New 1*4 optical power divider using a 4-branch waveguide

4분기 광도파로를 이용한 새로운 1*4 광파워 분할기

A new 1*4 optical waveguide power divider is proposed and fabricated. It consists of a 1*4 multi-branch structure with a beam separator and two beam expanders that can control the splitting ratios between the output ports. The proposed optical waveguide power divider is designed by employing the two dimensional finite difference beam propagation method and is fabricated by a reactive ion etching method. The splitting ratio of fabricatd device is 25.0 : 25.7 : 25.3 : 24.0 for TE mode and 25.7 : 25.2 : 24.1 : 25.0 for TM mode. Comapred with the conventional Y-branch structure, the proposed structure shortens the length of a 1*N divider by the factor 3. Thus it reduces the total propagation loss and the total radiation loss at the branch points. furthermore, the splitting ratios between the output ports may be controlled in this structure for some special applications.