2004 International Conferenceon Signal Processing 8.
Communications (SPCOM)
ANALYSIS OF OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE GRATING FILTER FOR
OPTICAL WIRELESS COMMUNICATION
L.R.D.Suresh, S.Ponmalar, Dr.S.Sundaravadivelu,
Department of ECE,
Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai-625 015, Tamil Nadu, India.
E-mail: Irdsuresh@hotmail.com
ABSTRACT: Efficient coupling of light
between the waveguides is a key issue in the
design of many optical components that can
be used in wireless optical communication
systems. In order to have a large scale
photonic integrated circuits it is required to
integrate several optical components. This
will result in a high density, tbree-
dimensional structure, based on a single
substrate. This paper realizes highly efficient
- . optical filters, using grating structures to
provide sharp cutoff. The coupled mode
theory (CMT) i s used for the analysis of
symmetric, antisymmetric, reflection and
transmission modes. Here we propose a
novel approach for analyzing a fiber-grating
filter in transmission mode. This device can
act as a narrow band pass filter and
particularly useful in optical wireless
applications.
Key Words: Optical wireless
communication, coupled mode theory,
optical filtcr
I.INTRODUCTION
1.l.Optical components for Optical
Wireless Communication
The complexity of space
communication is growing rapidly with the
increase in the transmission requirements.
Most of these systems are based on
microwavc Iinks. The .optical wireless
communication system becomes more and
more attractive as the interest in high
capacity and long distance space link
grows[I]. The desire for inexpensive, high
speed links satisfying these requirements has
motivated recent interest in optical wireless
communication[2]. The advantage of optical
wireless system is mainly based on the
strongly improved gain and reduction in the
beam width of an antenna. The much higher
gain achieved at optical frequency allows to,
02004 IEEE
0-78Q3-8674-4IO4l$20.00
'
decrease the antenna diameter (around
IOcm), increase the data transmission rate
(Gbitslsec) and increase the transmission
distance (millions of km in space)[3]. This
makes optical wireless communication
system morc viable choice for applications
that requires higher data rate. In order to
bring optical wireless communication
system as more common onc, it requires the
optical components in canpact form. This
paper proposes the design of one of the
component that is integrated optical filter. In
optical wireless communication the lower
wavelength operation is prcferred due to
very less dispersion effect in the atmosphere
at this window. This optical filter is
designed for 532nm, which is efficient
operating wavelength for Optical Wireless
Communicatian[4].
Waveguide coupling using periodic
gratings has attracted considerable attention
over recent years as an altemative to fiber
butt-coupling, and a candidate for opto-
hybrid integration of components[5]. There
are several reasons why these grating
methods have not becn adopted in
commercial systems. Wavelength stability
of thc optical source, alignment tolerances
(angular and yaw), physical dimensions of
the grating ares, etc. are the factors that have
hindered development. However, the
fabrication problems are becoming less of an
issue as dcvdopments in VLSI processing
continue to improve, vertical emitting
structures are attractive for integration, and
the general interest in photonic band gap
structures and improved sources will no
doubt lead to grating based systems being
looked at again in the future.
Periodic structures can be
incorporated into planar waveguides to form
integrated optic compnents. Periodic
waveguides in which either the thickness,
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refractive index or any other waveguide
characteristics vanes periodically along the
propagation direction are used in many fiber
optic and integrated optic devices such as
optical filters, couple rs, multiplexers,
polarizer, etc[6]. The gratings can be of
rectangular or trapezoidal or triangular or
sinusoidal in shape.
In general the available optical
components are in all fiber form, which is
difficult to integrate in photonic integrated
circuits. Integrated optics provides a solution
to integrating these components on a single
substrate, which miniaturizes the
component. By analyzing different
waveguide structures, components like
optical filter can be designed. This makes
use of periodic perturbation in the planar
dielectric optical waveguide. This paper
proposes waveguide structures that act as an
optical filter, which has sharp cut off
wavelength charactcristics. Since these
components are highly efficient and
miniaturized this can be used in be dcsign
of wireless optical communication systems.
