Fiber spectrum analyzer based on planar waveguide array aligned to a camera without lens

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple fiber spectrum analyzer using a planar waveguide array aligned directly with a camera, eliminating the need for complex optical elements and enabling easy, relaxed alignment for practical fiber spectral measurements.

Contribution

The work presents a novel fiber spectrum analyzer design that integrates a waveguide array with a camera, simplifying alignment and avoiding complex optical components.

Findings

Achieved spectral widths of 0.63 nm and 0.42 nm with two fabricated devices.

Demonstrated millimeter-scale focal depth allowing relaxed camera alignment.

Proposed a practical, easily mountable fiber spectrum analysis method.

Abstract

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a fiber spectrum analyzer based on a planar waveguide chip butt-coupled with an input fiber and aligned to a standard camera without any free-space optical elements. The chip consists of a single-mode waveguide to connect with the fiber, a beam broadening area, and a waveguide array in which the lengths of the waveguides are designed for both wavelength separation and beam focusing. The facet of the chip is diced open so that the outputs of the array form a near-field emitter. The far field are calculated by the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction integral. We show that the chip can provide a focal depth on the millimeter scale, allowing relaxed alignment to the camera without any fine-positioning stage. Two devices with 120 and 220 waveguides are fabricated on the polymer waveguide platform. The measured spectral width are 0.63 nm and 0.42 nm, respectively. This simple and practical approach may lead to the development of a spectrum analyzer for fiber that is easily mountable to any commercial camera, thereby avoiding the complication for customized detectors as well as electronic circuits afterwards.