Yannic Bourbin

Experimental demonstration of TM mode-attenuation resonance in planar metal-clad optical waveguides.

We show experimentally the presence of TM mode absorption resonance as a function of buffer thickness in planar metal-clad optical waveguides. Using Hg as the metal cladding, we have measured more than 20 dB of loss for the TM mode over about 1-mm length in a Ti-indiffused LiNbO(3) waveguide.

The local absorption technique: A straightforward characterization method for many optical devices

A new technique is analyzed and demonstrated to characterize integrated optical directional couplers. It is based on the locally induced absorption caused by a sliding Mercury drop. This technique works at any wavelength, does not rely on specific material properties, and leads to very fast knowledge of the characteristic parameters of the directional couplers.