1.2. Optical Filters:
In multiwavelcngth optical
communication systems, each channel is
assigned a particular wavelength. For
combining and separating the channels,
narrowband, tunable optical wavelength
filters are key deviccs in such systems.
Narrowband, tunable wavelength filters
based on grating is analyzcd in this paper.
If an optical signal is passed
through a waveguide having a grating
consisting of a series of periodic grooves,
the undulations in refractive index cause a
small portion of the signal to be re8ected at
each groove, Tf the optical wavelength is h,
and the groove periodicity is A, then the
reflected signal will add in phase only when
the distance from one groove to the next and
then back again is equal to the wavelength.
Le, = 212.
For long gratings having small
reflectivity per groove, the spread in
wavelength AA over which strong reflection
occurs can be extremely small. Thus, such a
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grating can be used as either a notch filter in
transmission mode or a narrow band pass
filter in reflection modc[7].
ILANALYSIS OF OPTICAL FILTER
Based on the Coupled mode theory
gratings structures are analyzed for the
design of optical filter[S]. Different types of
grating profiles like iriangular, rectangular,
trapezoidal and sinusoidal profiles arc
possible. In this paper we have analyzed the
sinusoidal periodic grating structure. The
coupled mode equations are given by
-=
dB KAe - # r r (2)
dz
Where, A is the amplitude coefficient of
input wave, B is the amplitude coefficient of
output wave, K is the coupling coefficient, r
is the reflection coefficient and z is the
direction of wave propagation[9].
By solving these equations the power at the
input and output of the waveguide structure
is given as
(3)
(4)
Where, Pl(z) is the input power, Pz(z) is the
output power and y is the attenuation
coefficient.
From this equation we can see that the
maximum value of P2(z) is K'M, which is
always less than or equal to 1. It is equal to
unity only when KT, that is r=0. This can
be justified from the relation
r?
y L = K 2 +-
4
Thus, complete power transfer is possible
only if r=O.Since r can be made equal to
zero only at a particular wavelength & = A,
and will be nonzero for all other
wavelengths, the coupling power exhibits a
narrow band pass characteristics[ 101.
A narrow band pass filter can be
designed by varying the thickness of the
grating, grating period and the refractive
indices of film and substrate.
 Consider a waveguide device
consisting of two unperturbed waveguides
joined together by a sinusoidal periodically
perturbed region shown in fig. 2.1.
and PI&h are the propagation constants of
modes 1&2 respectively.
We can see That r can be made equal to
zero only at a particular wavelength h = A,
- Film nf and will be nonzero at all other wavelengths.
Thus, complete power transfer will be
Substrate ns
possible only at h, and the coupling of
power exhibits narrow band pass
characteristics.
z=o Z=L
Fig. 2.1 Schematic diagram of optical filter IILRESULTS AND DISCUSSION
where, A is the grating period, ...h, A sinusoidal grating structure has
..A, are different wavelengths, & is the been taken for the analysis of optical filter.
cutoff wavelength, nh 4,and r\: are refractive The structure is shown in fig 3.1. The
indices of film, substrate and cover response of the filter is analyzed by
respectively and L is the length of the changing the grating thickness, period of
periodic waveguide. grating, refractive indices of the film and
In a planar waveguide with sinusoidal substrate. The results obtained are discussed
periodic perturbation, the coupling in the forthcoming section.
coeficient K is given by,

where h is the amplitude of periodic

thickness variation, and nC2 are the
effective refractive indices of upper and
lower part of periodic waveguide.
d, = d + 1 1 (4)
,/=
k,, + k,,,/=
Fig 3.1 Sinusoidal periodic waveguide
1
d2 = d + 1 (7) structurc.
