique properties and overcomes current limits in information and communication technologies. The effective coupling of optical radiation between telecom optical fiber and photonic integrated circuits is necessary. To address these challenges, we present our concept of photonics integrated circuit (PIC) fully customized packaging with microwave, direct current, and fiber array ports with automated active alignment system. Automated adjustment and coupling of single-mode fiber (SMF) arrays with 8 fibers to PIC based on the detection of edges and markers on PIC and SMF arrays were successfully realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present various designs of optical splitters for access networks, such as GPON and XG-PON by ITU-T with triple-play services (ie data, voice and video). The presented designs exhibit a step forward, compared to the solutions recommended by the ITU, in terms of performance in transmission systems using WDM. The quality of performance is represented by the bit error rate and the Q-factor. Besides the standard splitter design, we propose a new length-optimized splitter design with a smaller waveguide core, providing some reduction of non-uniformity of the power split between the output waveguides. The achieved splitting parameters are incorporated in the simulations of passive optical networks. For this purpose, the OptSim tool employing Time Domain Split Step method was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical Access Networks (OAN) mostly use optical splitters to distribute the services from Optical Line Terminal (OLT) on the provider's side to the subscribers in Optical Network Unit (ONU). Optical splitters are the key components in such access networks as for example GPON and XG-PON by ITU-T. In this paper we investigate the optical properties of 1×16 Y-branch splitter and 1×16 MMI splitters based on different widths of multimode interference section and different lengths of the output ports. These two splitters were designed, simulated and the obtained results of both were studied and compared with each other. Additionally, we show that the used standard waveguide core size (usually 6×6 μm2 to match the diameter of the single mode input/output fibers, i.e. to keep the coupling loses as low as possible) supports not only propagation of the single mode but of the first mode too, leading to an asymmetric splitting ratio (increasing non-uniformity of split power over all the output waveguides). Decreasing waveguide core size, it is possible to suppress presence of the first mode and this way to reduce non-uniformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the design, simulation, evaluation, and technological verification of various low-index optical demultiplexers based on arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs). When designing such optical demultiplexers, a set of input geometrical parameters must be first calculated. They are essential to create AWG layout that will be then simulated using commercial photonics tools. However, these tools do not support or support only partially such a fundamental calculation. Therefore, a new stand-alone tool called AWG-Parameters was developed, which strongly reduces the time needed for the design. From the calculated geometrical parameters, the AWG layouts were created and simulated using three commercial photonic tools: Optiwave, (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), Apollo Photonics, (Ancaster, Ontario, Canada), and R-Soft, (Pasadena, California). The designs were also technologically verified. The simulated/measured transmission characteristics were evaluated by our newly developed AWG-Analyzer tool. This tool provides calculations of AWG transmission parameters, which are also missing in commercial photonic tools. Additionally, the tool provides clear definitions of calculated transmission parameters together with their textual and graphical representations. Finally, the transmission characteristics and parameters achieved from different photonic tools were compared with each other and discussed in detail. The simulated results were also compared with the measurements. Very good agreement was achieved between theoretical (AWG-Parameters tool), simulated (commercial photonic tools), and fabricated AWG transmission parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]