Self-organizing waveguide coupling method “SOLNET” andits application to film optical circuit substrates

摘要

We propose a novel self-organizing waveguide formation method“Self-Organizing Lightwave NETwork (SOLNET)”. SOLNETutilizes an interaction between light beams in photorefractivematerials. The interaction is an attractive force, so that the beamsmerge together into one optical path. This enables an automaticwaveguide construction between optical devices, tolerating the mutualpositional misalignment. SOLNET can also construct straight anddowntapered waveguides in a free space. Applications of SOLNET areproposed, including self-aligned coupling between two optical devicesand 3D optical wiring. Proof-of-concept of SOLNET is demonstrated bycomputer simulations and experiments. Optoelectronic (OE) interconnecthardware, OE Scalable Substrate (OE-SS) and Film Optical Link Module(FOLM), as well as a device integration process, Self-ORganizingTransfer (SORT), which have been proposed by FCPT, are presented. OE-SSand FOLM have potentiality to reduce cost and required space in OEsystems. Expected applications of SOLNET to OE-SS and FOLM are shown