A O J m +k o J m
d, and d2 are the effective waveguide 3.1 Effect of variation in refractive
thickness, d is the thickness of the film indices on filter response:
region and & = 27& ,the free space wave The response of the filter is analyzed with
number. different values of refractive index of film
Tf light is incident from the left, then layer (Le, nf =1SI ,1.6 & 1.7) and all the
the periodic perturbation will couple power remaining p.rameters & = 1.5, n, = 1.0,
from the left of the waveguide to the right A = 3 2 5 p , h-=O.Olpm and h, =532nm)are
depending on the value of r[111. The power kept constants and the plot is shown in
coupled from left to the right after fig.3,2. From this plot we observed that, in
propagation though length L of the periodic the first case (nf= l S l ) , the pass bandwidth
waveguide is, is 5.996Inm and in the second case(%= 1.6 )
the pass bandwidth is 6.3386nm and in the
third case(nf= 1.7 ) the pass bandwidth is
6.4143nm,,states that the difference in

446
refractive indices betwcen film and substrate
increases, the filter response gets slightly
wider. This implies that in order to get a
narrow band pass characteristics, the
difference between rq and 4 should be very
low.
Fig.3.2 Filter response with variation in
refractive indices
3.2 Effect of variation in grating thickness
on filter response:
The response of the filter is
analyzed with grating thickness of h =
O.OIpm, h = 0.05pm and h = O.1pm and all
other parameters (A=325pm, q= 1.5, Q =
1.49, n, = 1.0 and h, =532nm) are kept
constants and the plot is shown in fig. 3.3.
Fig 3.3 Filter response with variation in
grating thickness
From this plot we observed that, for grating
thickness of h = 0.01pm, the pass bandwidth
is 5.9931~1,for grating thickness of h =
0.05pm,the pass bandwidth is 29.966"
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and for grating thickness of h = O.lpn, the
pass bandwidth is 59.931nm. So, we can
infer that the thickness of the grating gets
increased, the bandwidth widens
enormously. This implies that in order to get
a narrow band pass characteristics, the
grating thickness should be very low.
3.3 Effect of grating period in filter
response:
The response of the filter is
analyzed for grating period of A=133pm,
A=233pm and A=333pm and all other
parameters (n,= 1.5, Q = 1.49, Q = 1.0 and
h =O. 1pm) are kept constants and thc plot is
shown in fig. 3.4. From this plot, it is
observed that, for grating period of
A=133pm, the cutoff wavelength is 532nm,
for grating period of A=233pm, thc cutoff
wavelength is shifted to 932nm and for
grating period of A=333pm, the cutoff
wavelength is further shifted to
1332nm.So,we can infer that, as the grating
period gets increased, the cutoff wavelength
(A,) that is been filtered also increases. So
by properly selecting the grating period we
can design the filter to any desired
wavelength. Based on the selective
wavelength, this filter can be used in the
optical wireless communication where thc
efficient operating wavelength is 532nm.
Fig 3.4 Filter response with variation in
grating period
 1V.CONCLUSIONS Electronics Letters, vol. 33, NO. 25,
The optical narrow band pass filter Dec’97.
for its use in wireless applications has been [8] Giora Griffe1 and Amos A. Hardy,
analyzed and the conclusions are, the ToupIed Mode Formulation for
difference in refractive indices between film Directional Coupler with Longitudinal
and substrate should be minimum and the Perturbation”, IEEE Journal of
grating height must be minimum to have Quantum Elech-onics, vol. 27, No.4,
narrow band pass characteristics and in April 1991.
order to get variable cutoff wavelengths, E91 Shuzhang Zhang and Theodor Tamir,
period of grating can be varied. “Analysis and Design of Broadband
The optical wavelength 532nm grating Coupler“, ZEEE Journel of
which is efficient window in optical wireless Quantum Electronics, Nov’ 1993.
communication is very well focused and [IO] T.Tjugiarto, G.D.Peng, and P.L.Chu,
utilized in designing the optical filter in this “Band Pass filtering effect in tapered
paper. asymmetrical twin-core optical fibers”,
Electronics letter 1Oth June
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